The Explanation

Israel had just won a great fight at Jericho. The walls fell down flat, and everything in the city belonged to God. Nobody was allowed to keep anything for themselves. But one man named Achan saw a beautiful robe, some silver, and a bar of gold. He wanted them. He took them and hid them under the ground, right inside his own tent.

Nobody saw. Or so he thought.

Soon after, Joshua sent spies to look at a small city called Ai. The spies came back and said, "It's only a little place. We don't need many soldiers." So about three thousand men marched up to fight.

But something went terribly wrong. The men of Ai chased them away. Thirty-six Israelite soldiers died. The rest ran, hearts pounding like drums. The Bible says their hearts "melted, and became like water." Can you imagine that fear?

Joshua tore his clothes. He fell on his face before God's ark and lay there until evening, dust on his head. "Why did you bring us here just to lose?" he cried out. "What will happen to your great name now?"

God answered, not gently this time. "Get up," he said. "Israel has sinned. Someone took what belonged to me, and hid it, and lied about it. That is why you cannot win."

What Does This Mean?

One man's secret sin had touched the whole camp. That feels almost unfair, doesn't it? But it shows something true: what we do in secret is never only about us.

The next morning, God led Joshua, tribe by tribe, family by family, until one man stood alone. Achan.

Joshua looked at him and said, "My son, please give glory to Yahweh, and make confession to him. Tell me now what you have done. Don't hide it from me."

And Achan told the truth at last. "I saw a beautiful robe, silver, and gold. I wanted them. I took them. They are hidden in the ground in my tent."

Messengers ran and found it exactly where he said. Every stolen thing was hidden, but nothing stays hidden from God.

The Common Thread

God is holy, which means he is completely pure, with nothing hidden or dirty in him. When his people took what belonged to him, sin came right into the camp like poison into water. That is why the whole nation fell into trouble for one man's secret.

But notice this too: God did not stay angry forever. Once the sin was uncovered and dealt with, "Yahweh turned from the fierceness of his anger." That is what God is like. He deals seriously with sin, but he does not want to stay angry. Later, God would send someone to carry sin away for good, so people would not have to be punished for it themselves. That someone is Jesus.

For You

Have you ever hidden something you did wrong, hoping nobody would notice? Achan learned that hiding never really works, not with God. Would you have told the truth if you were Achan, before Joshua even asked?

When you take something that is not yours, or tell a lie to cover it up, tell someone today. Tell God first. He already knows, but he wants to hear it from you, and he is ready to forgive.

Talk About It

Why do you think Achan's secret sin caused trouble for the whole camp, not just for him?

If you had taken something you shouldn't have, would it be easy or hard to confess it? Why?

Praying Together

Dear God, you see everything, even what we try to hide. Thank you that you do not stay angry forever. Help us tell the truth quickly, and thank you for Jesus, who takes our sin away. Amen.