Joshua 7:1-26: Touch Not What is Forbidden

Joshua 7:1-26: Touch Not What is Forbidden

After their victory in Jericho in Joshua 6, the Israelites are given permission to take silver, gold, brass, and iron but not any false idols. (Joshua 6:18 - And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.) Just as in the Garden of Eden when God tells Adam he can enjoy all except the one tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (see Genesis 2:15-17 & 3:124), but he and Eve wanted what they were told not to touch.  Just as Adam and Eve were not satisfied with all they were allowed to have but selfishly and rebelliously wanted more than God had generously blessed them with (sounds like so many today), Achan takes from the spoils exactly what has been forbidden.

Joshua is unaware of Achan's sin and takes an army to defeat Ai, but about 36 of his men are killed and the army flees.  Confused because they have been so successful until now.  When Joshua falls on his face before the Lord, God tells him they are never going to have victory again because of the "accursed thing" in their camp. God says the people must sanctify (purify or cleanse) themselves and purge the camp of the item representing false religion which must be destroyed if they ever want to win another battle.

After searching the camp, it is discovered that Achan has taken the permitted silver and gold as well as some kind of forbidden "Babylonish garment."  His disobedience has brought a curse upon their people.  He is punished and killed.   

This sounds harsh by today's standards, and such strong punishment is obviously not necessary under new covenant ways, but we can still see this as an object lesson for us today.  You can absolutely think of it as symbolic that false idols will bring about spiritual death.  

Forbidden items brought into homes can curse entire families and make it impossible for blessings, especially when these things are chosen just as rebelliously and recklessly as Achan chose his items.  Just as the army could not find victory and his family and animals had to die because of Achan, innocent people may suffer the consequences because of your sin. 

In the New Testament, 2 Corinthians 6 tells us that when we refuse to touch the things God considered unclean, we can be blessed and called His children. 

(2 Corinthians 6:14-18 & 7:1) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?... And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God... "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate," saith the Lord, "and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters," saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

What are the accursed things today? Pornography, television/movies, ungodly music/ books, drugs/alcohol, all occultic items and practices (Ouija boards, tarot cards, yoga, etc.), and false religions that worship anyone except Jesus Christ, and bows to false idols such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, etc.  Even being "unequally yoked," or too closely bonded with someone living in active rebellion against the things of God can cause us harm.      

Search your heart and soul and remove all accursed things from your life to find victory in Jesus!   

(Joshua 7:1-26) But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan... took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. 

And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai... saying, "Go up and view the country..."

So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men... and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord...

And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?..."

And the Lord said unto Joshua, "Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? 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. 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. 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... 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."

So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes... and he brought his household man by man; and Achan...

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."

And Achan answered Joshua, and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 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."

So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. 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. 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... all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.

And Joshua said, "Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day..."  So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger.