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Joshua 7
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| 7:1
But the children of
Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son
of Carmi,
the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed
thing:
and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. |
(7:1-13)
Joshua and all the elders tear their clothes,
fall on their faces, and put dust on their heads because the Israelites lost a battle. [God was punishing them because one man (Achan)
"took of the accursed thing."]
"Achan, the son of Carmi"
Who Was Achan's father?
Family Stoned, Burned
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| 7:2
And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the
east of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And
the men went up and viewed Ai.
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| 7:3
And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go
up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not
all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
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| 7:4
So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they
fled before the men of Ai. |
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| 7:5
And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased
them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going
down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. |
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| 7:6
And Joshua rent his
clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD
until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their
heads. |
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| 7:7
And Joshua said, Alas, O LORD God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this
people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy
us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! |
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| 7:8
O LORD, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their
enemies! |
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| 7:9
For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it,
and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what
wilt thou do unto thy great name? |
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| 7:10
And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon
thy face? |
(7:10-12) "The Lord said unto Joshua ... destroy the accursed among you."
God tells Joshua to kill whoever tood "the accursed thing."
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| 7:11
Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I
commanded them: for they
have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and
dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
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| 7:12
Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but
turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you
any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. |
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| 7:13
Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow:
for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of
thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take
away the accursed thing from among you. |
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| 7:14
In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and
it shall be, that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to
the families thereof; and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by
households; and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by
man. |
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| 7:15
And it shall be, that he
that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he
and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the
LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. |
If you happen to see "the accursed thing," don't touch it. If you do, you,
your family, and all of your animals must be burned to death.
What the Bible says about burning people to death
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| 7:16
So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their
tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: |
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| 7:17
And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the
Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi
was taken: |
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| 7:18
And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the
son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. |
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| 7:19
And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD
God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast
done; hide it not from me. |
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| 7:20
And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD
God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: |
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| 7:21
When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred
shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I
coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the
midst of my tent, and the silver under it. |
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| 7:22
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was
hid in his tent, and the silver under it. |
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| 7:23
And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto
Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the
LORD. |
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| 7:24
And Joshua, and all
Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah,
and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his
daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and
all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. |
(7:24-26)
"And Joshua ... took Achan ... and his
sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his sheep... And all of Israel stoned
them with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with
stones."
This is because Achan "took of the accursed thing" --
whatever that means. But why would God require that Achan's sons and daughters
(and even his animals) be stoned to death along with him? The Bible doesn't say.
But it does tell us that "the Lord turned from the fierceness of his
anger" when Achan, his children, and his animals were burned and stoned to death.
What the Bible says about stoning
(7:24) "Achan the son of Zerah"
Who Was Achan's father?
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| 7:25
And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all
Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had
stoned them with stones.
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| 7:26
And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the
fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called,
The valley of Achor, unto this day.
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