Beginning of the End: Achan Refuses to Repent

 Of the millions of people in Israel there was only one man who had dared to disobey the command of God. Achan’s covetousness was awakened by that costly robe from Shinar; even when it had brought him face to face with death he called it “a beautiful Babylonian garment.” And he took the gold and silver devoted to the treasury of the Lord—he robbed God of the first fruits of the land of Canaan. Rarely is a violation of the tenth commandment even rebuked. The enormity of this sin, and its terrible results, are the lessons of Achan’s history.

Achan had cherished greed for wealth until it became a habit, binding him in chains almost impossible to break. He would have been filled with horror at the thought of bringing disaster on Israel, but his perceptions were deadened by sin, and when temptation came, he became an easy victim.

We are as directly forbidden to covet as Achan was to take the spoils of Jericho. We are warned, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” “Take heed and beware of covetousness.” “Let it not even be named among you” (Matthew 6:24; Luke 12:15; Ephesians 5:3). We have as examples the fearful ruin of Achan, of Judas, of Ananias and Sapphira. In back of all these we have Lucifer. Yet, in spite of all these warnings, covetousness is widespread.

Its slimy track is seen everywhere. It creates conflict in families, it encourages envy and hatred in the poor against the rich, it prompts the rich to grind down the poor. And this evil exists not just in the world but in the church. How common it is even in the church to find selfishness, greed, neglect of charities, and robbery of God “in tithes and offerings.” Many a churchgoer comes regularly to communion service, while among his possessions are hidden unlawful gains, things that God has cursed. Many people sacrifice their  hope of heaven for a “beautiful Babylonian garment.” The cries of the suffering and poor are ignored, the gospel light is slowed down in its progress, practices contradict the Christian profession, yet the covetous so-called Christian continues to heap up treasures. “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me” (Malachi 3:8), says the Lord.