Joshua 7:10-26 | The Impact of Hidden Sin

We often have a mindset that what we do in secret doesn’t matter because it doesn’t have impact on anyone else.  We almost have the idea that if we can hide our sin from our family or friends or other church members that it is not important or of any concern to anyone else.

Joshua 7 shows us that there is no truth to that and gives us a sobering warning!

First - and perhaps most important, it doesn’t matter if we hide our sin from others because we never hide it from God.  Achan was convinced that his taking of spoils in Jericho had been done in secret, but even though Joshua and the elders in Israel had no clue he had done so, his sin was not hidden from God.  How silly is it that we believe that somehow by hiding from other people we somehow hide from the creator of the universe?  We concern ourselves with the opinions of others when in reality our obedience to God should be our only concern!!

Second, we see that even when we think our sin is private- it impacts others.  That day 36 men lost their lives in a military battle that they should’ve been victorious in all because of a “secret sin” of Achan.  His entire household will be judged with him, and all because he chose to be disobedient to the covenant of God. We may think that our sin is private but the reality is it always impacts far larger then we dream of.  Lies of parents impact the lives of children, immorality in leadership hurts the entire organization, and bitterness in our hearts causes relationships around us to be splintered.  The simple truth is that no sin is contained inside our little bubble.

Finally, we see that God hates sin and it must be punished.  It seems almost unfair that we see all of Achans household and possessions judged with stoning and burned and buried under rocks, but it is an example that disobedience to Gods covenant is not to be taken lightly.  Being complicit in someone else’s sin doesn’t make it less sinful, and when it comes to the bride of Christ we can not take sin lightly. 

Let us be a people who stand on the truth of scripture alone and are willing to yield to the word of God.  Let us be willing to put to death the desires of the flesh and walk in obedience to God- the simple truth is that if we will not , sometimes the  consequences reach farther than we ever dreamed.