Joshua 7:22-26: a reflection

22So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent. Behold, it was hidden in his tent, with the silver under it. 23They took them from the middle of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel. They laid them down before the LORD. 24Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor. 25Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you today.” All Israel stoned him with stones, and they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26They raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. The LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Therefore the name of that place was called “The valley of Achor” to this day.

This passage records the discovery of Achan's hidden sin. During the battle for Jericho, Achan had taken some of the plunder that was forbidden, and hidden it in the ground beneath his tent, telling no one. But the sin did not stay hidden; it was uncovered, and it was found that his secret theft had brought trouble on the whole nation, whose army had been defeated because of it. What he had concealed came to light, with grievous consequences.

Notice two truths this hard story teaches. First, that hidden sin does not stay hidden. Achan buried his stolen goods in secret, thinking no one would know; but it was brought to light. Sin concealed has a way of being uncovered, before others and always before God, who sees what is hidden. And second, that his secret sin affected more than himself; his concealed theft had brought trouble on the whole community. Our hidden sins are rarely as private in their effects as we imagine.

That is a warning against concealing sin. We are tempted, when we have done wrong, to hide it, to bury it out of sight, to tell no one and hope it stays secret. But hidden sin does not stay hidden, and it does harm beyond ourselves. The wiser and better way is not to conceal sin, but to bring it into the light, to confess it to God and, where needed, to others, rather than letting it fester in secret. Do not bury your sin like Achan, thinking it will stay hidden; it will not, and it harms more than you. Bring it into the light, confess it, deal with it, for sin confessed is dealt with, while sin concealed only waits to be uncovered.

Lord, Achan hid his stolen plunder in secret, thinking no one would know, but it was uncovered, and his concealed sin had brought trouble on the whole nation. Warn me by that hard story. I am tempted, when I have done wrong, to hide it, to bury it out of sight, to tell no one and hope it stays secret. But hidden sin does not stay hidden, and it does harm beyond myself; you see what is concealed, and secret sins are rarely as private in their effects as I imagine. Help me not to bury my sin like Achan, thinking it will stay hidden. Help me instead to bring it into the light, to confess it to you and, where needed, to others, rather than letting it fester in secret. For sin confessed is dealt with, while sin concealed only waits to be uncovered. Give me the honesty to bring my sin into the light and deal with it, rather than hide it. Search me, and cleanse what I have hidden.