Achan - pt1

Introduction

I began to name this the ‘Bible Person Study’, but chose to go with the ‘Bible Character Study’. I hesitated to name it that, as I don’t want to diminish the fact that these are real people we’ll be examining. But the reason that it’s named the Bible Character Study is because we’ll be focusing on the person’s character throughout. But don’t forget that these were real people, with real lives that made real choices that had real consequences.

I. Achan’s Nature

((What is their History / Background?)

He was Sustained in the Wilderness

Achan was old enough to have multiple children, so he’d lived in the wilderness for some time.

As such, he would have been sustained by manna and quail from heaven.

In other words, he was the recipient of the Grace of God and direct partaker of miracles performed by God.

He was Sustained in the Wilderness

He Strode Around Jericho

Chapter 6 gives us the story of the sacking of Jericho.

Now the Bible tells us that God called Joshua, the men of war and priests with the Ark of God to march around Jericho 1x for 6 days, then 7x on the 7th day, then blow the trumpets & the walls would come down.

Achan was apparently a man of war, as he went into the city to see the spoil

So he was one who marched around the city, following the command of God.

He Strode Around Jericho

He Sacked the City

Not only did he experience being fed manna in the wilderness

Not only was he obedient when God called for them to march around the city

But after that, when he heard the trump sound, the walls - that seemed impervious - came crashing down in miraculous fashion!

- Time out - I want to say this:

People look for and seek signs: Of course Jesus said: Matthew 12:39 “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:”

But I submit unto you that signs don’t matter one whit when it comes to faith in God! Consider this for a moment:

Abraham had no sign, yet he believed God and obeyed accordingly

Judas walked with Christ - saw and was partaker of the miracles of Christ, yet sold him as a slave

If you don’t have faith now, a sign will not give it to you. Faith is simply choosing to believe God!

Achan walked over the broken down walls that God just destroyed - and still sinned in disbelief and disobedience against God.

He Sacked the City

II. Achan’s Notoriety

(What they are known for?)

He Coveted the Accursed (v21)

Covet (def) to desire or wish for with eagerness; delight in; desire inordinately.

Typically the word ‘covet’ is used in a negative sense. It’s used as warnings or condemnation almost every time it’s used in Scripture - save ONE. Paul said: 1 Corinthians 12:31 “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.”

Paul was telling that carnal church to ‘desire eagerly the best things of God’.

But the reason why it’s used as warnings & condemnations throughout the Bible, is because men typically covet after ungodliness - such as the case with Achan. He coveted after the accursed thing - things God forbid him to have.

He Coveted the Accursed

He Cheated God (v11)

God had commanded that when they sack Jericho, the spoils were His: Joshua 6:19 “But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”

Yet, Achan took that which God had claimed for Himself. (Make no mistake - this happens all the time).

He Cheated God

He Corrupted the Testimony of God’s People (v9)

Here it was, God’s people just finished this wondrous victory at this great city of Jericho, and next they get run off & humiliated by little ol’ Ai.

Joshua was right to lament in Joshua 7:9 “For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?”

By Achan’s actions, he was going to cause the reputation of the COI - and God Himself by proxy - to have their name drug through the mud.

I’ll tell you what’s the truth: One of the great reasons I HATE 1. false doctrine, 2. feigned worship, 3. lukewarm & 4. wordly Christianity is because it puts a stain on the testimony of Christ, upon the message WE preach and the God WE SERVE!

He Corrupted the Testimony of God’s people

He Condemned both Strangers and Family (v5;24)

Directly attributable to Achan’s actions, 36 men died, along with his entire family. What a shame the devastation a ‘little’ sin brings!

You get that right? Many died because of just a ‘little, hidden sin’ of ONE MAN!

He Condemned both Strangers and Family

He Chose to Do So (v21)

The thing that we must recognize is that ‘the Devil didn’t MAKE him do it’ - he chose to.

We must understand that (as Christians), there’s always a choice. (Not so for lost people). We can choose good / evil; right / wrong. And ALL of these things that happened, happened because of the choices he made!

He Chose to do so

III. What Makes him Noteworthy

(What Lessons we can Learn from them?)

We must Guard our Eyes

The eye is a miraculous thing. One of the things that I have used in times past concerning Creation is the Eye - as all of the different things that are necessary for the eye to function would have all had to have been created simultaneously, it couldn’t have evolved.

The eye can take in so much wonder and beauty - but it can get you into a whole heap of trouble too! (Kind of like the internet).

Remember Jesus said this: Matthew 18:9 “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”

Now you can debate whether He’s speaking literally or not, but the truth of the matter is, we’d BETTER guard our eyes!

We must guard our eyes

One Sin leads to Others

If you look at v21, it says this ‘when I saw among the spoils…’ you see, he didn’t just glance at it, he was looking through the spoils.

His looking led to lusting (covetousness)

His lusting led to lying, stealing and taking of the accursed thing

This all led to the murder of others, the humiliation of God and His people, and the destruction of his family. All because of one little sin.

Church, Satan nor the flesh is ever satisfied by a little sin. That little sin ALWAYS leads to bigger sins.

If you want to keep away from great sin, don’t dabble in small sin.

One sin leads to Others

One’s Sin Effects Others

This is a point that has been made on numerous occasions, but must be made when it comes up.

Sin never happens in a vacuum as the sin of one always impacts others. It’s the very definition of ‘friendly fire’.

Directly (v5)

We see in the 36 those directly effected by his sin.

Indirectly (v11)

We see in v11 that God is holding the entire nation accountable by the sin of one man.

(Ill.) Many of you might remember Pat Tillman. He was a safety for the Arizona Cardinals who quit professional football after 911 to join the army and fight for our country. Pat was unfortunately shot by and died by friendly fire. I think the most tragic thank about the story happened during his funeral. His brother got on stage and said ‘he’s not with God, he’s dead - he wasn’t religious’. You see, his brother idolized Pat. And the whole time his brother is spouting this stuff, Pat is in Hell begging for someone to go warn his brother!

One’s sin effects others

Partial Obedience is Destructive (Ch.6-7)

One thing that I alluded to was that Achan was obedient when he marched around the walls as God had instructed, but then disobedient in following the other commands concerning the spoils. This is destructive behaviour.

In other words, he was partially obedient.

So many Christians live their Christian lives this way.

They pick which things they want to obey, and reject others that are inconvenient to them.

They will love some aspects of God, then hate others.

This time of mindset goes beyond being lukewarm. Jesus spoke of how that makes him puke (Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” )

This type of obedience confuses others, and it breed doubt in the Word of God - and ultimately, leads to destruction

Partial Obedience is Destructive

Confession Alone is Incomplete (v16-21)

In these verses, we see that Joshua implored Achan to confess - to which he did - but that didn’t spare him from Judgment.

First concerning the Lost: Everyone seems to understand that Biblically they are a sinner. They will confess to lying if nothing else. But simply recognizing that doesn’t make them free from the Judgement for it.

There is going to come a day when the dead - small and great - stand before God. And in that day, there will be nothing hid that will not be brought into the light. As man stands before a Holy God, he will confess his grotesquely sinful ways - but confession in that day will be too late - there is not cleansing that can happen.

The blood must not only be shed, but applied!

Secondly, as a Christian: Confession of sin doesn’t mean there will be no consequences of that sin.

Consider David & his sin with Bathsheba

Once realized, David confessed, but his baby still died.

Thirdly, we must consider Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

If we desire a right relationship with God, then we must not only confess, but forsake our sins.

Confession Alone is Incomplete

The Stones Serve a Purpose (v25-26)

There’s a few times in Scripture where we see stones pilled up in this manner, but I want to bring your mind to some other stones for a moment:

Read Jos. 4:1-7

God set those stones for a memorial - that they would remember the great thing that God had done for them.

These stone in v25-26 should serve a similar purpose.

Whenever we do something dumb or we see the sin & results therein in the lives of others, we should in some way create a memorial in our minds so that we don’t forget the Judgment of God and the results of sin, so that we don’t repeat them!

The Stones Serve a Purpose

It’s Foolish to Steal from God (6:19; 7:21)

One of the things that Achan took was silver and gold - but God had already claimed that for Himself. So he was stealing from God!

This is a principle that many have yet to learn today: God has laid claim to some things, and to take and do with them what we please, we are robbing God.

Let’s deal with the tithe first. God has laid claim to the FIRST 10% of income from man. That I think is the bare minimum that you could possibly get by with - and I still think the case can easily be made that it should be much more than that.

But when you do not give God what He’s laid claim to, you’re stealing from God Himself!

Malachi 3:8–9 “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, Even this whole nation.”

It’s foolish to rob God, as we see - God was not pleased

God was not Pleased (v11)

We need to understand that God is not like modern parents in that their child

Nothing was Gained by it’s Investment in the World (v21b)

A Desire to Imitate the World is Not New (v21a)

Worldly things Should be Destroyed, not Desired (v12)

Condemnation of Sin should be by All God’s People (v24)

Conclusion