Hidden Treasure?
Joshua 7:5 MKJV
(5) And the men of Ai struck about thirty-six men of them, for they chased them from before the gate to Shebarim, and struck them in the road going down. Therefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
Joshua 7:21
(21) When I saw among the spoil a goodly robe of Shinar, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, I coveted them and took them. And behold, they are hidden in the earth in the middle of my tent, and the silver under it.
You would think that just coming from the wilderness where everyone but the ones who feared God were made to die, there would be a significant restraint when presented with an opportunity to cross Him. Sure the stuff looked a bit enticing, but my goodness, wouldn’t there be a little concern for the wrath of the One who had caused earthquakes and the sea’s waters to swallow up His opposition? Could anything begin to be hidden from the One who had banished Adam and Eve for what they thought had gone unseen? Without His blessing there could be no battles won and without His power there would be no progress into the land of promise. It had been all Him who had caused Jericho’s walls to crumble before their shout, but the same holiness that was determining the fate of this Godless city was no less holy around His own. From the awe and splendor of an incredible God of judgment and mercy, the gaze had shifted to items of such little significance in comparison. The heart, also, had found another fixation rather than the One who would not only give them great abundance, but do so in a way that wouldn’t compromise their own peace and safety.
How obvious is the fallacy of this errant man who was the cause for many lost lives in a devastating defeat? How severe was his judgment and punishment, and how greatly did he hinder the very progress and success of his nation – just to own, unearned, some temporal, earthly item? It’s easy to see in this story how Achan brought shame and destruction upon his whole family because of a desire that diverted and disabled fear of God. It’s easy to look down on him, and yet, how great is his example for the life of any that would occupy the land of promise in Christ? While we live in the era of grace that is sufficient for all our sins, our fellowship and dependence is still upon a God who is uncompromising in His holiness. To have an encounter with Him is to have an encounter with perfection, and although He is faithful to forgive and forget, there is still a consequence for a gaze that strays from the face of One so beautiful in holiness as our God to look upon some temporal earthly acquisition or experience. Those things may be part of His provision, but to possess what hasn’t been given or earned will always lead to self- destruction and the compromise of a nation.
There is so much to possess and such great adventure in the occupation of the land of promise in Christ. Walls will crumble and enemy’s stumble and fall before the One through whom we triumph. True progress towards His purpose, however, will not include diversions from the holiness He requires. While He is faithful and just to forgive, there will never be a place in a tent somewhere that conceals a worldly treasure He is unaware of and unaffected by. Every thought, every action, every motive and every passion of our heart is continually impacting our ability to either attempt occupation on our own or march forward in the power of the Holy One and His invincible Spirit. Stuff will always be lying around, inviting enjoyment apart from Him and His requirement of holiness. With a prize of such greater value to be apprehended in Christ, though, we can become fixated on our Mountain Mover and Ocean Divider to the exclusion of all that would prohibit His glory in our life.