In an online discussion about a summer reading group on the Book of Joshua, one mother asked how to address a child asking questions about why all of Achan’s family had to die because of him covertly keeping booty from the Jericho campaign as the Hebrews began to take the Promised Land.
I really appreciate a mother’s concern about how to teach her children stories from the Bible in a way they can understand. I prepared a group Bible study on Joshua in 2016 when I was preparing for ordination as a deacon.
From a study I did on Joshua in 2016…”First Assault on Ai- The story of the first assault on Ai reveals consequences to the group for disobedience by one individual. Achan violated God’s instructions with regard to booty and it led to a setback for Israel. Thirty-six men died in the initial assault of Ai and Joshua’s men had to retreat. Joshua and the leaders mourned and lamented, but God directed them to get up and root out the disobedient offender with God’s supernatural assistance by discerning through casting lots. This is God’s discipline to the people. Joshua had warned them that failure to follow rules would be “destruction on us all”. God was putting them to a severe test. Would they trust God? Would they respect and fear God’s discipline? Would they obey God? Achan and his entire family paid the price of his disobedience.
“The fascinating thing here is that the Bible seems to be saying that obedience to God’s commands is paramount and that, as far as the Jews are concerned, it is all for one and one for all. As an outgrowth of that lesson, Judaism teaches that there is such a thing as collective responsibility as well as individual responsibility—no person is an island, each exists as part of the whole and is responsible for the actions of others as well as his or her own. Just as in the story of the Golden Calf, every Jew is the guarantor for his fellow Jew.”
(Judaism Online, http://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/a/joshua_and_the_conquest_of_the_promis/ )
In today’s world, the motto seems to be “Mind your own business,” or “It’s not my problem.” If we operated on the same level as they did then, how might the world be different?
The lesson of the Achan story is that every Jew is responsible for every other Jew, and what one does reflects on all. Furthermore, it seems to point to the belief that in the moral history of the world, as soon as you tolerate something, it becomes bearable and before long it will become common.
God is driving home an important point to the Jews: You’re on a very high spiritual level. If you tolerate even small indiscretions by a few, eventually these few are going to pollute the nation.
Ai- The Second Effort – Victory resulted from dealing with the disobedience and continuing to seek and follow God’s direction.”
I think there are moments in time when God uses a situation to reinforce the importance of a principle… This is one of those moments… not unlike the deaths of the couple (Ananias and Saphhira) who lied and misrepresented their gift to the church after selling land, making it appear they had given all when they had actually kept a portion for themselves. They were used as an example, it seems, in the infancy of the church to make the point of the importance of obedience and truth…. as did Achan’s family in the infancy of the new rising nation as they were taking the land promised to them. If one is going to receive the blessing of the promises, the conditions of the promise are to be obeyed. This is evidenced time and time again in the Bible, OT and NT.
I can’t imagine how Achan would have believed that such an act of disobedience was ‘no biggie..’ He would have known what he was doing and he would have had to have included his family in hiding his crime against God’s instructions and Joshua’s authority over them.
God;s demand that Achan’s family pay the price also would have served as a strong reinforcement to all the tribes to be diligent in following the direcions of Joshua, on whom God’s favor in leaderrship rested. This was a critical time frame in the development of the nation of Israel after 40+ years of following Moses. There was to be no void in leadership or any lack of clarity that God was calling the shots. There is a time and place for generous mercy and a time for judicious obedience. To some extent it depends upon the risk of danger to the group that results from the individual’s (or family’s, in this case) violation and the risk evidenced by the death of 36 warriors was severe. A report of this event, reaching the enemy cities yet to be conquered, would also have demonstrated the high demand of the Hebrews for obedience to authority and further invoke fear in their enemies for their Hebrew God.
For another more modern day example of this principle… I read about a soldier, during Korean War, I think, who fell asleep in the night during his time on guard duty. Such a failure of vigilance and obedience could cause disaster for an entire unit. In an earlier time such a military breech could have resulted in one being subject to the firing squad, and still does in some cultures I expect. As it was, this soldier suffered immediate dishonorable discharge. What a burden to carry on one’s conscience and for one’s family to bear, as well. Some things just can’t risk being repeated if a group is going to have safety and success in its mission. Explaining such concepts to children may be difficult, but they do need to understand that actions have consequences, not just to themselves, but sometimes also to others who get drawn in or even to innocents.
One last thought …. One of Joshua’s most famous proclamations was this: “As for me AND MY HOUSE, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua assumes responsibility for the faithfulness and well-being of his entire family- as a leader, as a teacher, as an example. Cohesiveness of the family unit and transference of beliefs and values from one generation to the next is a strong biblical principle…..
6/15/21 CBB