what's up with killing the whole family?

Dear Friend,

In reference to your statement in question 6 about "what's up with killing the whole family?" Most of us probably have wondered about the justification of this severity of action against the family of Achan. I do not know all the answers but I will try to give some.

First of all we do not know all the circumstances involved but think of the following possibilities:

1. Consider the Authority of God. We can not fault God, who gives life on this earth, when He is pleased to take it from this earth. If our life is taken from this earth then the body is dead but the soul is alive someplace else. So what is the big deal to the person whether his soul resides on earth in a body or someplace else that may be better if it is God that makes the decision? Just as we may set out a tree that is very small and years later decide that we need it for firewood and cut it down for that purpose. The tree is ours to do with as we see fit. Certainly the Lord is much more superior to us than we are to trees and He has the right to make the decisions about continuing an earthly life or ending it. It was His decision to call for this action against Achan and his family.

2. Consider the possibilities of guilt within the family of Achan. He took the forbidden goods in disobedience to the command of The God who had taken the nation out of hard slavery in Egypt. Achan took several thousand dollars worth of Silver and Gold and also took a fine looking Babylonish garment. Consider the garment. It was Babylonish. Babylon was close to 500 miles away ( in present day Iraq ) so the garment must have been a very special import or one acquired by someone who had traveled to Babylon or had been brought to Jericho by someone from there.. It was no doubt very unique. It got Achan's attention anyway. I can imagine someone writing a novel about this garment. Would you not suppose that Achan would have been bursting with pride to show this prize in money and the garment to his family? Was the garment for a man or woman? We do not know. It could have been a gift for his wife. Is it not possible that even if Achan had tried to keep it secret that it would have been hard to hide in the family tent without his family learning of it at some point in time. So the whole family may have been in on the deception to God.

3. Consider the national consequences that came due to the sin of one man. The battle had been lost and thirty Six men had died. Joshua was demoralized, the Nation also. The bible said that their hearts melted and became like water. These men slain at Ai had not disobeyed God's order as had Achan, yet they died. Was Achan to go scot free? I don't think so! This kind of thing was not to be repeated.

4. Consider the opportunity for confession. The Lord had said what would happen to the man who had taken the accursed thing but we know from various accounts in the Bible that repentance and confession will often hold back the judgement of God and will reveal His Mercy and Grace. But neither Achan nor his family breathed a word of confession or repentance until after a long process of questioning several other people. The time finally came for Achan to be examined and his guilt could not be hidden. We can not be sure but an immediate confession might have averted judgement against Achan. However the Lord knew the heart of Achan and his family and we do not. They may have all despised God and His rules and were too proud to confess. God is just.

5. Consider the possibilities of disunity if the family had survived. Would it not have been likely that the wife and children would have been angry and resentful at seeing their husband and father killed? They would possibly do all they could to stir up strife and cause the nation to become a divided and weak fighting force. Only God knew the hearts and attitudes of the children of Achan and what they might have done in the future. They all might have become spies against Israel for the enemies of Israel because of resentment. You can be sure the Lord did what was right.

6. Consider what was at stake. Israel was going to be fighting nations that were greater and mightier than they. Discipline and careful obedience was vital for the victory of Israel. Think of repelling down the side of a building as high as the Twin towers that were in New York city. Would you trust a rope that had to be tied together at some point near the top of the building because it had broken once already with someone even lighter than you? No you would want a rope you could trust. A rope that had been tested. Just so, God wanted a nation He could trust to do the job he had in mind for them. One first test for them was the command to not take for their possession anything they found in Jericho. One of the ropes failed and had to be destroyed and this was used to get their attention and prevent anyone else from being stupid. In wartime there is a need to be severe. The Lord knew what He was doing.

Now Friend, You may wonder why I have said all of this. It is to try to help you see that God is not a cruel tyrant but is a loving and merciful God who does what He knows is best in the whole scheme of things which we can not comprehend. If we do not read the Bible with this assurance then we will learn to pick and choose which scripture we want to obey. You entertained the idea that maybe God had done wrong in the Achan affair and I could not let this go. This is the way that Satan messed around with Eve. He led her into questioning God's Word and motives.