The Consequences of Disobedience in Joshua 7

Joshua 7 recounts the story of Achan's disobedience and its consequences for the Israelites. The chapter begins with the Israelites' defeat at Ai, a city they had expected to conquer easily (Joshua 7:2-5). Joshua 7:7 quotes Joshua's lament: "Alas, O Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?" ^[1]. This reaction reflects Joshua's distress and sense of bewilderment at the unexpected turn of events.

The literary context of Joshua 7 is the Israelites' conquest of Canaan. The chapter is part of a larger narrative that describes the Israelites' military campaigns in the region. The preceding chapter (Joshua 6) recounts the conquest of Jericho, where the Israelites were commanded to devote all spoil to destruction ^[1]. The disobedience in Joshua 7 is directly linked to this command, as Achan secretly took some of the devoted things.

The historical setting of Joshua 7 is the early period of the Israelites' conquest of Canaan, likely around 1200 BCE. The passage reflects the Israelites' understanding of their relationship with God and the importance of obedience to His commands ^[3].

A key term in Joshua 7 is "the accursed thing" or "cherem" (Hebrew: חֵרֶם), referring to the devoted spoil from Jericho that was to be destroyed ^[7]. Achan's trespass involved taking some of this spoil, thereby violating the covenant and bringing guilt upon the nation.

The major exegetical decision in Joshua 7 revolves around understanding the reason for Israel's defeat at Ai. The passage attributes the defeat to Achan's sin, which had brought a curse upon the nation (Joshua 7:11-12). The Lord instructs Joshua to discover the guilty party and punish them accordingly ^[6].

The range of interpretations on Joshua 7 highlights the severity of the consequences for disobedience. According to Matthew Henry, the passage illustrates how "the affairs of Israel, even when they were in the happiest posture and gave the most hopeful prospects, [were] perplexed and embarrassed by sin" ^[3]. John Gill notes that Achan's trespass brought "guilt and disgrace of sin upon the whole nation" ^[4]. one commentary tradition by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown emphasizes that the Israelites' liability to destruction was equal to that of the Canaanite nations due to their violation of the covenant ^[6].

The consequences of disobedience in Joshua 7 have been significant in the tradition. The passage has been used to illustrate the importance of obedience to God's commands and the severity of the consequences for disobedience ^[2]. The story of Achan serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of individual sin affecting the community.

The theme of disobedience and its consequences is not unique to Joshua 7. Other biblical passages, such as Jeremiah 7, also emphasize the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience ^[5]. The Protestant academic commentary on Ezekiel 7 highlights the global judgment upon God's people, underscoring the severity of the consequences for disobedience ^[8].

Sources

Joshua “Joshua 7:15 (NASB) — 'It shall be that the one who is taken with the things under the ban shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.'"”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Disobedience to God — Provokes his anger -- Ps 78:10,40; Isa 3:8. Forfeits his favour -- 1Sa 13:14. Forfeits his promised blessings -- Jos 5:6; 1Sa 2:30; Jer 18:10. Brings a curse -- De 11:28; 28:15. A characteristic of the wicked -- Eph 2:2; Tit 1:16; 3:3. The wicked persevere in -- Jer 2:21. Heinousness of, illustrated -- Jer 35:14. Men prone to excuse -- Ge 3:12,13. Shall be punished -- Isa 42:24,25; Heb 2:2. Acknowledge the punishment of, to be just -- Ne 9:32,33; Da 9:10,11,14. Warnings against -- 1Sa 12:15; Jer 12:17. Bitter results of, illustrated -- Jer 9:13,”
Joshua (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Joshua 7 (introduction): More than once we have found the affairs of Israel, even when they were in the happiest posture and gave the most hopeful prospects, perplexed and embarrassed by sin, and a stop thereby put to the most promising proceedings. The golden calf, the murmuring at Kadesh, and the iniquity of Peor, had broken their measures and given them great disturbance; and in this chapter we have such another instance of the interruption given to the progress of their arms by sin. But it being only the sin of one person or family, and soon expiated, the consequences were”
Joshua (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Joshua 7 (introduction): INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 7 For the trespass of Achan the children of Israel were smitten and put to flight by the men of Ai, Jos 7:1; which gave him and the elders of the people great concern, both for Israel and for the name of the Lord, which was expressed by Joshua in prayer to God, Jos 7:6; when the Lord informed him of the reason of it, and gave him directions for finding out the guilty person, and for the punishment of him, Jos 7:10; which directions Joshua followed, and the person was found out, who being urged to a confession made one, Jos 7:16; up”
Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 7 (introduction): INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 7 In this chapter the Lord, by the prophet, calls the people of the Jews to repentance and reformation; reproves them for their vain confidence; and threatens them with destruction for their many sins, and particularly idolatry. The preface to all this is in Jer 7:1, the exhortation to amendment, encouraged to by a promise that they should dwell in the land, is in Jer 7:3, but this was not to be expected on account of the temple, and temple service; but through a thorough reformation of manners; an exercise of justice, and avoi”
Joshua (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Joshua 7:10: the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up--The answer of the divine oracle was to this effect: the crisis is owing not to unfaithfulness in Me, but sin in the people. The conditions of the covenant have been violated by the reservation of spoil from the doomed city; wickedness, emphatically called folly, has been committed in Israel (Psa 14:1), and dissimulation, with other aggravations of the crime, continues to be practised. The people are liable to destruction equally with the accursed nations of Canaan (Deu 7:26). Means must, without delay, be taken t”
Joshua (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Joshua 7 (introduction): ACHAN'S TRESPASS. (Jos 7:1) the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing--There was one transgressor against the cherem, or ban, on Jericho, and his transgression brought the guilt and disgrace of sin upon the whole nation. Achan--called afterwards "Achar" ("trouble") (Ch1 2:7). Zabdi--or Zimri (Ch1 2:6). Zerah--or Zarah, son of Judah and Tamar (Gen 38:30). His genealogy is given probably to show that from a parentage so infamous the descendants would not be carefully trained in the fear of God.”
Ezekiel (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ezekiel 7:1: 7:1-27 Ezekiel 7 contains three messages of doom (7:3-4, 5-9, 10-27). They reminded Judah that their forthcoming destruction was not a random twist of fate but an act of the Lord’s judgment. 7:1-2 As the prophet unfolded his message, the scope of the threatened judgment kept increasing, like ripples spreading outward from a stone dropped into a pond. Now the judgment he announced was not just for Israel, as in ch 6, but against the whole land, east, west, north, or south. This global judgment upon God’s people would be tantamount to the end of the world. Judgment ”

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