The corporate consequences of this one man’s sin are nearly devastating to the nation and Joshua, its leader. As we look at this story it becomes clear that God takes sin seriously and that He often holds the entire body accountable for the actions of individuals. This concept is called “corporate solidarity” and we find it throughout the Old Testament (2 Chronicles 7:14; Nehemiah 1; Daniel 9) and the New Testament as well (1 Corinthians 5).
We will be discussing the implications of this concept as the story of Achan’s sin unfolds before us. There are six elements on which we will be focusing.
Element #1 – The Disobedience of Achan – v.1
1 But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban,
Here we see the concept of corporate solidarity when it comes to the area of sin. The text makes it clear that God saw the sin of Achan as corporate disobedience. Warren Wiersbe writes,
Why would God blame the whole nation for the disobedience of only one soldier? Because Israel was one people in the Lord and not just an assorted collection of tribes, clans, families and individuals. God dwelt in the midst of their camp (Ex. 19:5-6). Jehovah God walked about their camp, and therefore the camp was to be kept holy and this defilement affected their relationship to the Lord and to one another (Be Strong, pp. 84).The terminology used here is significant. The phrase acted unfaithfully is the term used to describe a wife’s adultery in Numbers 5:12-13. It refers to a betrayal of trust that existed between two parties…namely God and man. This betrayal of trust involved breaking the fundamental covenantal relationship between God and Israel (as v.11, 15 make clear).
for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.
Achan’s sin therefore, was much more than stealing something that belonged to God, it was an unfaithful act of betrayal by making something other than God the object of his affection. It was a violation of the first of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3). In this case the object of his affection was the “herem,” the thing that God had devoted to destruction (6:17-19). Because of Achan’s unfaithful act toward God, God imputed, if you will, the sin of Achan to the entire nation of Israel (see Romans 5:12-21 for the concept of imputation). Interestingly, the name Achan means troubler, in committing this sin he certainly was living up to his name.
Element #2 – The Defeat at Ai – v.2-5
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." So the men went up and spied out Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few."
While the defeat at Ai can be laid solely at the feet of Achan, you can’t help but detect a note of overconfidence in the spies’ advice to Joshua. Also, it seems significant that God is not a part of the equation as Israel developed its plan of attack. Whereas before the battle of Jericho, Joshua received specific instructions about how to approach the battle, there is no indication that Joshua sought or received the Lord’s input in their plans for attacking Ai. Could it be the case that they were walking by sight and not by faith?
It is impossible for us to enter into Joshua’s mind and fully understand his thinking. No doubt the impressive victory at Jericho had given Joshua and his army a great deal of self-confidence; and self-confidence can lead to presumption. Since Ai was a smaller city than Jericho, victory seemed inevitable from the human point of view. But instead of seeking the mind of the Lord, Joshua accepted the counsel of his spies; and this led to defeat. He would later repeat this mistake in his dealings with the Gibeonites (Josh. 9).
The spies said nothing about the Lord; their whole report focused on the army and their confidence that Israel would have victory. You don’t hear these men saying, “If the Lord will” (James 4:13-17). They were sure that the whole army
wasn’t needed for the assault, but that wasn’t God’s strategy when He gave the orders for the second attack on Ai (Josh. 8:1). Since God’s thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9), we’d better take time to seek His direction. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18, NKJV). What Israel needed was God-confidence, not self-confidence (Warren Wiersbe, Be Strong, pp. 87).
We would do well to remind ourselves of this danger in our own ministry endeavors. All too often we go about doing ministry or even just living our lives in the flesh with self-confidence, rather than being led by the Spirit, with God-confidence.
Now Israel experienced three sad consequences because of Achan’s disobedience…
Consequence #1 – They experienced the disgrace of defeat – v.4
What a contrast between the battle of Jericho…
Joshua 6:20
20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and it came about, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city.
…and the battle at Ai…
4 So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. The nation that had struck fear in the hearts of the Canaanites was now running away in retreat and defeat.
Consequence #2 – They experienced the deaths of thirty-six men – v.5a
5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent,
Thirty-six casualties may not seem like a lot in light of thousands that went into battle, but it was thirty-six more than they experienced at Jericho.
Consequence #3 – They experienced the discouragement of the people – v.5b
so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
The wording here is intentional especially in light of previous verses.
Joshua 2:9
9 and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. NAS
Joshua 2:11
11 And when we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. NAS
Joshua 2:24
24 And they said to Joshua, "Surely the LORD has given all the land into our hands, and all the inhabitants of the land, moreover, have melted away before us." NAS
Joshua 5:1
1 Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer, because of the sons of Israel. NAS
Because of Achan’s sin, Israel in essence became like the Canaanites, alone, without any true God to protect them and they were “melting away” with fear.
Element #3 – The Dismay of Joshua – v.6-9
The leader, who had earlier been magnified, was now mortified! More than anything, Joshua was caught off-guard by this defeat. Remember at this point Joshua still did not know why Israel had experienced this defeat. In his confusion Joshua expressed his dismay in two ways.
(1) He expressed his dismay through the act of mourning – v.6
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
The act of tearing his clothes and falling on his face was an expression of Joshua’s mourning. David M. Howard gives some good background on the practice of mourning in the OT.
The actions of mourning here are much more dramatic than most mourning customs in the modern Western world. However, they were common in Israel and the ancient Near East. Other mourning customs indicated in the OT include weeping (Ps 6:6; Jer 9:1), beating the chest (Isa 32:12), lifting up the hands (Ps 141:2; Ezra 9:5), lying or sitting in silence (Judg 20:26; 2 Sam 12:16), bowing the head (Lam 2:10), fasting (2 Sam 3:35), wearing of sackcloth (Gen 37:34), sprinkling of ashes, dust, or dirt (as here; 2 Sam 15:32). There was even a class of professional women mourners who could be called to mourn on specific occasions (Jer 9:17, 20; Amos 5:16-17). Israelites were strictly prohibited from practicing some pagan mourning rites, however, such as cutting the flesh or shaving the beard (Lev 19:28; Deut. 14:1; Jer 16:6) (NAC: Joshua, pp. 191 see footnote).
Sadly, only now do we find Joshua humbled before the Lord. Warren Wiersbe adds, “Had Joshua humbled himself before the battle, the situation would have been different after the battle.”
(2) He expressed his dismay through prayer – v.7-9
7 And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why didst Thou ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing to dwell beyond the Jordan!
In some ways Joshua’s words in verse 7 remind us of the words spoken by the unbelieving spies and people at Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 13-14). The difference is that the wilderness generation complained against God due to their unbelief, whereas Joshua’s complaint was to God due to confusion and disappointment. Complaining to God is not the same thing as complaining against God. There is no doubt that Joshua still trusted the Lord, he just didn’t understand what was happening.
Note how Joshua addresses God, “Alas, O Lord GOD.” Lord GOD is Adonai Jehovah in the Hebrew and it means Sovereign LORD. While Joshua didn’t understand what was happening, he did know and acknowledge that God was in control. In verses 8-9, Joshua mentions two concerns in his prayer.
His first concern was for Israel’s reputation.
8 "O Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned their back before their enemies? 9 "For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth.
One of the severest consequences to sin is the damage that it does to the reputation of the corporate body. Here Joshua acknowledges this consequence as he cries out to God for answers. In noting the why (v.7), what (v.8), what (v.9) of Joshua’s prayer, Irving L Jensen points out that Joshua is not seeking to know the cause for Israel’s defeat at Ai, but the reason that the sovereign Lord has designed it to be so. In other words, Joshua “apparently attributes it [the defeat at Ai] to sovereign design, and [he] asks only the reason for such design.”
Many times we suffer the consequences for sin and instead of looking at the sin itself (the cause of the consequences) we blame God. Israel’s reputation had been damaged because it had turned their back before their enemies. The word “turned” means to overturn and is used elsewhere to indicate great turmoil. By having to flee and turn the back of its neck (the literal meaning of the phrase) Israel experienced great turmoil and shame. Its reputation had been sullied by the defeat and now the surrounding nations would hear about it and gain in confidence.
To his credit, Joshua does not express any concern for his own reputation although it would be impacted by what had happened. In addition, this defeat would cause the reputation of the Lord to be damaged as well. This leads us to his second concern.
His second concern was for the Lord’s reputation
And what wilt Thou do for Thy great name?
Given that Israel was God’s chosen nation, His reputation would be linked to theirs. Moses understood this connection and used it in his intercession for the people at Kadesh-Barnea.
Numbers 14:13-16
13 But Moses said to the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Thy strength Thou didst bring up this people from their midst, 14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that Thou, O LORD, art in the midst of this people, for Thou, O LORD, art seen eye to eye, while Thy cloud stands over them; and Thou dost go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if Thou dost slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Thy fame will say, 16 'Because the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.' NAS
God’s great name would be tarnished because of the sin of Achan and of Israel, and Joshua was concerned about it.
Today, we in the church are called by the name of Christ. We are Christ-ians. How concerned are we about preserving His reputation? Just as Israel was the visible representative of the LORD, so we are the visible representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the song writer has said, “You are the only Jesus some will ever see.” What does your life do for the reputation of our Lord? Are you seeking to preserve His good name? What are your actions doing for the reputation of your church? Do you live in such a way as to bring honor to it (1 Peter 2:11-25; Ephesians 4:17-5:17)?
Matthew 5:13-16
13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. NAS
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