Faith and Firstfruits (God’s Commands in the Conquest of Canaan)
“Has God rejected us?” This question must have been asked by every Israelite as the defeated army returned to their camp at Gilgal. God had promised them this land, exhorting them to “be strong and courageous” because He had already given the citizens of this land into their hands. But the army had been defeated at Ai, leading many to wonder if God’s promise would indeed come to pass. Even Joshua lost hope, saying, “Alas, O Lord God, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan!” (Joshua 7:7).
This sounds eerily familiar to the frequent complaint of the previous generation: “If we had only stayed in Egypt…”. For Joshua, this defeat would have reminded him of a similar defeat forty years prior. He had been one of the twelve spies sent to examine the land and give a report to Moses and the rest of Israel. While the other ten spies had focused on the strength of the people and the fortifications of their cities, Joshua and Caleb had trusted in God and reported the goodness of the land. Despite their best efforts, the people had fearfully sided with the ten and refused to enter the land. As punishment for their lack of faith, God had declared that none of that generation would enter the land except Joshua and Caleb. This consequence caused the Israelites to regret their decision and attempt to conquer the land anyway, with disastrous results. Forty years later, a new generation of Israelites had maintained faith and seen God defeat two kingdoms before them, dry up the Jordan River for them to cross over, and deliver Jericho into their hands. But with this setback at Ai, they all (Joshua included) had to wonder if God was untrue to His word. He had promised to give the Israelites this land, so this defeat had the potential to cast doubt on the faithfulness of God. Thus it was vital for Joshua and all of Israel to figure out what had gone wrong.
Israel Has Sinned
God’s answer immediately removes this doubt: “Get up…Israel has sinned” (Joshua 7:9). The defeat at Ai was not because God was untrue to His word or would not keep His promises, but because the people of Israel had sinned and broken faith with God. Their sin (like ours) in no way nullifies God’s faithfulness: “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar” (Romans 3:3-4). Indeed much of the biblical narrative up to that point (and from that point on) could be summed up as “Israel has sinned” such that it is remarkable when the narrative says that Israel obeyed God. Throughout their forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel had sinned in various ways and been judged by God in various ways as a result. Most of these sins involved grumbling against God or committing idolatry and its associated immorality.
But that didn’t seem to be the case this time, as the conquest of Jericho had gone quite well. Several times in the early chapters of Joshua, the author notes that the Israelites did as God had commanded, yet the results at Ai were more akin to the times they had grumbled or committed idolatry than when they had obeyed. So they needed God to reveal their sin to them, so God continues: “they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them” (Joshua 7:10). This covenant was the Mosaic Covenant, which consisted of the entire Mosaic Law. Not long before the Israelites crossed the Jordan, Moses had reiterated this law. That essentially served as the farewell address for Moses and makes up basically all of Deuteronomy. As I discussed in a previous post, Deuteronomy is filled with exhortations for Israel to be careful to obey it in its entirety. Near the end, it gives blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28), so Israel should have immediately known that their failure must be due to sin. Not long after those blessings and curses, Moses also issued a blessing for repentance (Deuteronomy 30). Repeatedly throughout Scripture, we see that when God’s people sin, the difference between a minor setback and a slippery slope to destruction is repentance. Therefore, when God told Joshua to get up, He was telling him (and all of Israel with him) to get to work repenting so that their minor setback would not become a slippery slope to destruction.
The Sin: Robbing God
The first step to repentance is identifying the sin and recognizing it as sin. In the defeat at Ai, that sin was not immediately clear, so God had to reveal it to Joshua: “Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings” (Joshua 7:9-11). The specific sin was that a lone Israelite (Achan) had taken some silver, gold, and a cloak from Jericho. For this sin, God had caused Israel to be defeated at Ai, resulting in the death of 36 Israelites. Yet God says the entire nation had sinned, as if every Israelite had stolen and lied. Why was the sin of one man attributed to the entire nation? As foreign as it may seem to our individualistic society, we are not merely individuals but members of various communities, so even our private sins affect others. Therefore, one man’s sin was attributed to an entire nation of well over a million people. We don’t know whether anyone else collaborated with Achan, but it is unlikely since only Achan and his family were punished. However, it is quite possible that others in Israel sinfully desired the plunder of Jericho but only Achan acted on that desire. Since the items were buried under his tent, it is likely his family had knowledge of his sin and collaborated with him on it. Thus, while the Mosaic Law forbid punishing children for the sins of their parents (Deuteronomy 24:16), all of Achan’s family had participated in the sin and thus deserved punishment for it just as the families of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram had in the previous generation. So in order to turn away God’s anger, the Israelites executed Achan and his entire family.
Why did Achan’s sin warrant execution? While it is clear that Achan lied by hiding his sin, it is not clear how taking the items was theft, especially since the Law permitted the taking of plunder in battle as part of God’s provision for them (Deuteronomy 20:14). So why was plunder in this case stealing, and who was Achan stealing from? God said that Achan had taken “some of the devoted things”. This meant that what he had taken was considered devoted to God, so Achan had actually stolen from God. In the Law, anything that was “devoted” to God was for Him alone and could not be used by the people. In discussing vows, Leviticus 27 shows a difference between things that were dedicated to the Lord (which could be redeemed by their original owner) and things devoted to the Lord (which could not be redeemed). The term is also used for people (including cities and nations) who are “devoted to the Lord” for destruction. Such was the case for the people of the Promise Land in general and Jericho in particular. Throughout the land, Israel was to devote to destruction all of the people, but the infrastructure could remain and the spoils were free to be taken. However, Jericho was unique, where the entire city was to be destroyed and the plunder was to be devoted to the Lord. Whereas the plunder of other cities—like the peace offering—was to be shared between God and the people, the plunder of Jericho—like the burnt offering—belonged solely to God, going into the “treasury of the Lord” (Joshua 6:17), so by taking some of it, Achan was claiming as his what was actually God’s.
But why did God claim the plunder of Jericho but not the other cities in the Promised Land? While we cannot know God’s complete reasoning, I think the concept of firstfruits is helpful to understand this. The Law specified that the first of everything belonged to God—the first of their harvest each year, the first fruit from their trees, and the firstborn of their livestock. All of their crops, fruit, and livestock were gifts from God, from which He required some in return. By requiring the first of them, He was forcing the people to depend on Him to continue to provide for them. If the first of everything belongs to God, then it naturally follows that the first city to be conquered in the Promised Land would also belong to God, and that city was Jericho. Jericho can thus be viewed as the firstfruits of God’s gift of land to the Israelites, so God declared that it must be devoted to destruction. Since it was devoted and not dedicated to God, it was never to be rebuilt (Joshua 6:26). Therefore when Heil of Bethel (a city that was infamous for idolatry) rebuilt Jericho in the days of Ahab (a time known for wickedness and idolatry), both his firstborn and youngest sons died according to the curse of Joshua (1 Kings 16:34). Like Achan centuries before, he had taken for himself what belonged to God. Thus, by taking some of the “devoted things”, Achan and Heil after him were actually robbing God of what was rightfully His (Malachi 3:8). More than mere theft, Achan’s actions reveal a lack of fear of the Lord. By his own admission, he had coveted them, meaning in that moment he had viewed a bit of precious metal and a single piece of clothing as more valuable than God. Thus, this seemingly minor sin was really idolatry at its core. Since God is jealous for His glory and His people (Exodus 20:5; 34:14), He judged Israel for this one man’s sin.
Faith in God’s Promises
There is more to Achan’s sin than covetousness and robbery. His sin displays a lack of faith in God to keep his promises. Throughout the Exodus, God promised to bring the Israelites to the Promised Land and give it to them. Part of that promise was being able to live in houses they did not build. This meant that once the Israelites took over various cities and towns, they were to live in them. Therefore, the Israelites counted on these cities and the plunder within them in order to start their new lives in the Promised Land. This was especially true since the manna that had sustained them for their entire journey to the Promised Land stopped just after their first Passover in the Promised Land, meaning that they now had to depend on the fruit of the land that God provided (Joshua 5:12). But just as the firstfruits of the food grown on the land belonged to God, the firstfruits of land itself did too. Israel thus would have to trust that God would continue to give them success in battle after Jericho. Achan’s sin proved that some did not. Just as the previous generation lacked faith that God would fulfill His promises and sustain them in the desert, some in Achan’s generation also doubted that God would provide for them as He had promised. Though Achan was the only one who acted upon this unbelief—and was thus the only one called out by name—Israel’s history would suggest that there were likely others who shared his doubt. Thus, Achan’s fate would have served as a warning to those who were wavering in faith to overcome such doubt and strengthen their faith that God would be true to His word.
It was also a reminder that Israel’s success was from God and could not be accomplished apart from God. In addition to Achan’s sin, the Israelites—emboldened by their success at Jericho—disobeyed God by bringing only a small army to Ai, thus trusting in their own strength. These two sins—doubting God’s promises and trusting in human strength—would plague Israel throughout their history (and us today). Still, Israel’s faithlessness did not nullify the faithfulness of God. The omniscient Lord had certainly known of this faithlessness prior to making His covenants with Abraham and Moses. In this instance, Israel rightly repented and the conquest of the Promised Land was back on track. But even this conquest was not complete, as Israel’s history following this period was certainly tumultuous. Thus, Israel was challenged to maintain faith in God’s promises (Hebrews 4). Many did not keep faith, but God, against all odds, maintained a remnant who did. Paul holds up this remnant as proof of God’s faithfulness (Romans 11). Thus, God’s promises are just as sure today as they were for Joshua.
Firstfruits of Foreign Faith
Jericho also provided firstfruits of another kind: foreigners placing their faith in God in the Promised Land. There had certainly been foreigners who had joined the Israelites before. Those who left Egypt were mixed—suggesting that Egyptians and others joined the Israelites from the very beginning after seeing the awesome power of their God. Among them was Caleb, who as previously mentioned was one of only two from that throng to actually make it to the Promised Land. Moses’ Midianite father-in-law temporarily sojourned with them, Moses’ first wife was a Midianite, and his second wife was a Cushite. Still, Jericho is the first time a named foreigner joins with the nation of Israel in the land of Israel and worships Israel’s God permanently. Scripture is clear that God’s plan from the beginning was far greater than Israel. The Abrahamic Covenant promises blessing to all nations through Israel. Though this was ultimately fulfilled in Christ, it was certainly to occur to some extent with Israel itself. The Law often refers to foreigners sojourning with Israelites, commanding that Israelites care for them in the same way He commanded them to care for widows and orphans. Their very inclusion in the Law assumes that there would be foreigners who would believe in God living amongst Israelites. God began to fulfill that at Jericho with Rahab.
Just like the remnant, Rahab was chosen by God to believe. As with many of the saints we meet in Scripture, Rahab is an unlikely choice. This pagan prostitute was about as far from being a righteous Israelite as possible, likely without any knowledge of the true God outside of vague rumors. Yet while the entire city was cowering in fear, the Holy Spirit opened Rahab’s eyes to view Israel’s God not as a coming terror but as the one true God to be believed and worshipped. Her background makes her statement all the more remarkable. She understood that God will give Israel the land, rightly attributed Israel’s defeat of Sihon and Og to God, and accurately proclaimed that God is the only God. She then decided to abandon her former religion and culture to join herself to God and the Israelites, making the spies swear that they would spare both her and her family. Like the first Passover four decades earlier, the salvation of Rahab’s family depended on remaining in a house marked with red (this time a red cord from the window rather than a lamb’s blood on the doorposts).
Rahab had to trust that the spies would be true to their word, and her family had to trust that her crazy plan to save them would actually work. It did, as the spies brought them out alive. Since they were foreigners, so they were put “outside the camp”. The writer of Joshua then states that Rahab “has lived in Israel to this day” (Joshua 6:25). Since this verse does not mention the rest of her family, it is possible that they either left the Israelites later or dwelt among them while still holding onto their religion and culture. But Rahab fully embraced Israel and the God of Israel, seemingly living faithfully before fading into history prior to resurfacing in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. The lesson of Rahab is the same as the lesson of Ruth, Ittai the Gittite, and countless other foreigners who attached themselves to Israel’s God: God’s heart has always been for the nations and Israel was to be a means towards that end. God gave Israel the Promised Land so that their light could shine before the nations and cause them to glorify Him. Israel failed at this, but Rahab and others like her stand as a testament that God will advance His purposes independent of human efforts, particularly as seen through her ultimate descendant, Jesus Christ.
Greater Faith
Israel failed at Ai due to a lack of faith that God would be true to His word in contrast to Rahab’s faith in God. Then, in contrast to Achan’s lack of faith, Caleb showed incredible faith as the conquest continued. When Joshua asked him what land he would choose for his inheritance, this was his answer:
“And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.”
-Joshua 14:10-12, ESV
The hill country to which Caleb referred was the well-fortified city of Hebron in which the Anakim (giants) lived, so by choosing Hebron Caleb was choosing the toughest land to conquer. He was depending on God’s blessing when he could have chosen the comfort of land already conquered. Thus in stark contrast to Achan who did not trust in God to do as He had promised, Caleb trusted his entire life and heritage to the promises of God. He trusted that after living a life of faithfulness to God, when he went to battle against his mighty foe God would give him victory as He had promised. Therefore, we should strive to imitate the faith of Caleb and not the disbelief of Achan. Still, Caleb’s faith was ultimately the exception rather than the rule. By the time of Joshua’s, death, much land remained to be conquered. Joshua failed to give the Israelites true rest, as did the judges, Samuel, Saul, David, and all of their subsequent kings.
Ultimate rest only comes through Christ, who as the greater Caleb lived a life of perfect faithfulness to God before going to battle against the enemies of Satan, sin, and death at the cross, trusting that God the Father would accept His work of atonement and give Him victory. Just as God gave Caleb victory over the giants of Hebron, so Christ accomplished the greatest victory and sat down at the right hand of God the Father. Therefore, in Christ victory is certain, whereas apart from Christ victory is impossible. Like the Israelites, we can and will face setbacks, but the victory of God is inevitable since God has promised it. He has also promised to give us everything we need (Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 12:22-31 cf. Psalm 84:11), so if He hasn’t given something to us, that must mean that we don’t need it. Thus, we must not hold too tightly to what we perceive as ours, instead trusting that the God who created us will be faithful to sustain us in this life and carry us into the life to come. As I stated in a previous post, everything we have was given to us by God anyway. That is what distinguished the commendable faith of Caleb and Rahab with the condemned lack of faith of Achan. Therefore Achan perished while Caleb and Rahab stand in the Hall of Faith among the great cloud of witnesses. Let their faith encourage us to similarly give our first and best to God in faith that He will provide all we need in this life and infinitely more in the next.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies….And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
-Hebrews 11:30-31,39-12:2, ESV
