Notice, God describes in detail the reason for the defeat at Ai in Joshua 7:11:
They sinned. They violated the covenant.
They have stolen.
They have lied.
They hid things devoted to destruction.
Then God makes a powerful statement in Joshua 7:12: That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.”
God wants Joshua to know that it is sin, and sin alone that has caused Him to withdraw His protection and His presence. It is sin that has separated them from God, and it is sin that removes all hope for the future. Many of us have felt this to be true in our own lives.
It is truly foolish to think that we can hide sin and keep it a secret: God in His righteousness has many ways of bringing to light the hidden deeds of darkness. If God desires it, a bird can even carry the news of our hidden sin (see Ecclesiastes 10:20).
Psalms 94:7-10 (NIV) They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice.” 8 Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? 9 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? 10 Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?
So they cast lots and the lot falls on Achan, whose name means “trouble”. Achan is now under a curse for his sin, and, as the Head of his family, his sin is imputed to his whole family. Then Achan is taken outside the camp of Israel, as a sign that they are putting that wicked person far from them, and Achan is stoned to death. “God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you’” (1 Corinthians 5:13). A pile of stones stands as a monument for the effects of sin.
And notice the result: Joshua 7:26 (NIV) Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
Valley of Achor means “valley of trouble” and here we the see the one who troubles being put to death in the Valley of Trouble. And through the death of Achan, God’s presence, power and protection is with the Israelites again, and the entire camp of Israel is given victory over Ai.
This part of the story makes us think of the cross of Jesus Christ, by way of contrast and comparison. Jesus had our sins on Him and was treated as the worst of sinners. He was led outside the city gates and died under the curse of God and under the wrath of God. Can you imagine Jesus, the holy, perfect, spotless Son of God being treated like Achan? Dying as an outcast from humanity on a trash heap? The Man of Sorrows dying on Golgotha (the place of a skull).Then, after the death of Jesus, the Lord turned from His fierce anger against sin, and because Jesus removed our sin the presence and power and protection of God is with all who believe!
“Achan, representing the people, deserved to be killed for his sin. Jesus, representing his people, did not. “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22). In both cases, we sense both the seriousness of sin and the lengths to which God will go to preserve his people from sin’s contagion and corruption. Both Achan and Jesus were executed to turn away God’s wrath. But in a breathtaking act of substitution, we sinners, deserving the fate of Achan, are freely forgiven and welcomed into God’s family because Jesus, our representative head, has paid for our sins” (Gospel Transformation Study Bible Notes).
Question 3. Do you believe that Jesus died in your place, removing your sin from you and securing victory for you over sin, death, the world, your own flesh and the devil? Share your thoughts here.
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Amanda writes, "Yes, I believe Jesus took my place and gave me a home in Heaven with Him. He gives me victory when there should be no victory. He gives me love that I could never deserve. He gives me guidance when I'm too ignorant to see the way. He makes a way where there is no way!"
Kelly writes, "I do believe Jesus took the wrath, punishment and death that should have been mine. And I need to keep believing this over and over again. I had an Achan like experience recently in my life where I fail down the slippery slope of treasuring the things I saw and the ideas and imaginations of my own heart over and above God. It’s so true when the lessons says God can use something as unexpected and unlikely as a bird to reveal our sin. Something like that happened to me recently. I was happily going along in the sin that I had by now put away among the things of my heart when God used the most unexpected mundane thing to let me know that HE is God and He knows all about the sin I hid in my heart. I was devastated. Trouble was engulfing me and if it had not been for the Cross, the Salvation of knowing that even for this horrible Sin the Lord Jesus was taken outside the camp and stoned to death so I wouldn’t have to I would have been crushed."
Dear friend, if you’ve been one who has hidden sin in the past, let the overwhelming love of God for you, as exhibited in the death of Jesus Christ, grant you genuine repentance, a real turning from sin and removal of anything you’ve been hiding, that you would experience the joy of the Lord and freedom from habitual sin.
Here is a summary of this passage, comparing and contrasting Achan with the gospel of Jesus Christ:
Achan was cursed by God and taken outside the camp of Israel. Achan suffered death for his sins, and, as the head of his household, Achan had his sin imputed to his whole family. After Achan died the anger of the Lord was removed from the people; His presence and protection restored after the sin was removed.
The cross of Christ is shown by way of contrast, where a perfectly holy and righteous Jesus was treated as if he were a sinner like Achan: cursed by God and taken outside the camp, hung on a pole with all our sins on Him, after which time the presence and protection of God is given to all who believe, since our sin has been removed. Finally, as the Federal Head of His new creation family all Jesus' righteousness was imputed to us.
Question 4: Did you see the gospel in your studies today? Was your faith built up? Share your thoughts here:
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Kelly O. writes, "I definitely did. Comparing and contrasting Achan and Jesus was eye opening for me, because I definitely saw myself in Achan. I know what it’s like to be tempted, to fall in to sin, and to know that God is far away. But to put Achan, a very real illustration of a man deserving death for his sin, next to Jesus, who definitely deserved the exact opposite, was revealing to me. I now see greater depth in the saving gospel!"
Amanda writes, "I was a sinner with no hope before coming to Christ. I was a rebel given to my own desires and lusts with no thoughts as to the consequences. However, when I was discovered, when the Holy Ghost showed me my condition, I realized there was a price to pay for sins. With thoughts of my punishment being hell and being doomed there for all eternity, Jesus stepped in and took the punishment I deserved. Unlike Achan, my punishment was carried out on our Lord and Savior and I now I get to live in freedom. The cross is my memorial, just as the stones were for this situation. When I look to the cross I see that penalty for sins and disobedience and I am compelled to to better. When people would see the stones piled up over Achan's body, I'm sure they were compelled to not give into their lusts and desires and complete disobedience. What a sad thing to think that as we see "Beloved Father," "Beloved Mother," etc. on head stones in the grave yard; if there was something inscribed on one of the stones piled over Achan what it may have said. I pray that when people see me, they see the light of Jesus and the testimony that I have been with Him rather than the scars that sinful desires will give."
Kelly writes, "Oh how the Gospel was magnified in this study! I’m so happy the Holy Spirit led my wounded heart here today. I so needed to be reminded that the anger of God was removed, it subsided when Achan was punished for his sins and the sins of his family just as the Lord Jesus was punished, not for any sin He committed, rather for all my sins and all the sins of His Family. As an imperfect Christian I still need the message of the Cross. When God showed me, just recently, that He see’s my sin, I had no place to run for refuge and covering except to the Cross. As I layed there cowering beneath the shelter of Jesus broken body I begged God to have mercy on me this wretched sinner. And with the most gentle words and tenderness of touch, it was as if He lifted my sinking heart and tear filled eyes to look into Jesus blood filled eyes on the Cross and said “See, I have had mercy on you already “ Psalms 130:7 . . . hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption."