Matthew Henry Commentary Joshua 7
Matthew Henry Commentary
Joshua 7
Matthew Henry Commentary
Joshua 7
"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the devoted thing; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted thing: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against the children of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; make not all the people to toil thither; for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men; and they chased them [from] before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them at the descent; and the hearts of the people melted, and became as water." — Joshua 7:1-5 (ASV)
Achan took some of the spoil of Jericho. The love of the world is that root of bitterness which, more than any other, is most difficult to root up. We should beware of sin ourselves, lest by it many are defiled or troubled (Hebrews 12:15); and we should also beware of having fellowship with sinners, lest we share their guilt.
It is important for us to watch over one another to prevent sin, because others' sins may be to our harm. The easy conquest of Jericho aroused contempt for the enemy and an inclination to expect the Lord to do everything for them, without them using appropriate means. In this way, people abuse the doctrines of divine grace and the promises of God, turning them into excuses for their own sloth and self-indulgence.
We are to work out our own salvation, though it is God who works in us. It was a costly victory for the Canaanites, by which Israel was awakened and reformed, and reconciled to their God, while the people of Canaan were hardened towards their own ruin.
"And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of Jehovah until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord Jehovah, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish? would that we had been content and dwelt beyond the Jordan! Oh, Lord, what shall I say, after that Israel hath turned their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and will compass us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do for thy great name?" — Joshua 7:6-9 (ASV)
Joshua's concern for the honour of God, more than even for the fate of Israel, was the language of the Spirit of adoption. He pleaded with God. He laments their defeat, as he feared it would reflect on God's wisdom and power, his goodness and faithfulness. We cannot at any time urge a better plea than this, Lord, what will you do for your great name? Let God be glorified in all, and then welcome his whole will.
"And Jehovah said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore art thou thus fallen upon thy face? Israel hath sinned; yea, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: yea, they have even taken of the devoted thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also; and they have even put it among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, because they are become accursed: I will not be with you any more, except ye destroy the devoted thing from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you. In the morning therefore ye shall be brought near by your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which Jehovah taketh shall come near by families; and the family which Jehovah shall take shall come near by households; and the household which Jehovah shall take shall come near man by man. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the devoted thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath; because he hath transgressed the covenant of Jehovah, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel." — Joshua 7:10-15 (ASV)
God awakens Joshua to inquiry, by telling him that when this accursed thing was put away, all would be well. Times of danger and trouble should be times of reformation. We should look at home, into our own hearts, into our own houses, and make diligent search to find out if there is not some accursed thing there, which God sees and abhors: some secret lust, some unlawful gain, some undue withholding from God or from others. We cannot prosper until the accursed thing is destroyed out of our hearts, removed from our homes and our families, and forsaken in our lives.
When the sin of sinners finds them out, God is to be acknowledged. With a certain and unerring judgment, the righteous God does distinguish and will distinguish between the innocent and the guilty; so that even though the righteous are in the same tribe, family, and household as the wicked, yet they will never be treated as the wicked.
"So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel near by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: and he brought near the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zerahites: and he brought near the family of the Zerahites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: and he brought near his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to Jehovah, the God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Of a truth I have sinned against Jehovah, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: when I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish mantle, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them from the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel; and they laid them down before Jehovah. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them up unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? Jehovah shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones, unto this day; and Jehovah turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day." — Joshua 7:16-26 (ASV)
See the folly of those who promise themselves secrecy in sin. The righteous God has many ways of bringing to light the hidden works of darkness. See also how much it is our concern, when God is contending with us, to find out the cause that troubles us. We must pray with holy Job, Lord, show me why you contend with me.
Achan's sin began in the eye. He saw these fine things, just as Eve saw the forbidden fruit. See what comes from letting the heart walk after the eyes, and what need we have to make this covenant with our eyes: that if they wander, they shall be sure to weep for it. It proceeded from the heart. Those who would be kept from sinful actions must mortify and check sinful desires in themselves, particularly the desire for worldly wealth.
If Achan had looked upon these things with an eye of faith, he would have seen they were accursed things and would have dreaded them; but looking on them only with an eye of sense, he saw them as attractive things and coveted them. When he had committed the sin, he tried to hide it. As soon as he had acquired this plunder, it became his burden, and he dared not use his ill-gotten treasure.
Objects of temptation appear so differently at a distance than they do when they have been obtained. See the deceitfulness of sin: what is pleasing in the commission is bitter in the reflection. See how those who rob God will be deceived. Sin is a very troublesome thing, not only to a sinner himself but to all those around him.
The righteous God will certainly repay with tribulation those who trouble his people. Achan did not perish alone in his sin. They lose their own who grasp at more than their own. His sons and daughters were put to death with him. It is probable that they helped to hide the things; they must have known of them.
What fatal consequences follow, even in this world, to the sinner himself and to all belonging to him! One sinner destroys much good. What, then, will be the wrath to come? Let us flee from it to Christ Jesus as the sinner's Friend. There are circumstances in Achan's confession, marking the progress of sin, from its first entrance into the heart to its commission, which may serve as the history of almost every offense against the law of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Jump to: