“And the LORD said unto Joshua . . . Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have stolen, and have dissembled (hidden) also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore they children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you” (Joshua 7: 10-12 KJV).
After the miraculous crossing of the Jordan and the fall of Jericho, Israel met with a terrible defeat at Ai. But through it, Israel would learn a much needed lesson on discipline. God was obviously with Israel, but He meant for them to understand that he expected total obedience.
When Israel defeated Jericho, Achan took “a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight” (Joshua 7: 21). He saw, he coveted, and he took (v. 21).
All the spoil of Jericho was dedicated to the Lord as the first fruits of the land. If anyone took of the spoil, they would be taking that which was sacred and would bring trouble on Israel (Joshua 6: 18).
Though only Achan sinned in this matter, all Israel was under the curse and was troubled to “teach the great truth of the oneness of the people” and that they are accountable one to another. Achan and his whole family were destroyed. They lived under the same tent; they could not help but be accomplices to his crime. After dealing with their sin, Israel went on to conquer Ai (Joshua 8).
All this is an illustration of Ecc. 9: 18; “One sinner destroyeth much good.”
The early church had its Achan in Ananias and Sapphira. Their death was an act of God, intended to be an example of God’s displeasure at the sin of covetousness and religious hypocrisy. It indicates God’s attitude toward a wrong heart: a warning against misusing the church as a means of self-glorification. The believer is commanded to shun the covetous man (1 Cor. 5: 11). If the church obeyed this command, there would be no church fellowship today, for the church is full of discontent and covetous people.
We can’t help but ask the question: Why is the church of today so powerless? Is it because there is “sin in the camp” and God is not with us because of our covetousness and religious hypocrisy, and that no one will address it and exercise church discipline so that the church might maintain its purity and God might use her for His work?
The church has yielded to the few who say we’re not to judge one another and who quote Matthew 7: 1 as their proof text. That verse means that critics of others must stop short of final condemnation, for men can not judge men’s motives, as only God can. Christians are not to avoid judging, though (Mt. 7: 6-20), for Christians need to judge themselves and offending members (1 Cor. 5: 3-5, 12, 13). When a church member sins, that sin falls into the public domain, and it must be dealt with to protect the church’s testimony and witness. Like Israel, the church is one body, and what one member does affects all other members for good or evil.
We must do like Peter said and let judgment begin at the church house (1 Peter 4: 17). Through the absence of God, our powerless church has been conquered by the world, leaving no testimony or witness. Unless we acknowledge our sins and repent by turning back to God, we will not be capable of making a difference in this world.
