We've read the story of how the Israelites, as they entered the Promised Land, failed to defeat Ai. How could the little city of Ai defeat this mighty nation of people, whom God had promised to be with, and for whom he promised to secure this land? Joshua asked God this same question. "Then Joshua tore his clothes,and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all--to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies?" {Joshua 7:6-8}
God replied quickly. "...Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. Therefore, the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you." {Joshua 7:10-12} To put it in layman's terms-- "there is sin in the camp." Achan took the things that God said to leave alone. Thus, 36 men died, and Israel lost the battle. Achan ignored God's clear command; for this, he paid with his life!
What can we learn from this Bible account of a past failure? One thing is very clear; God does not tolerate disobedience! When God gives a command, we have an option--obey or disobey. But, disobedience comes at a price. For Achan, and his family, the price was their physical lives. In a much worse case, when we disobey, we separate ourselves from God. "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that He cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that He cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from God; your sins have hidden His face from you. So that He will not hear." {Isaiah 59:1,2} Paul tells us the result of all sin. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." {Romans 6:23} When we sin, it is imperative that we seek God's forgiveness for our transgressions. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."{1 John 1:9,10} Indeed, sin cannot be taken lightly!
Second, our sins can affect other people. I think many overlook this fact about sin. Achan's sin cost the lives of 36 men. We do not know whether his wife and children participated in his theft, but they also lost their lives. Yet, many tell me "It is my life, and my sin hurts only me." Wrong! Tell the parents who grieve for the children taken from them by drugs, alcohol, life in the fast lane, and inappropriate friends. Tell the children who are orphaned because another's thoughtless act killed their parents. Tell the parents of children who are missing because, while the parents were busy living life, someone took their children. Sin is at the root of all the misery and suffering this old world throws at us. Man needs to realize that no good can come from sin and abhor it with every fiber of his being.
When we sin--we must act quickly to rid ourselves of the terrible consequences if we should die in that condition. What good has sin done for anyone? What would Adam and Eve say? Achan? Nadab and Abihu? Judas? Ahab and Jezebel? We know what the rich man thought (Luke 16:19-31). Dear reader, how do you see sin? Do you abhor it or just "dabble" in it? Remember Achan!