Bible Study - Courage to Confront Trouble

Joshua 7:10–26 KJV 1900

10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 11 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 also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the 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. 13 Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. 14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man. 15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. 16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: 17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: 18 And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. 20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. 22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 23 And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. 24 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

Bible Study Lesson: Courage to Confront TroubleScripture Focus: Joshua 7:10–26Theological Perspective: Conservative Southern Baptist

Lesson Abstract

Joshua 7:10–26 teaches believers a powerful and sobering lesson about the consequences of hidden sin and the necessity of courageous confrontation. After Israel’s surprising defeat at Ai, the Lord reveals that sin within the camp, not military weakness, is the true cause. God instructs Joshua to stop mourning and instead take bold action to identify, confess, and eliminate the offense. This passage exhorts God’s people to rise in faith, uphold righteousness, and preserve holiness in the congregation. As 1 Peter 4:17 (KJV) declares, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God,” and Joshua 7 illustrates that spiritual victory requires dealing directly with sin. Cross-references include Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 66:18, Hebrews 12:1, and James 4:8.

I. Stand Up and Stop Crying About Wrong (Joshua 7:10–15)

In verses 10–15, Joshua is found face down before the Ark of the Covenant, grieving Israel’s defeat. However, the Lord interrupts Joshua’s prayer and commands him, “Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?” (Joshua 7:10). God’s response reveals that there are moments when prayer must be replaced with action. The nation’s setback was not due to external opposition but internal rebellion. God’s people must be spiritually discerning to recognize when personal or corporate sin hinders God’s blessings. The Lord tells Joshua that Israel has sinned, violated the covenant, and taken what was devoted to destruction (v.11). God also declares, “Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you” (v.12). Without repentance and purging of sin, divine favor is forfeited.

God then directs Joshua to sanctify the people in preparation for a process of divine exposure. He says, “Sanctify yourselves against to morrow” (v.13). This period of sanctification involved examining the heart, separating from impurity, and preparing for God’s judgment. The seriousness of sin is underscored by the threat of national loss: “Ye cannot stand before your enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you” (v.13). The sin of one man brought spiritual defeat to an entire nation. The Lord’s directive makes it clear: no matter how victorious we were yesterday, unconfessed sin today can bring defeat tomorrow.

The passage closes with the Lord’s instruction to bring forward the tribes, families, and households until the guilty party is identified (v.14–15). God would expose the offender publicly and demand their removal from the congregation. The sin could not remain hidden if Israel was to move forward in obedience and victory. This reminds believers that God does not tolerate sin, especially when it threatens the unity and witness of His people. As Ecclesiastes 12:14 affirms, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Synopsis: Stand Up and Stop Crying About Wrong (Joshua 7:10–15)

God’s people must learn to respond to spiritual defeat not merely with tears but with truth and action. In Joshua 7:10–15, God rebukes passive mourning and calls Joshua to active confrontation. The Lord reveals that His presence and power are hindered by hidden sin and commands Joshua to purge the camp of the offense. The process of sanctification and public accountability emphasizes that God requires purity from His people (1 Corinthians 5:6–7). When sin is confronted and removed, restoration and victory become possible (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Five Truths about Standing Up and Stopping the Crying

Sin SEPARATES us from God’s presence.

Joshua 7:12 “12 Therefore the 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.”

Prayer cannot replace OBEDIENCE.

1 Samuel 15:22 “22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to hearken than the fat of rams.”

Spiritual failure must be INVESTIGATED.

Lamentations 3:40 “40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 13:5 “5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

God commands personal and corporate SANCTIFICATION.

Leviticus 20:7 “7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God.”

2 Timothy 2:21 “21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

Judgment BEGINS within God’s people.

1 Peter 4:17 “17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

Proverbs 11:31 “31 Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: Much more the wicked and the sinner.”

II. Seek the Truth (Joshua 7:16–21)

In the next section, Joshua obeys God’s instructions and begins a process of investigation to uncover the truth. Early in the morning, Joshua brings forward the tribes, narrowing down from Judah to the household of Zabdi, until Achan is identified. This process reminds us that truth, though sometimes delayed, cannot be hidden forever: “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Once exposed, Joshua confronts Achan directly: “My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him” (Joshua 7:19). Joshua’s tone is pastoral but firm, showing that confronting sin should be both truthful and gracious (Galatians 6:1).

Achan responds by confessing: “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel” (v.20). He recounts his sin pattern clearly—he saw, he coveted, he took, and he hid (v.21). This reflects the universal pattern of temptation: desire, deception, disobedience, and disguise (James 1:14–15). Achan’s confession illustrates that sin begins in the heart long before it manifests in our behavior. His words echo David’s penitence in Psalm 51:4, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.” The confession comes too late to avoid judgment but serves as a necessary act of giving God glory by admitting the truth.

This portion teaches that the truth must not only be revealed but also received with humility. While Achan’s actions affected the whole nation, his confession acknowledges God’s authority and righteousness. As Jesus taught in John 8:32, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” But confession alone is not enough—truth must lead to transformation. God calls His people to walk in truth and integrity, not just when caught, but as a daily habit (Psalm 15:1–2).

Synopsis: Seek the Truth (Joshua 7:16–21)

Joshua 7:16–21 underscores that God calls His people to walk in truth, not concealment. Through a divine process of exposure, Achan’s sin is uncovered, and his confession, though late, reveals the steps of temptation. Truth glorifies God and brings clarity to His people. The passage reminds us that confession must be more than verbal—it must be spiritual and sincere, recognizing sin as an offense against a holy God (Proverbs 28:13; Psalm 32:5).

Five Truths about Seeking the Truth

Sin cannot remain HIDDEN forever.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 “14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Numbers 32:23 “23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

Truth-Telling HONORS God.

Joshua 7:19 “19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.”

Proverbs 12:22 “22 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: But they that deal truly are his delight.”

Sin Follows a PREDICTABLE pattern.

Genesis 3:6 “6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

Confession is required for FORGIVENESS.

1 John 1:9 “9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Psalm 32:5 “5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, And mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”

Truth FREES us Spiritually.

John 8:32 “32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Psalm 51:6 “6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”

III. Separate from Treachery (Joshua 7:22–26)

After Achan confesses, Joshua sends messengers to retrieve the stolen items from Achan’s tent. The silver, the garment, and the gold are found just as he said—buried in the earth beneath his tent (v.22). The items are then brought and laid before the Lord (v.23), symbolizing that the sin is now exposed and ready for judgment. This sequence reinforces that full repentance must be accompanied by full disclosure. Nothing hidden can remain if God is to bless His people (Hebrews 4:13).

Joshua gathers all of Israel and takes Achan, his family, and his possessions to the Valley of Achor. In one of the most sobering moments in Scripture, the people of God stone Achan and his household, burn their remains, and heap stones over them (v.25–26). While this may seem harsh to modern readers, it emphasizes the seriousness of sin in the covenant community. As Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death.” God’s holiness demanded complete separation from the treachery that had defiled His people.

However, the passage ends with a note of mercy. “So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger” (v.26). God’s wrath was satisfied, and His fellowship with Israel was restored. The Valley of Achor, meaning “trouble,” would later be referenced in Hosea 2:15 as a “door of hope.” This transformation demonstrates that when sin is dealt with completely, hope can rise from judgment. Obedience always leads to restoration.

Synopsis: Separate from Treachery (Joshua 7:22–26)

God calls His people not only to confess sin but also to completely separate from it. In Joshua 7:22–26, the stolen items are revealed, and judgment is carried out. The removal of Achan and his household from the camp shows that holiness cannot coexist with treachery. However, God’s mercy follows judgment, and restoration is made possible. The passage teaches that purity paves the way for renewed fellowship with God (2 Corinthians 6:17; Romans 6:23).

Five Truths about Separating from Treachery

Repentance requires FULL-disclosure. –

Hebrews 4:13 “13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

Sin affects MORE than the sinner.

1 Corinthians 5:6 “6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”

God requires SEPARATION from sin.

2 Corinthians 6:17 “17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”

Deuteronomy 13:5 “5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.”

God’s judgment is just and HOLY.

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Ecclesiastes 8:11 “11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

God turns trouble into HOPE when we obey.

Hosea 2:15 “15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, And the valley of Achor for a door of hope: And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, And as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.”