Salvation Summaries

There are stories in the Bible where God appears to punish people far more severely than they deserve, giving rise to the view that God can be unfair and even violent. The short account of Achan in Joshua 7 and his family is one example.

Before I offer an initial view and a deeper view of this story, I need to mention how important context is when interpreting verses or stories in the Bible. Also, we need to be aware of the assumptions we unconsciously make when reading the Bible. I’ll highlight both below.

Initial View

If you were to casually read chapter 7 in Joshua, you would learn in verse 2 that a man named Achan had stolen some “dedicated things,” which made God angry. Nothing else is said about him until verse 19, when Joshua tells Achan to confess what he had done. In 20-21, Achan confesses that he stole different items and hid them. The next thing you learn in verse 25, to your surprise and horror, is that Joshua and all of the Israelites stoned Achan and his family (to death), and then burned their bodies.

From reading this story, one can’t help but wonder why God punished Achan and his family so severely. Achan had stolen some items, that’s true, but we all make mistakes, right? And then he confessed what he had done, so shouldn’t Joshua and the others have forgiven him. And should God not have too, for He is loving and forgiving after all. However, even if Joshua and Israel did not forgive Achan, why punish his family too, for it appears that they had nothing to do with it? And was the penalty of death really fit the crime of stealing? Why wasn’t Achan simply reprimanded and put outside of the camp for a period of time as punishment? Many would say that stoning Achan to death was way out of line, and then killing his wife and young children was completely unacceptable. Why would God allow His emotions to unfairly influence the degree of punishment He prescribed for Achan and his family? Who can love and worship a God like this?

Deeper View

From a deeper reading of this story, God’s punishment of Achan and his family, while extreme, is understandable, and does not prove that God was unfair and violent. Here’s why:

• Achan was a criminal. God had commanded Israel not to steal any items that were set apart for destruction. If anyone in Israel did this, God would no longer remain with them to help them in their future battles to take the promised land (verses 11-12). This is how important that command was. However, Achan did not care what God said or whether his actions would affect the entire nation of Israel, for he stole items anyway.
• Achan was forced to Confess. Although Achan confessed his sin, he was forced to do it and angry that he had to. There was no remorse for what he had done (verse 20).
• Achan tried to downplay what he did. Achan also tried to downplay what he had done by referring to the items as “plunder” (verse 20). In times of war, plunder was commonly taken by the victors, so Achan’s taking of these items was really no big deal according to him, but we know that to be untrue in this instance.
• Achan did not have a wife or concubine. There is no mention of Achan’s wife even though we naturally assume that he had one.
• Achan’s children were more likely adults. We do not know the age of Achan’s sons and daughters. One naturally assumes that they were likely young kids, but because Achan did not have a wife or mistress to take care of them, it’s safer to assume that they were at least young adults. If true, Achan’s sons and daughters would have known what their father had done was wrong, and that punishment was forthcoming if Joshua found out. However, they chose to do nothing about it. They did not persuade their father to confess to Joshua. And, none of them went to Joshua to confess what their father had done. So, they were “all in on this.” It’s possible that the whole family wanted these items, and if true, the sons and daughters were just as guilty as their father.
• Achan was given ample time to try to make things right with Joshua but refused to. In the long process of determining who the guilty party was – by starting with each tribe, and then each clan, and then each family, and then each member of each family (verse 14) – Achan had plenty of time to approach Joshua and confess his crime, but he was unwilling to do so. The same is true for his sons and daughters. This shows the hardness of their hearts.
• Achan’s actions had significant ramifications for the entire nation of Israel. Achan’s actions not only violated Israel’s covenant with God (thou shall not steal), they went far beyond that. His actions caused Israel to lose their battle against Ai, and led to the deaths of 36 Israelite men. Further, it caused the entire Israelite army to lose their courage to fight against other enemies as part of taking the promised land, which jeopardized God’s plan and His promise to Israel. In addition, it emboldened Israel’s enemies, who had been fearful of Israel after they had defeated the giants in Jericho, but then lost against Ai in a small battle. Thus, Achan’s actions had significant ramifications, and deserved severe punishment for the crime. Here is where context, or a focus on verses 2-9 that were skimmed or skipped under the initial view, is important in understanding the story.
• Stoning as punishment seems barbaric to us today, but was not necessarily to the Israelites back then. Today, we can’t relate to how violent and wicked the people of Israel and surrounding nations were during much of the Old Testament. As Dr. Alden Thompson wrote in “Who’s Afraid of the Old Testament God?”, when human beings forget God, they also forget their fellow creatures, sinking to cruelty and abuse. He went on to say that the Israelites, during the time of Joshua, had adopted barbaric and cruel customs (likely during their 400 years of slavery in Egypt). Joshua and many Israelites were engaged in many battles where they killed everyone – men, women, children. Joshua defeated enemies and had their kings impaled. Violence was a way of life back then, so stoning would likely not have been considered cruel and unusual punishment.
• Treason deserved death penalty. The actions of Achan and his family could be viewed as treasonous and with an outcome no different than what Israel’s enemies wanted – to kill Israelite men and prevent Israel from occupying the promised land. When Israel fought against Jericho, they destroyed everything and everyone, and then burned the city. God ordered, through Joshua, the same punishment for Achan and his family – destroy them and burn their possessions.

Summary

There are a number of instances in the Bible where God “comes across” as mean, angry and violent. These can cause us to view God (His character) in a negative light, and thus limit our willingness to obey and honor and worship Him. While there are some stories that are hard to understand and may not make sense to us, there are others that – upon a more in-depth reading – are understandable, and allow us to see God as we should – as fair and just. Whenever you read a story that paints God in a negative light, go back and read the context, check your assumptions, consult a few commentaries for more insights, and then see if the real story differs from your initial impression of it.