The investigation (vv. 16–18). “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” asked the prophet (Jer. 17:9), and he answered the question in the next verse: “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”
Nobody can hide from God. “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?” (23:24). Whether sinners run to the top of the mountains or dive to the bottom of the seas, God will find them and judge them (Amos 9:3). “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Eccl. 12:14).
God’s approach was methodical. First He singled out the tribe of Judah, then the family of the Zerahites, then the household of Zabdi, and finally the culprit Achan. Perhaps the high priest used the ephod to determine God’s direction (1 Sam. 23:6, 9; 30:7–8), or Joshua and the high priest may have cast lots. It must have been frightening for Achan and his immediate family to watch the accusing finger of God point closer and closer. “My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes” (Jer. 16: niv). Read Psalm 10, especially verses 6, 11, 13 to see what may have been going on in Achan’s mind and heart during this tense time of scrutiny.
When Joshua singled out Achan as the offender, the people watching must have asked themselves, “What evil thing did he do that the Lord was so displeased with us?” Perhaps the relatives of the thirty-six slain soldiers were angry as they looked at the man whose disobedience caused the death of their loved ones.
The confession (vv. 19–23). The phrase “Give glory to God” was a form of official oath in Israel (John 9: niv). Achan had not only sinned against his own people, but also he had grievously sinned against the Lord, and he had to confess his sin to Him. When he said “I have sinned,” he joined the ranks of seven other men in Scripture who made the same confession, some more than once, and some without sincerity: Pharaoh (Ex. 9:27; 10:16), Balaam (Num. 22:34), King Saul (1 Sam. 15:24, 30; 26:21), David (2 Sam. 12:13; 24:10, 17; Ps. 51:4), Shimei (2 Sam. 19:20), Judas (Matt. 27:4), and the prodigal son (Luke 15:18, 21).
Before he could execute the Lord’s judgment, Joshua had to present the evidence that substantiated Achan’s confession. The messengers dug under Achan’s tent and found “the accursed thing” that had brought defeat to Israel. The stolen goods were spread out before the Lord so He could see that all Israel was renouncing their hold on this evil treasure. The confession and the evidence were enough to convict the accused man.
The judgment (vv. 24–26). Since a law in Israel prohibited innocent family members from being punished for the sins of their relatives (Deut. 24:16), Achan’s family must have been guilty of assisting him in his sin. His household was judged the same way Israel would deal with a Jewish city that had turned to idols (Josh. 13:12–18). Achan and his family had turned from the true and living God and had given their hearts to that which God had said was accursed— silver, gold, and an expensive garment. It wasn’t worth it!
At the beginning of a new period in Bible history, God sometimes revealed His wrath against sin in some dramatic way. After the tabernacle had been set up, Nadab and Abihu invaded its holy precincts contrary to God’s law, and God killed them. This was a warning to the priests not to treat God’s sanctuary carelessly (Lev. 10). When David sought to restore the ark to its place of honor, and Uzzah touched the ark to steady it, God killed Uzzah (2 Sam. 6:1–11), another warning from God not to treat sacred things carelessly. At the beginning of the church age, when Ananias and Sapphira lied to God and God’s people, the Lord killed them (Acts 5:1–11).
The death of Achan and his family was certainly a dramatic warning to the nation not to take the Word of God lightly. The people and the animals were stoned, and their bodies burned along with all that the family possessed. The troubler of Israel was completely removed from the scene, the people were sanctified, and now God could march with His people and give them victory. The name Achor means “trouble.” The Valley of Achor is mentioned in Isaiah 65: and Hosea 2: as a place where the Jews will one day have a new beginning and no longer be associated with shame and defeat. The Valley of Achor will become for them “a door of hope” when they return to their land and share in the blessings of the messianic kingdom. How wonderful the Lord is to take Achor, a place of sorrow and defeat, and make it into a place of hope and joy.
The heap of stones in the valley would be a reminder that God expects His people to obey His Word, and if they don’t, He must judge them. The heap of stones at Gilgal (Josh. 4:1–8) reminded them that God keeps His Word and leads His obedient people to the place of blessing. Both memorials are needed in the walk of faith. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) and longs to bless His people, but God is also light (1 John 1:5) and must judge His people’s sins.
It had been a trying two days for Joshua and his leaders, but the situation was about to change. God would take charge of the army and lead His people to victory. When you surrender to the Lord, no defeat is permanent and no mistake is beyond remedy. Even the “Valley of Trouble” can become a “door of hope.”