I’m new
Content Navigator 🧭 Search our detailed Charts, Graphs, Guidelines, & Maps by Topic. Full page List!

ACHAN’S SIN AT JERICHO

ACHAN’S SIN AT JERICHO: The Impossibility of Lawlessness in the Kingdom 🗡️

1. Introduction: The Sacredness of the Firstfruits

The story of Achan at the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 7) is a severe, immediate, and public demonstration that the smallest act of disobedience can bring judgment upon the entire community. It underscores the severity of God’s holy standards, which will be perfectly enforced in the coming kingdom.

  • The Context: Jericho was the “firstfruits” of the conquest of the Promised Land. God commanded that everything be dedicated to Him (“devoted to destruction” or herem), meaning it was sacred and could not be taken for personal gain (Joshua 6:17-19).
  • The Principle Violated: Achan violated the principle of Exclusive Worship and the Sanctity of Property & Truth by secretly taking forbidden items for himself.
  • Key Concept: This event establishes that even one act of lawlessness is intolerable in the presence of God’s holiness and will immediately break the fellowship and power of the community.

2. The Crime: Lawlessness and Hypocrisy

Achan’s sin was an internal threat—a secret act of greed and covetousness that had fatal consequences for Israel’s ability to operate under God’s blessing.

Aspect of the SinAchan’s ActionResulting Principle of Judgment
CovetousnessHe saw a beautiful cloak, silver, and gold and “coveted them and took them” (Joshua 7:21).External failure stems from internal desire. The heart’s desire for temporal goods over spiritual blessing is a direct violation of God’s Rule.
HypocrisyHe hid the items in his tent, believing his secret was safe from God and man.Nothing is hidden from God. All secret sins will be brought into the light when Christ returns.
Corporate GuiltIsrael’s defeat at Ai followed immediately, and God declared, “Israel has sinned” (Joshua 7:11).The purity of the community is paramount. The presence of lawlessness among God’s people compromises their covenant standing.

3. The Divine Intervention: Perfect Justice Enforced

God’s intervention was designed to restore holiness, demonstrate His perfect knowledge, and reinstate His authority over the entire nation.

  • Exposure: God directed Joshua to expose the sin through a process of elimination by tribe, clan, and family, confirming His precise knowledge of every individual’s actions.
  • The Confession: When confronted, Achan confessed his deed, confirming the truth of God’s judgment (Joshua 7:20-21).
  • The Judgment: Achan and his entire family were stoned and burned in the Valley of Achor (Trouble), a severe punishment that purged the sin and restored Israel’s covenant relationship with God. The lesson was learned through a decisive, irreversible act of justice.

4. Prophetic Echo: The Final Purging

The judgment of Achan serves as a chilling preview of the final, decisive enforcement of the Rule Restored at the Lord’s Return.

  • The Purging of Lawlessness: The Lord’s return is preceded by the complete purging of all things that cause sin (Matthew 13:41). Just as Achan’s lawlessness was immediately removed, so will all unholiness be permanently separated from the Kingdom.
  • The Final Inventory: The judgment seat of Christ will expose all hidden works—the “fire will test the quality of each person’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:13). Achan’s buried treasure mirrors the fleeting nature of all things done outside of God’s will.
  • The Impossibility of Sin: In the New Earth, the conditions that allowed Achan’s sin will be permanently removed. Nothing that is impure or deceitful will be allowed to enter the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:27).

5. Conclusion: Purity Before Power

The valley of Achor stands as a perpetual reminder that God demands purity before He grants power and victory.

  • The Call to Readiness: Our Watchfulness and Readiness must include a ruthless examination of our own hearts for any “hidden thing” that we have brought into our spiritual life from the condemned “world system.”
  • Your Action: Live the Sanctity of Property & Truth principle by examining your motives and desires. Confess and purge any form of covetousness or compromise, ensuring there is no “trouble” (Achor) in your life that would prevent you from standing holy and ready at the Lord’s Return.