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What was the sin of Achan?

What was the sin of Achan?
Redemption Theology

TL;DR:

Achan’s sin wasn’t simply stealing—it was taking what God had claimed as His, and his hidden disobedience brought defeat and death to Israel. His story reminds us that sin is never truly private; what we hide can wound the people around us.

what does the bible say?

Jericho was the first city conquered in the Promised Land and, before capturing it, God told the people to devote it to destruction (Joshua 6:17). Being so devoted meant that nothing was to remain, and they were to keep nothing except what was collected for God’s sanctuary (Joshua 6:18–19). That was a way to both raze a town and worship God through the act.

When Israel first fought Ai, the second city, they failed (Joshua 7:4–5). They discovered that Achan had violated God’s command when taking Jericho and had kept some items for himself  (Joshua 7:20–21). Though perhaps of some value, the issue was not the value, but that he had taken something devoted to destruction (Joshua 7:11–12a), thereby making Israel now devoted to destruction (Joshua 7:12b), and thus God withheld His help when facing Ai (Joshua 7:12c).

Because Achan did this, the items he took, along with him and his entire family, were destroyed (Joshua 7:24–26a). This appeased God’s wrath against Israel (Joshua 7:26b), and subsequently defeated Ai at the second attempt (Joshua 8:1–2).

Believers are under a new covenant, so God doesn't deal with us the same way He dealt with Israel. However, sin still has corporate effects. Thus, the church must maintain purity by dealing with sinning believers, and we must strive not to sin, knowing that our sin hurts not only us but others around us.

from the old testament

  • When God sent Israel to defeat Jericho, the first city conquered in the Promised Land, He wanted it set aside for Him. To do that, He said it was "devoted to destruction” (Joshua 6:17). Therefore, “you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD” (Joshua 6:18–19). God thus wanted all of Jericho to Himself.
  • After Israel defeated Jericho, they attacked the second city, Ai (Joshua 7:2–4). However, they were soundly defeated (Joshua 7:4–5). Joshua couldn’t understand and cried out to God (Joshua 7:6–9). God answered: “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed the covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies" (Joshua 7:10–12a).
  • God added that this was why they lost at Ai: “[Israel has] become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you” (Joshua 7:12b–c).
  • Joshua then set out to discover who specifically violated God’s command (Joshua 7:14–18). When he discovered it was Achan, he asked what had happened. Achan replied, " Truly I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I did: when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath” (Joshua 7:20–21).
  • Though valuable, the sin wasn’t their value. Instead, it was the act of taking anything at all from a city God had devoted to destruction. Because of what Achan did, Joshua commanded that not only the items but also Achan and his family be destroyed to purify the Israelite camp (Joshua 7:22–26a).
  • The result of Achan’s destruction was that God’s anger against Israel was appeased (Joshua 7:26b). God then commanded them to attack Ai again since He would now bring them success (Joshua 8:1–2).

from the new testament

  • The sin of Achan is not found in the New Testament.

implications for today

It puzzles us that Achan’s sin affected all of Israel and that all his family needed to die because of his sin. That is because most of us live in societies where individuals are considered autonomous. However, God considers His people corporately, where the sin of one reflects on all the others. Israel was God’s covenantal people, and that is why God was displeased with them corporately even when the sin was restricted to specific individuals. Therefore, when Achan sinned, God considered all of Israel to be sinful and punished the people, not just Achan.

We are under a different covenant, so we should not expect God to deal with the church exactly as He dealt with Israel. Nevertheless, the New Testament still teaches that individual sin negatively impacts others.

If you are a believer, you are not just in an individual relationship with God—all on your own. Through Christ, you are united to all other believers. Your sin affects others, but your relationship with them will strengthen you and protect you from that sin. Don’t try to be a Christian without the body because God doesn’t see you that way. Instead, be a Christian in the body and, with your fellow believers, become more like Christ as you all strive to put off sin and put on righteousness!

understand

  • Achan took what God had claimed for Himself.
  • Achan’s hidden sin affected the whole community.
  • Sin is never truly private.

reflect

  • How does the reality that Achan's hidden sin hurt others challenge the way you think about your "private" sins?
  • How does God's exposure of Achan's sin remind you that hiding sin from God is impossible?
  • How does the severity of the judgment on Achan and his household affect the way you think about the seriousness with which God treats sin?

engage

  • What does Achan’s story teach us about how one person’s hidden choices impact others?
  • Why are we often tempted to view certain sins as “private,” and how can we bring sin into the light before it harms others?
  • How should Achan’s story shape the way we think about obedience—not merely as following rules, but as honoring what belongs to God?

More Resources

Old Testament What did God mean when He said, "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23)?

What did God mean when He said, "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23)?

“Be sure your sin will find you out” means that sin cannot be hidden from God—what’s done in secret will eventually be exposed and judged. The warning is clear: sin has consequences.
Sin All have sinned—What does that mean?

All have sinned—What does that mean?

Because the first man, Adam, chose to disobey God, all have a sin nature, which causes us to sin and be separated from God. Because everyone has a sin nature, all have sinned.
Christian Life What role does community play in discipleship?

What role does community play in discipleship?

Following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey. God uses Christian community to teach, encourage, challenge, correct, and strengthen us as we grow to become more like Christ—and He calls us to do the same for others.