Names and more names

As you know, I read through the bible following a chronological path. It is sent to me via email from these folks. This morning I read from Chronicles and Corinthians. I have to admit, I'm not enamored with Chronicles. It to me, is just a long list of names. I have to be determined to read it in order to get through. But as I was reading I came across this line in I Chronicles 2:7 "The son of Carmi: Achan, the troubler of Israel, who broke faith in the matter of the devoted thing;" This made me wonder. I generally know the story of Achan, He's the fellow who did something wrong in the aftermath of battle and got himself and his family killed for it, but I hadn't thought of him as "The troubler of Israel" and as the one "who broke faith in the matter of the devoted thing". So I thought I'd look that story up again.

I found this synopsis here.

Achan ...called also Achar / Meaning: one who troubles.

This man was named in in remembrance of his crime (1 Chr. 2:7), which brought upon him an awful destruction (Josh. 7:1). When Jericho fell, he seized, contrary to the divine command, an ingot of gold, a quantity of silver, and a costly Babylonian garment, which he hid in his tent.

Joshua was convinced that the defeat which the Israelites sustained afterwards at Ai was evidence of God's judgment of some crime. He at once cast lots to discover the criminal. It was then found that Achan was guilty, and he was stoned to death in the valley of Achor. He and all that belonged to him were then consumed by fire, and a heap of stones was raised over the ashes.

Here's the story as per scripture.
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho. As normal, looting is part of the conquest. God told the people through Joshua that they could take what they wanted but was we read in Joshua 6:18"

But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. 19But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD."

In Joshua 7:1 we read that "But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel."

Because of ONE man's sin, God's anger burned against Israel. God said, don't do this thing. You can have anything else that you want, but you take this...you might end up being devoted to them instead of to me. He told them this for their own protection.

So God's response was simple. When Joshua sent men to attack a town that they should have been able to conquer...they were soundly defeated! Joshua 7:2-5 "

2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, "Go up and spy out the land." And the men went up and spied out Ai. 3And they returned to Joshua and said to him, "Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few." 4So about 3,000 men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, 5and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water."

Joshua asked God Why? Why did this happen? v.7-9 "Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! 8O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! 9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?" Do you see Joshua's concern? Israel has been defeated, other nations will hear of it, and God's name iwill be sullied! Joshua does not want God's great name to be called into question. He knows that every victory they have shows God's glory.

Hmm... makes me think of how when as Christians we have victory over sin in our lives, that God's glory is seen. If we truly know God, we know that we can't get past our sins without God's help. So when we do have victory over sin...all the Glory goes to God. It shows his great name. :)

On with the tale ....
The Lord tells Joshua that sin is the problem. That "they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings." (v.11) and that since they have done this "They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction." (v.12)

The Lord tells Joshua...get up, consecrate the people, know that you (the people) will be judged. This judgement will happen tribe by tribe, then clan by clan, then household by household, and then man by man. "And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.'" (v.15)

It was done just as the Lord said..."And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken." Achan was the guilty party!

Joshua asked him what he did (gave him a chance to make confession).

"And Achan answered Joshua, "Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath." (v20-21)

Achan looked at what he shouldn't have. He coveted. He took. He hid it. And for that...God's anger was kindled. Israel lost a battle. And he lost his life. He was stoned and then burned up. The element among them that was devoted to destruction was itself destroyed. And the Lord God turned from "his burning anger". (v.26)

The valley that Achan was stoned in was called "Vally of Achor" which means trouble.

So Achan was linked with trouble because he wanted something he shouldn't have. That God had specifically warned the people against. And punishment followed, not only for himself, but for the people that he belonged to.

Hmmm....as I think about this, I think about the wilful sins that people commit now-a-days...particularly people who belong to God. Do people really think that there won't be repercussions to their actions?

Because of Achan thousands of Israelis died.
What will our sin do?

I look at the sin of the synod meeting to do work on Sunday instead of taking it as a day of rest. What will this mean to our denomination? Will people die? Will people perhaps lose faith? Will the denomination die? This denomination is in a "dialogue" to discuss same-gender relationships and what to do with them. Why? So we can see it as okay? So that we can learn how to minister to these folks? If it's the latter...why do we need three years to figure it out? Just let folks know..it's sin, God can redeem you from it, and we as a group of believers can walk with you through the process. We don't need three years of dialogue to know the answer to that. What will God's response be to this?

Look at what happens to the church when a pastor wilfully sins.... especially if he is caught out with it? The church fragments. People look at christians and think...ah..we don't want to be like them? Just what kind of 'god' do they serve?

We must not as Christians do things that impunge the great name of our Lord. The Lord our God will respond. We must bring him glory...if not...what will our Lord's response be?