Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 2.djvu/46

42 out, (v. 24.) only to be the spectators of their father's punishment, but most conclude that they died with him, and that they must be meant, v. 25. where it is said, they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. God had expressly provided that magistrates should not put the children to death for the father's sins; but he did not intend to bind himself by that law, and in this case he had expressly ordered, v. 15. that the criminal and all that he had, should be burnt. Perhaps his sons and daughters were aiders and abettors in the villany, had helped to carry off the accursed things. It is very probable that they assisted in the concealment, and that he could not hide them in the midst of his tent, but they must know and keep his counsel, and so they became accessaries ex post facto—after the fact; and if they were ever so little partakers in the crime, it was so heinous, that they were justly sharers in the punishment. However, God was hereby glorified, and the judgment executed was thus made the more tremendous.

4. The punishment itself that was inflicted on him; he was stoned, some think, as a sabbath-breaker, supposing that the sacrilege was committed on the sabbath-day; and then his dead body was burnt as an accursed thing, of which there should be no remainder left. The concurrence of all the people in this execution, teaches us how much it is the interest of a nation, that all in it should contribute what they can, in their places, to the suppression of vice and profaneness, and the reformation of manners; sin is a reproach to any people, and therefore every Israelite indeed will have a stone to throw at it.

5. The pacifying of God's wrath hereby, v. 26, The Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. The putting away of sin by true repentance and reformation, as it is the only way, so it is a sure and most effectual way, to recover the divine favour. Take away the cause, and the effect will cease.

VII. The record of his conviction and execution; care was taken to preserve the remembrance of it, for warning and instruction to posterity: 1. A heap of stones was raised on the place where Achan was executed, every one perhaps of the congregation throwing a stone at the heap, in token of his detestation of the crime. 2. A new name was given to the place; it was called, the Valley of Achor, or Trouble. This was a perpetual brand of infamy upon Achan's name, and a perpetual warning to all people not to invade God's property. By this severity against Achan, the honour of Joshua's government, now in the infancy of it, was maintained, and Israel, at their entrance upon the promised Canaan, were minded to observe, at their peril, the provisos and limitations of the grant by which they held it. The Valley of Achor is said to be given for a door of hope, because when we put away the accursed thing, then there begins to be hope in Israel, Hos. 2. 15. Ezra 10. 2..

CHAP. VIII. The embarrassment which Achan's sin gave to the affairs of Israel being over, we have them here in a very good posture again, the affairs both of war and religion. Here is, I. The glorious progress of their arms in the taking of Ai, before which they had lately suffered disgrace. 1. God encourages Joshua to attack it, with the assurance of success, and directs him what method to take, v. 1, 2. 2. Joshua gives orders accordingly to the men of war, v. 3..8. 3. The stratagem is managed as it was projected, and succeeds as it was desired, v. 9..22. 4. Joshua becomes master of this city, puts all to the sword, burns it, hangs the king, but gives the plunder to the soldiers, v. 23..29. II. The great solemnity of writing and reading the law before a general assembly of all Israel, drawn up for that purpose upon the two mountains of Gerizim and Ebal, according to an order which Moses had received from the Lord, and delivered to them, v. 30..35. Thus did they take their work before them, and make the business of their religion to keep pace with their secular business.

ND the said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land. 2. And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

Israel were very happy in having such a commander as Joshua, but Joshua was more happy in having such a director as God himself; when any difficulty occurred, he need not to call a council of war, who had God so nigh unto him, not only to answer, but even to prevent his inquiries. It should seem, Joshua was now at a stand, had scarcely recovered from the discomposure he was put into by the trouble Achan gave them, and could not think, without fear and trembling, of pushing forward, lest there should be in the camp another Achan; then God spake to him, either by vision, as before, ch. 5. as a man of war with his sword drawn, or by the breastplate of judgment. Note, When we have faithfully put away sin, that accursed thing, which separates between us and God, then, and not till then, we way expect to hear from God to our comfort; and God's directing us how to go on in our christian work and warfare, is a good evidence of his being reconciled to us. Observe here,

I. The encouragement God gives to Joshua to proceed; Fear not, neither be thou dismayed, v. 1. This intimates that the sin of Achan, and the consequence of it, had been a very great discouragement to Joshua, and made his heart almost ready to fail. Corruptions within the church weaken the hands, and damp the spirits of her guides and helpers, more than oppositions from without; treacherous Israelites are to be dreaded more than malicious Canaanites. But God bids Joshua not to be dismayed; the same power that keeps Israel from being ruined by their enemies, shall keep them from ruining themselves. To animate him, 1. He assures him of success against Ai, tells him it is all his own; but he must take it as God's gift, I have given it into thy hands, which secured him both title and possession, and obliged him to give God the glory of both, Ps. 44. 3. 2. He allows the people to take the spoil to themselves. Here the spoil was not consecrated to God as that of Jericho, and therefore there was no danger of the people's committing such a trespass as they had committed there. Observe, How Achan, who catched at forbidden spoil, lost that, and life, and all; but the rest of the people, who had conscientiously refrained from the accursed thing, were quickly recompensed for their obedience with the spoil of Ai; the way to have the comfort of what God allows us, is, to forbear what he forbids us. No man shall lose by his self-denial; let God have his dues first, and then all will be clean to us and sure, 1 Kings 17. 13. God did not bring them to these goodly cities, and houses filled with all good things, to tantalize them with the sight of that which they might not touch; but, having received the first-fruits from Jericho, the spoil of Ai, and of all the cities which from henceforward came info their hands, they might take for a prey to themselves.