So today I decided to break down Joshua 7:1 into something super simple, you know? Grabbed my worn-out Bible, my messy notebook, and just dove in cold. Felt kinda overwhelming at first, honestly. The language is… old.
My Brain Stumbling Over the Text
Started reading it raw, just like I always do before checking any commentaries. Verse 1 goes something like: “But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things…” Bam. Stopped right there. “Devoted things“? “Unfaithful“? What exactly does that mean here? Wasn’t super clear to me at first glance. My brain kinda tripped over those words. Flipped open my notebook, scribbled down “Main Problem: What ARE the devoted things? What IS the unfaithfulness?” That was my starting point.
Then the verse names Achan – son of Karmi, son of Zimri, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah. Phew. Names. Always a bit of a mouthful. Scribbled that down too: “Achan – Tribe of Judah. Important guy or just his family?” Wasn’t sure yet.
Finished the verse: “…So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.” Okay, big consequence. Connection clear: someone’s action (unfaithfulness with devoted things) ticked God off big time. Underlined “Lord’s anger burned” twice. That’s serious stuff. My initial reaction was basically: “Yikes. Okay, this Achan guy or his family messed up BIG time.” But what did they do? The verse doesn’t say the act, just hints at it and the consequence. Frustrating!
Trying to Crack the Code
Time for some digging. Pulled out a couple of different translations – ESV, NIV, even a really simple one like The Message. Compared them side-by-side.
- ESV/NIV mostly said similar things – “devoted things“, “acted unfaithfully“.
- The Message was way plainer: “Achan… took forbidden plunder“. Ah-HA! So the “devoted things” were basically loot God told them NOT to touch after their victory at Jericho! That clicks. He took stuff that was forbidden.
The “unfaithfulness” was disobedience, pure and simple. Breaking the rules. Stealing what belonged to God. Filled in my notes: “Devoted things = Jericho plunder OFF-LIMITS. Unfaithfulness = Achan STEALING some of it.” Suddenly, the anger part makes total sense – God had given a clear command, they stomped all over it.
Putting the Simple Explanation Together
Felt the pieces locking into place. How to explain this simply? Here’s what I wrote down as the core explanation:
- Big Win at Jericho: Israelites just won big.
- God’s Rule: Don’t take any plunder from Jericho. All belongs to God.
- Achan Broke It: Achan (Tribe of Judah) secretly took some forbidden stuff (clothes, silver, gold).
- God’s Wrath: God was furious because His command was ignored.
BUT…
BUT…
RESULT:
That felt way clearer. The verse sets the scene: after Jericho’s victory, someone sinned badly by stealing forbidden loot, and God’s anger exploded because of it. It’s the opening line introducing why things went SO wrong for Israel at the next battle against tiny Ai (which is what the rest of the chapter covers). Tried explaining it out loud to my cat (weird habit, I know). “So, right after smashing Jericho, God tells ’em, ‘Hands off the loot, guys! It’s mine.’ But this dude Achan? Yeah, he pockets some shiny stuff and fancy clothes anyway. God finds out, and He is MAAAAD.” Kitty blinked. I took that as approval.
The Key Lesson from just verse 1 hit me: Disobeying God, especially after He’s done something huge for you? That brings serious trouble. Achan thought he could sneak it. He couldn’t. God knew. Boom. Anger.
Wrapped it up feeling less overwhelmed. It’s amazing how one little verse packs so much setup – sin, consequences, God’s righteous anger – all simmering right there at the start. Simple doesn’t mean shallow, turns out. Going to try keeping this approach for tough verses.
