Today's Scripture Reading (February 11, 2022): Joshua 7
Isaac Asimov, in his classic novel, "Foundation," argues that "Violence
is the last refuge of the incompetent." I have to agree. In any of its
forms, violence is often a lazy reaction to a problem. Solomon argued that
"Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered
displays folly" (Proverbs 14:29). I strongly believe that if we could just
make an effort to understand, maybe we would find a different solution to the
situation. But committing an act of violence is often a quick and easy solution. Whether for the incompetent or the lazy,
violence often seems to be the desired path. At the same time, Solomon's
exhortation to patience is seen as too hard, and the gratification from that
journey is not immediate enough for our needs.
I have to admit that I am bothered by the violence of the Bible. Much of it, at least by
contemporary standards, seems unwarranted and the reaction and refuge of the lazy or
the incompetent.
And so, I struggle. Maybe I should take a page from my maternal grandfather's book who just ignored those passages, but I find that hard to
do and believe somehow that these passages might be important.
And this is very much true about the story of Achan.
There is no doubt that Achan had sinned and that his sin had cost Israel a
military win and, more
importantly, the lives of soldiers at the small town of Ai. And I also realized that a clear message had to be sent. If Israel was
going to survive the taking of Canaan, they had to be all on the same page, and
that page had to be God's.
Achan's sin was that he had taken some of the "devoted things." The sin centered around God's command that these "devoted things" must be destroyed. But Achan saw value in these
things and
believed that he could increase his personal wealth if he could just get some
of them. No one would even know he
had these things because they would be presumed to have been destroyed. So
Achan took what didn't
belong to him or anyone else, but only to God. It was a grave mistake. And as a
result, God assigned the blame not just to Achan but also to all of Israel (Joshua 7:1).
If you are reading the story for the first time,
maybe you have a glimmer of hope in Joshua's level-headed reaction to the crime. "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'" (Joshua 7:19). But hope is dashed in the closing moments of
the tale. Achan is executed for his crime, and he is destroyed along with the "devoted
things" that he had stolen. A message had been sent.
Yet,
there is also a message of grace in the story that we can only see if we are
willing to look for it. Achan's family is brought forward at the time of Achan's
trial. It is evident that they knew all about Achan's sin, and often that meant
that they would share in Achan's punishment. But biblical scholars are almost
universal in their belief that that did not happen here. The "they"
and "them" referenced in this passage do not refer to Achan's family
but rather to the "devoted things." Achan's family witnessed the
events, but they did not share in Achan's fate. Achan alone suffered for his
crime, but all of Israel needed to repent for the crime. And the next time
Israel went up against Ai would tell a completely different story.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Joshua 8
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