Daily Lesson for Sunday 2nd of November 2025
Read Joshua 7:1-26. What were the two major causes of Israel’s defeat by the inhabitants of Ai?
It is interesting to observe that the reader knows, from the outset, the reason for Yahweh’s anger as well as the name of the offender. Thus, the suspense of the story of uncovering the trespass of Achan is provided by the tension between the perspective of the reader and that of Joshua and the Israelites. Like many other chapters of the Old Testament, Joshua 7:1-26 has a chiastic structure. The central, climactic segment within it answers the question of why the Israelites were not able to conquer Ai on their first attempt.
Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com
There were two main reasons for Israel’s defeat by the inhabitants of Ai: Achan’s sin and the Israelites’ overconfidence in their own strength. The latter resulted in their neglecting to consult the will of the Lord before the attack against Ai and their underestimating the force of the enemy.
Based on Joshua 7:1,11-13, we can see that, although Achan is responsible for the treacherous act of breaking the ban, the whole nation is held responsible and suffers for what he did. God describes the sin of Achan by gradually showing its gravity through the cumulative use, in verse 11, of the adverb “even,” or “also” (Heb. gam). First, the most common term for sin is used: “kḥata’.” Then the act of transgression is described by five more specific sins introduced by the adverb gam: (1) ‘abar, also “to cross over, to transgress,” (2) even taking (laqakḥ) from the things devoted to destruction (kḥerem), (3) also stealing (ganab), (4) also deceiving (kakḥash), and (5) even putting (sim) the stolen kḥerem among their possessions.
The covenant between Yahweh and Israel involved the people at both individual and corporate levels. In the light of the covenant, Israel is treated as an indivisible unity of the chosen nation of God; therefore, the sin of one, or even some, of its members incurs guilt upon the whole covenantal community. As the Lord said, “ ‘Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them’ ” (Joshua 7:11, NKJV).
|
What are ways whole communities can suffer, and have suffered, from the bad acts of individuals within the community? What examples can you think of, and how was the community impacted? |
(1)
