Achan (Greed)

Internal Struggle

Greed

God had told Israel that everything in the city of Jericho was under a ban and belonged to Him. Achan saw a beautiful robe, two hundred pieces of silver, and a bar of gold, and he took them. The decision cost him his life, his family’s lives, and caused Israel’s first military defeat in the promised land.

What Happened?

After Jericho fell, Israel attacked the much smaller city of Ai and was unexpectedly defeated, with thirty-six men killed. Joshua fell on his face before God, who told him that someone had taken from the devoted things and that Israel could not stand before its enemies until the matter was dealt with. A process of elimination identified Achan. Joshua appealed to him to confess and honor God. Achan admitted that he had seen the robe and the silver and the gold, desired them, and took them. They were buried under his tent. He and his family and his animals were taken to a valley, stoned, and burned. Israel was defeated by a small city because of what one man hid under his tent (Joshua 7).

How Did Greed Affect Achan?

Achan acted on desire in a moment when the instruction had been completely clear
He buried the items rather than returning them, which moved the decision from impulse into concealment
His secret cost thirty-six men their lives in a battle that should have been straightforward
He said nothing while Joshua and the leadership of Israel were confused and grieving the defeat
He did not confess until he was specifically identified through a public process of elimination
His family was included in the consequences, which shows how far the cost of one private act extended

The Tragedy

Achan’s only recorded act of honesty was his confession after he had been caught (Joshua 7:20-21). He described the sequence plainly: he saw, he coveted, he took. He offered no defense, no minimization, and no attempt to shift blame. But the confession came after thirty-six men were dead and after the entire nation had been halted. The moment for the confession that could have changed the outcome had passed before anyone asked. He acknowledged what he had done with apparent honesty at the end, but the end had already arrived.

The Pattern That Led to Destruction

Saw something that was clearly off limits and let desire override the boundary
Took the item and immediately moved to conceal it rather than stopping at the impulse
Carried the secret while the consequences played out around him
Said nothing while others bore the cost of what he had done
Confessed only when identified, too late to change what had already happened

Practical Steps for Facing Greed

Stop at the desire rather than the act, the moment you notice you want something that isn’t yours is the moment to deal with it
Do not conceal what you have already done, the burial always costs more than the confession
Ask who else will be affected by the thing you are thinking about taking or hiding
Confess proactively before being caught, the difference in cost between volunteering the truth and being identified is enormous
Notice the gap between what you know is right and what you are doing, and take that gap seriously rather than tolerating it
Be accountable to someone about the areas where desire and availability combine to create temptation
Remember that hidden things almost never stay hidden, they surface in ways and at times you cannot control