Joshua 7:16-26
Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was chosen. The clans of Judah came forward, and the Zerahites were chosen. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was chosen. Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was chosen.
Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD.
Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold bar, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today.”
Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
As God has revealed himself to us in His Word, let's see what we know about Him.
God grieves.
First, back in Genesis 6, we see that God is grieved that he made man because already the rebellion against him had progressed to the point where every inclination of the heart of man was wicked all the time. A flood then came, and only Noah and his family were saved. God grieves over the rebellious choices of those He has created.
Ezekiel 33:11 says, "Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?"
God grieves over the rebellious choices of humans. He takes no pleasure in seeing them die.
God is patient.
Later in Genesis, we read that God sent Abram into Canaan. He was promised this land. But, the land was still full of Canaanites.
God promised Abraham, "In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” (Genesis 15:16).
God is patient with His creation. Even though the destructiveness of the sin means that more people will kill each other through murder and child sacrifice and more disease will spread through the nations through rampant immorality, and the demonic influence will grow, God still patiently waits for people to turn to Him.
2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God is a good Father.
As God set up the nation of Israel by giving them His commands (Exodus 20), He was very clear. He never tried to trap or trick them. He is not a "gotcha" God. He is a good and clear Father. He was clear that choices to rebel have consequences. No one ever HAS TO rebel.
Deuteronomy 4:23-31 - Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God and arousing his anger, I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed. The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.
Human rebellion has real consequences - destruction and death.
Notice in the passage above that God clearly lays out the destructive consequences of sin. He also reveals his mercy in the midst of human rebellion.
God preserves life.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Even though the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), throughout history, God, in his patience and goodness, stems the tide of complete human annihilation by their own doing.
He still works with humanity and preserves life.
God sacrifices for our rebellion.
Hebrews 10:10 - And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Jesus is sent as the once-for-all sacrifice for the sins of all people. The Father sacrificed His perfect Son for our sins. The wages of sin is always death (even in the New Testament). But, do you see the heart of your Father? He has sacrificed His Son's life for our redemption, our salvation, our life.
Regarding our sin, God grieves. He patiently waits. He is clear about His boundaries. He preserves life. And He even sacrifices His own life, taking our punishment on Himself.