- 52-
More than that, when it had come true, as Joshua predicted (6:18), that such theft would
"make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it," Achan had still persisted in his sin.
It will be remembered that, forty years before, at the brink of the Red Sea, "the Lord
said unto Moses: Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that
they go forward!" (Exodus 14:15). As then, so now, when Joshua and the elders of
Israel lay on their faces before the Lord, not prayer, but action was required. In the one
case it was not exercise of faith to pray where obedience was called for; nor yet, in the
other, had prayer any meaning, nor could it expect an answer, while sin remained
unremoved. And so it ever is. The cause of Israel's disaster lay, not in want of
faithfulness on the part of the Lord, but on that of Israel. Their sin must now be
searched out, and "the accursed" be "destroyed from among them." For, although the sin
of Achan was that of an individual, it involved all Israel in its guilt. The sinner was of
Israel, and his sin was in Israel's camp. It is needless here to discuss the question, how
one guilty of sin should involve in its consequences those connected with him, whether
by family or social ties. It is simply a fact, admitting no discussion, and is equally
witnessed when God's law in nature, and when His moral law is set at defiance. The
deepest reason of it lies, indeed, in this, that the God of nature and of grace is also the
founder of society; for, the family and society are not of man's devising, but of God's
institution, and form part of His general plan. Accordingly, God deals with us not
merely as individuals, but also as families and as nations. To question the rightness of
this would be to question alike the administration, the fundamental principles, and the
plan of God's universe. But there is reason for devout thankfulness, that we can, and do
recognize the presence of God in both nature and in history. The highest instance of the
application of this law, is that which has rendered our salvation possible. For just as we
had sinned and destroyed ourselves through our connection with the first Adam, so are
we saved through the second Adam - the Lord from heaven, Who has become our
Substitute, that in Him we might receive the adoption of children.
The tidings, that the sin of one of their number had involved Israel in judgment, must
have rapidly spread through the camp of Israel. But even this knowledge and the
summons to sanctify themselves, that on the morrow the transgressor might be
designated by the Lord, did not move Achan to repentance and confession. And now all
Israel were gathered before the Lord. First approached the princes of the twelve tribes.
Each name of a tribe had been written separately,^85 when "the lot" that "came up," or
was drawn, bore the name of Judah.
Thus singled out, the heads of the various clans of Judah next presented themselves,
when the lot designated that of Zarhi. And still the solemn trial went on, with increasing
solemnity, as the circle narrowed, when successively the families of Zabdi, and finally,
among them, the household of Achan was singled out by the hand of God. All this time
had Achan kept silence. And now he stood alone before God and Israel, that guilty one
(^)