Under Gods Command
Joshua 7:24-25 Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today. Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.
Achan underestimated God and didn’t take his commands seriously (6:18). Taking a robe, along with some silver and gold, may have seemed a small thing to Achan, but the effects of his sin were felt by the entire nation, especially his family. Like Achan, our actions affect more people than just ourselves. Beware of the temptation to rationalize your sins by saying they are too small or too personal to hurt anyone buy you. What sins have we committed that effected our entire family? Is there any sin that is floating around in your house right now? Just remember, sin has drastic consequences. We might not get stoned to death, but we still face drastic consequences.
Achan’s entire family paid for this sin. The family was treated as a whole in the ancient world. Achan, as the head of his family, was like a tribal chief. If he prospered, the family prospered with him. If he suffered, so did them. Many Israelites had already died in battle because of Achan’s sin. Now he was to be completely cut off from Israel. In ancient cultures this punishment was common. The punishment fit the crime: Achan had disobeyed God’s command to destroy everything in Jericho; as a result everything that belonged to Achan had to be destroyed. Sin has drastic consequences, so we should take drastic measures to avoid it.
Under Gods command 