The Sin in the Camp Text: Joshua 7:1-5
Introduction: The High Cost of Hidden Sin
We come now to a passage that is a bucket of ice water in the face of modern, sentimental, individualistic Christianity. After the glorious, miraculous, and complete victory at Jericho, the story takes a hard and bitter turn. Israel, fresh from a triumph that was entirely God's doing, is humiliated before a backwater town called Ai. Thirty-six men are killed, and the hearts of the people, which had been so bold, melted and became like water. Why? What happened? Did God's arm suddenly grow short? Did the military strategy fail? No. The reason for the defeat is found in the very first verse of our text, and it is a lesson our generation has almost entirely forgotten: the principle of corporate solidarity.
We live in an age that worships the autonomous individual. My life is my own, my sins are my own, and my consequences are my own. We think of sin as a private affair, a secret little transaction between me and God, with no ripple effects. But the Bible knows nothing of this kind of sterile individualism. The Bible teaches that we are bound together in covenants. We are part of a family, a church, a nation. And because of this, one man's sin can become the entire nation's problem. This is not because God is unfair, punishing the many for the sin of the one. It is because the one has, through his sin, introduced a spiritual contagion into the corporate body. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. A little cancer, if not cut out, will kill the whole body.
The story of Achan is a stark and necessary reminder that we are not our own. We are members one of another. When we stand, we stand together, and when we fall, we fall together. The victory at Jericho was a corporate victory, granted to all of Israel because of their corporate obedience. And the defeat at Ai was a corporate defeat, brought upon all of Israel because of one man's secret sin. This passage forces us to ask ourselves what secret sins we might be harboring in the camp of the church, and what defeats we are experiencing as a result.
The Text
But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things devoted to destruction. Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; therefore the anger of Yahweh burned against the sons of Israel.
Now Joshua 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.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
Then they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to strike down Ai; do not have all the people toil up there, for they are few.”
So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai.
And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
(Joshua 7:1-5 LSB)
The Corporate Contamination (v. 1)
The chapter opens not with the military strategy, but with the spiritual reality. The outcome of the battle is determined before the first soldier marches.
"But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things devoted to destruction. Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things; therefore the anger of Yahweh burned against the sons of Israel." (Joshua 7:1)
Notice the structure here. "The sons of Israel acted unfaithfully." But did they? Did the whole nation sneak back into the rubble of Jericho to pilfer gold? No. The next clause tells us exactly who did it: "Achan... from the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things." One man sinned, but God sees it as a corporate trespass. Achan is the one who is guilty, but Israel is the one who is responsible. This is covenantal logic. When the head of a household goes into debt, the whole family feels the consequences. When a president declares war, the whole nation is at war. We understand this in every other area of life, but we want to pretend it doesn't apply to our relationship with God.
What were these "devoted things?" The Hebrew word is cherem. It refers to that which is utterly devoted to God, either for His use in the sanctuary or for complete destruction. It is something removed from common use and made holy, set apart exclusively for God. Jericho was the firstfruits of the conquest, and God had laid claim to all of it. The metals were to go into His treasury, and everything else was to be burned. To take something under the cherem was not simple theft; it was sacrilege. It was stealing directly from the altar of God. Achan saw a beautiful Babylonian garment, some silver, and a wedge of gold, and his covetous heart got the better of him. He stole what belonged to God and hid it in his tent, under the ground. He thought his sin was secret, buried in the earth. But he had forgotten that the God who sees all had made the camp of Israel His own holy ground.
And the result? "The anger of Yahweh burned against the sons of Israel." Not just against Achan. Against the entire nation. Why? Because Achan's sin had polluted the entire community. God had promised to be with them, to fight for them, as long as they were a holy people, set apart for Him. By bringing the accursed thing into the camp, Achan had broken the terms of the covenant. He had invited God's judgment not just upon himself, but upon everyone. God cannot and will not bless a compromised and defiled people. His presence requires holiness. The sin acted as a spiritual short-circuit, cutting off the flow of divine power.
Arrogant Miscalculation (v. 2-3)
Oblivious to the spiritual disaster that has already occurred, Joshua proceeds with what seems like sound military logic.
"Now Joshua 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.' So the men went up and spied out Ai. Then they returned to Joshua and said to him, 'Do not have all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up to strike down Ai; do not have all the people toil up there, for they are few.'" (Joshua 7:2-3 LSB)
On the surface, this all seems prudent. Joshua sends spies, just as Moses did. They gather intelligence. They come back with a report. Their assessment is that Ai is a small town, an easy target. "They are few." Their recommendation is to send a small detachment. Why tire out the whole army for such a minor skirmish? This is the kind of thinking that appeals to human reason. It is efficient. It is practical. And it is utterly godless.
Where is the consultation with God? Before the battle of Jericho, God gave Joshua specific, detailed instructions. Joshua fell on his face and worshipped the Commander of the Lord's army. But here? There is no mention of prayer. No seeking of God's will. There is only human calculation based on the previous victory. They had just seen God flatten the walls of a mighty fortress, and their takeaway was, "We've got this." This is the subtle poison of pride that so often follows a great spiritual victory. We begin to rely on the memory of yesterday's triumph instead of seeking fresh grace for today's battle. The spies' report is full of confidence in their own strength and a casual dismissal of the enemy. "Do not have all the people toil up there." Their concern is for their own convenience, not for God's glory.
This is what happens when there is sin in the camp. It breeds spiritual blindness. It makes us arrogant. We stop depending on God and start depending on spreadsheets and strategies. We look at the size of the problem and think we can handle it, forgetting that without God's blessing, the smallest foe can humiliate us. The problem was not the size of Ai; the problem was the size of the sin in Israel's midst.
Humiliating Defeat (v. 4-5a)
The result of this toxic combination of hidden sin and open pride is swift, public, and shameful.
"So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled from the men of Ai. And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent..." (Joshua 7:4-5a LSB)
The confident little expedition turns into a rout. The Israelites, who had marched fearlessly around Jericho, now turn their backs and flee in terror from the men of a tiny hill country town. Thirty-six men are killed. This may seem like a small number in the grand scheme of a military campaign, but it was a devastating blow. These were the first casualties of the conquest. At Jericho, not a single Israelite soldier was lost. The victory was bloodless for them because it was God's victory. But at Ai, thirty-six families would be mourning. Thirty-six funerals would be held. And for what? For a Babylonian garment and a bit of gold.
Sin always has a body count. Achan's private greed led to the public deaths of his brothers in arms. This is a sobering reality. Our "secret" sins, our hidden compromises, never remain secret in their effects. They have consequences that ripple outward, wounding and killing others. The pastor's private pornography habit devastates his family and his flock. The businessman's quiet dishonesty bankrupts his company and ruins his employees. The church member's cherished bitterness poisons the fellowship. We are connected. Achan thought he was only hurting himself, but his sin got thirty-six other men killed.
Corporate Despair (v. 5b)
The effect of this defeat on the national morale was catastrophic.
"...so the hearts of the people melted and became as water." (Joshua 7:5b LSB)
This is the very same language that was used to describe the Canaanites' terror of Israel. In the previous chapter, Rahab told the spies that "all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you" (Joshua 2:9). Now, the victors have become the victims of their own fear. The courage that God had given them evaporated. Why? Because their confidence was in their winning streak, not in their holy God. When the winning streak was broken, their confidence shattered.
When God withdraws His blessing, even for a moment, the bravest of men become cowards. Without His presence, we have no strength, no courage, no hope. This melting of hearts was a direct consequence of the sin in the camp. The sin broke their fellowship with God, and without that fellowship, they were left to their own resources, which amounted to nothing but a puddle of fear. This is a picture of a church that has tolerated sin in its midst. It loses its spiritual vitality. Its confidence before a hostile world dissolves. It becomes fearful, timid, and ineffective, because the power source has been disconnected.
Conclusion: The Achan in Our Midst
This is a hard story, but it is a necessary one. It teaches us that God is holy, and He takes the holiness of His people with the utmost seriousness. It teaches us that we are a corporate body, and the health of the whole is affected by the spiritual state of each member. And it teaches us that hidden sin is the surest path to public humiliation and defeat.
We must not read this as a story about someone else. We must ask, who is the Achan in our midst? What accursed thing are we hiding in our tents? What secret compromises with the world have we made? What covetousness are we harboring in our hearts? We look at the defeats of the modern church, its loss of nerve, its melting heart before a hostile culture, and we blame politics, or the media, or the schools. But the story of Ai tells us to look first within the camp.
The good news is that this defeat was not the end of the story. Joshua and the elders fell on their faces before God, and God revealed the source of the problem. The sin was exposed, judged, and removed from the camp. And once the camp was purified, God restored His blessing, and Ai was taken. This is the pattern of repentance. We must face the humiliating defeat, confess the sin that caused it, and put it away from us, whatever the cost. Only then will God fight for us again. Only then will our hearts of water be turned back into the hearts of courageous soldiers of the cross.