No Hidden Sins

Men in general have a tendency to want to ‘get away with things.” Many get a thrill out of it. It makes them feel special, unique, even superior – ‘above it all’ - in a perverted way. Some try to commit the perfect crime, the perfect theft, the perfect murder; others seek to contrive the perfect excuse, the perfect alibi, the perfect ruse or deception. Some of these things may work before men – but not before God.

Joshua chapter 7 poses the age-old question: can one sin before God and get away with it. The answer is an unswerving, unyielding – no! God is too holy, and sees everything. He will forgive sin, if one repents and accepts Christ’s loving payment for his entire sinful way of life. However, the one thing that will positively never happen is to have someone cheat or fool God. All people must keep in mind that the hidden things among men are all open before Him.

In Joshua chapter 7, Israel had come off one of its greatest victories: the destruction of the city of Jericho. After 38 years of wandering, the nation Israel entered the land of Canaan from Egypt and squared-off against this ancient, mighty, walled city sitting at a major entrance-way into central Canaan. The nation obeyed the LORD’s perfect plan for subduing the city and on the 7th day, God supernaturally leveled the walls so that the city fell without a single recorded casualty (Joshua 6:20). The people obeyed perfectly and God blessed them amazingly! – except for one small thing . . .

Chapter 7 verse 1 records that one man – one – flouted God’s direct orders regarding Jericho. God ordered His people not to plunder certain items and to set apart all of the silver and gold for the national treasury (6:18-19). One man – Achan, whose name means ‘trouble’ – took forbidden items and hid them in his tent. He thought no one would ever know.

Soon afterward, a national tragedy ensued and an investigation revealed that God’s displeasure at Achan’s theft and deception was the cause. God exposed Achan and his family members, who seemingly aided him in his deception, and the nation executed all of them – a sad end to those who agreed to conceal their sin.

This history seems tragic and extreme, but the point is clear: God hates and punishes unrepentant sin!