I was 18 years old when I stole my first and only item. I was a bagger at a local grocery store. The store had some small battery operated record players that played 45s. (For those too young to remember what 45s were, they looked like bid CDs with a hole in the middle.) Many of the record players did not operate correctly so they were stored in the basement for disposal.
One night before leaving the store, I pushed one of these small players through a slot in a back door, drove my car to the back of the store, and retrieved it. Fortunately the one I stole actually played. I never felt guilty or worried about being caught. Soon my indiscretion was forgotten.
I eventually became a store manager with this same store. After an inventory, it was discovered that several hundreds of dollars worth of meat products were missing. Since I was one of a few who had keys to the store, I became a prime suspect. I was asked by the owner to submit to a polygraph test. Being innocent, I readily agreed.
As the examiner began the test, he informed me of the questions he would be asking. The first question was "Have you ever stolen any merchandise from this store?" That indiscretion so easily forgotten suddenly came rushing back. I knew to answer "No" would show as a lie and implicate me in something more serious than a small record player. I was forced to confess to a theft that had taken place 10 years earlier. However, in doing so it proved my innocence in a more serious matter. Numbers 32:23 states that we can be sure our sins will find us out.
Today we are going to discover the truth about hidden sin as we read the story of Achan.
Joshua 6 tells us the story of the fall of Jericho. Jericho was a mighty city protected by a wall that could not be penetrated making the city invincible. Joshua had the people of Israel to march around the wall once each morning for six days. The priests blew rams horns but the people were silent. On the seventh day, the plan changed.
“On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town!” (Joshua 6:15-16) “When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.” (Joshua 6:20)
Prior to the wall falling God had given Joshua some very strict guidelines that will come into play in the message today. Let’s look at what God commanded.
Joshua 6:18 “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”
All the animals and people, with the exception of Rahab and her family, were to be put to death. All the valuables were to be placed in the tabernacle.
Let’s continue the story. “Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven. When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.”
So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries, and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away. (Joshua 7:2-5)
Why did this happen? The Israelites had defeated the mighty city of Jericho and now were soundly defeated by the small town of Ai. Let’s read Joshua 7:1 “But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the Lord. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites. Achan was the son of Carmi, a descendant of Zimri son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah.”
1) The sin of an Achan heart will deafen us to God’s voice.
Joshua 6: 18 “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel.”
God told everyone not to take anything. He promised destruction and trouble. Achan chose to ignore this command.
Perhaps he reasoned that the items he was taking were not set apart for destruction but he was deceiving himself. He clearly heard and understood God’s command but chose to turn a deaf ear.
James 1:22 tells us “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”
I can preach for an hour and you can listen, but if you do not obey his word, than you’re deceiving yourself. You run the risk of bringing trouble to your household and even destruction to yourself.
2) The sin of an Achan heart will lead you to steal what is God’s.
Joshua 6:19 “Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”
Even if Achan had reasoned himself into believing that possessing these precious metals was acceptable, he could not deny stealing from God that which He had claimed for himself. The reason for that is simply greed.
Proverbs 27:20 “Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.”
He had been a witness and a benefactor of God’s provision. There was just something about that ‘bling’ that he wanted.
Psalm 24: 1 reads, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” Just like all those precious metals were the Lord’s possession, so are the earth, everything in it, and all the people on it. When we disregard God’s claim on us and our possessions, we are guilty of thievery.
When the small town of Ai defeated the Israelites, Joshua cried to God in dismay asking him “Why?” God’s response is found in Joshua 7:11. “Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings.”
3) The sin of an Achan heart will cause other sins to grow.
Notice God points out that not only has Achan stolen some of his things but also lied about it and hidden them. Achan lied to someone to cover up his thievery. Achan tried to cover his tracks.
That is the trap of sin. We commit sin to cover up for a committed sin, which leads to us sinning more. It is like dropping a pebble in water and watching rings develop and move outwards.
Reality is I can deceive you. I can even deceive myself. But the Bible says I cannot deceive God. Galatians 6:7 reads, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.”
If I plant dishonesty then I will reap suspicion about the motives of others. If I plant disharmony then I will reap the root of bitterness. If I am stealing, lying, or hiding a secret sin, I constantly worry about that phone call or slip of the tongue. It’s like walking on ice just waiting to fall.
4) The sin of an Achan heart will blind us to danger.
Joshua 7:15 “The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the Lord and has done a horrible thing in Israel.”
God had warned them before they entered into Jericho not to take anything set apart for destruction with the penalty of death looming for those who disobeyed. Achan chose not to believe him.
In a recent survey, 41% of Americans stated that they do not believe in a literal Hell. This number continues to grow each year. One of the major reasons for a disbelief in an eternal damnation is due to the lack of teaching on the subject by churches. The church in its effort to grow in numbers has become Christ friendly while neglecting to warn about the dangers of rejecting the offer of salvation.
Achan convinced himself that God would not punish him or his nation for his actions. 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” We do not have the authority to choose what parts we accept and what parts we reject.
5) The sin of an Achan heart will bring shame to those around you.
Joshua 7:16-18 “Early the next morning Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Judah was singled out. Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out. Every member of Zimri’s family was brought forward person by person, and Achan was singled out.”
Have you ever been in a situation where someone has committed an error? No one wants to confess so everyone is a suspect. This is what we are a witness too.
First, the tribe of Judah is singled out. Can you imagine the murmurs from the other 11 tribes? “You never could trust anyone from that tribe.” Then the clan of Zerah was singled out. Now the other clans join in with the other tribes to point accusing fingers. Now it comes down to the Zimri family. “No surprise there. I never did care for those people.” Finally, it is Achan’s family. “I knew it, those beady eyes.”
A large number of people were made to feel uncomfortable that day. I’m sure a few were worried about some false accusation being leveled. People were made to feel shame for being a part of his family, his clan, and his tribe.
When Achan was confronted, he confessed. In doing so, he exposed a weakness.
6) The sin of an Achan heart will show progression.
Joshua 7:21 “Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.”
Notice the progression. Achan said, “I saw.” He allowed his eyes to wander and fixate on something that was not his and forbidden to be his. Next, he wanted. He allowed a lustful spirit to begin to have place in his heart. Then he took. He submitted to his desires and stole what was not his. Finally, he hid them. The reason being he knew he had sinned and was trying to hide it. He hid them in his tent where he slept on his sin every night.
Adam and Eve experienced this same progression. King David experienced this same progression. This was the same progression that I experienced. This is the same progression that you experience.
James 1:13-15 “And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”
This is a sinful progression common to all of us. We see something. We desire it. We allow ourselves to be enticed. We act upon it. We run the risk of being destroyed by it.
Here is the good news as found in 1 Corinthians 10:13 “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
Therefore, we are without excuse.
7) The sin of an Achan heart will lead to destruction.
Joshua 7: 25 “Then Joshua said to Achan, ‘Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.’ And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.”
We often read of a politician or religious figure that has been caught in a sinful situation. We read of their downfall and shame. However, do we ever consider the shame of their families? Do ever ponder about how these events have affected their lives?
Achan’s sin brought shame to his people, resulted in the death of 36 men, and brought judgment from God. Not only did he pay for the sin in his heart but also so did his family. Our actions will always affect those closest to us. It is inescapable.
Let me close today with this verse. 1 John 1:8-10 “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”
If you think you do not have an Achan heart, you are fooling yourself and not facing your sin. We all have desires that are not pleasing to God.
If you claim what you know to be an Achan heart as an approvable lifestyle in spite of that conviction of the Holy Spirit, then you are ignoring God’s word.
But here is the Good News. If you go before him with your Achan heart and proclaim to him your shortcomings, He will forgive you and begin a cleansing process. I wonder if Achan had confessed his sin rather than hide it would God have forgiven him? Perhaps or perhaps not. But we can be assured that through the blood of Jesus that we are forgiven. All He asks is that we offer him our Achan heart.
