The Consequences of Covetousness - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2026

Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it."
Joshua 7:20-21

The Consequences of Covetousness
Jericho was the first city to resist the Israelites when they crossed the Jordan to conquer the land of Canaan. God gave Joshua explicit directions how this city was to be conquered. God also ordered that no one was to take any of the spoil for himself; all was to go into the treasury of the Lord. Anyone taking any of the spoil for himself would be accursed and would bring the camp of Israel under a curse. Throughout all of God's Word, God claims the firstfruits—not the leftovers—for Himself. This is an important principle for us to remember too.

When Israel sent soldiers against the next city in their way, the small city of Ai, they were soundly defeated, losing 36 soldiers in the battle. This caused Joshua to cry to the Lord. The Lord told him to get up; Israel had sinned and had taken of the accursed things, and he must now act. Israel would not be able to stand against their enemies unless the one who had taken the accursed thing were found out and destroyed, along with all he had.

The lot was cast, tribe by tribe, family by family, man by man; Achan was taken. He then confessed what he had done, the result of coveteousness. He and his family—he could hardly have hidden all he had taken under his tent without his family knowing it!—were stoned to death, and all that he had burned with fire.

Coveteousness is idolatry . God also holds assemblies of His people today responsible for sin they accept among them.

Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.