Why did God order Achnan's family killed?

[EmmieAZ]

Hi all. Sorry if this has already been discussed. My DH who has been saved but has never taken steps to grow his faith. Praise God, he has decided to read the Bible! For some reason he decided to start in the book of Joshua and last night he asked me about Joshua 7 where God orders him to kill Achnan and his entire family - stoned to death and then burned. He aked me why that didn't sound like "his God," referring to the New Testament. I didn't know how to answer because I ponder this myself sometimes.

Why did God have so many people killed in the OT (children included) and why doesn't he do that now?

Thanks:)

[Timothy]

Hi all. Sorry if this has already been discussed. My DH who has been saved but has never taken steps to grow his faith. Praise God, he has decided to read the Bible! For some reason he decided to start in the book of Joshua and last night he asked me about Joshua 7 where God orders him to kill Achnan and his entire family - stoned to death and then burned. He aked me why that didn't sound like "his God," referring to the New Testament. I didn't know how to answer because I ponder this myself sometimes.

Why did God have so many people killed in the OT (children included) and why doesn't he do that now?

Thanks:)

I'll give you a simple answer: because they were under a different dispensation (administration). They were under the law while we are under grace. It is also important to recognize the "wrath to come."

[antitox]

Achan's actions put everyone in danger. Also, this was the OT where sins had to be addressed with sacrifices for each type, so in cases of outright violation, they were dealt with very little tolerance. This was necessary because it is how God would swiftly deal with it in His kingdom. Actually, this is the reason God instiututed Levitical law with Israel, so that it could be followed completely, thereby treating it in a similar manner that He would in His heavenly kingdom.

That shows us that He will not compromise any standard of His nature.

(Ps 5:4) "For thou art not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not sojourn with thee."

[EmmieAZ]

Thanks for the replies - that helps in understanding why the sin was punished, but why was his whole family ordered to be stoned with him?

[Rondaben]

I'm not sure that the reading in v 25 indicates that the children were stoned. Lets look a little closer at that...

And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

The reason for the punishment was because Achan had taken idolotrous loot from the sacking of Jericho, contrary to God's commandment in Joshua 6:18

And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

The prescribed punishment was in Joshua 7:15

And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

Now lets look at v25 closer. Achan was the one that took the cursed loot and hid it. Now

And all Israel stoned him with stones--this is the stoning of Achan

and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. -- This is the stoning of his wealth (oxen, asses and sheep) and their burning (the carcasses, tent, physical wealth, etc.) I don't think that this refers to Achan's children being stoned and burned as well--that would not be consistent with v. 15 that "he and all that he hath" would be killed/burned. Had the children been also punished as Achan the text would have said "they that are taken with the accursed thing" in v15. I think that the children were brought to witness the punishment as a community with the rest of Israel.

Verses like this can be tricky to read :)

[EmmieAZ]

Hi. I guess it depends on which version you are reading because some say his sons and daughters.

[Rondaben]

may I ask what version you are using?

[EmmieAZ]

Both the NIV and NLV.

[ANewCreature]

Remember, too, that even with one person's sin does cause others to suffer, God may allow their bodies to die because that is the only way their souls can be saved.

For instance, let's take another example that's more clear of innocentrs losing their lives - David's taking of the census against God's will. God punished David by taking away some of what he pridefully counted. (Whether plain false pride or pride in counting an army during peacetime doesn't matter for this example - it was still false pride.) Ezekiel 18:20 points out that one person will not *bear* the sin of another - the son will not bear the sin of the father, nor the father of the son. That doesn't mean that the children wouldn't see physical death because of the father's sin - bearing one's sin is spiritual death. So, in this case, those who suffered because of David's sin did not bear his sin when it came to Heaven or Hell - but only when it came to their earthly lives.

Of course, we love to hold onto those eathly lives, dont' we? Which is why that's a concern to people.

Now, when it came to God's punishment of David (and Achan, if indeed his children were stoned) then it brings up two pionts. God could either have let the sin go unpunished and not judged it, causing many innocents to feel they, too, could defy God, or He could have judged it as He did, and caused those who were caught up in it to realize the seriousness, and seek God's forgiveness.

So, they the residents of Israel when David took his census - and anyone in Achan's family who died - suffered physical death, but they did not bear the person's sins. They were judged based on their own sins, by our Lord who, thankfully, has promised, "I change not."

As for why this doesn't happen today - it does, when you look at it from that viewpoint. A person decides to commit some terrible sin, it affects many people, and in some cases, that person's sin leads to innocents dying - but it is their own sin that they are forced to bear, not the person who caused their deaths.

[BrideOfChrist]

Many, many children died in the flood too.

See also Daniel 6:24 - When King Darius discovered that God had saved Daniel in the lion's den..."And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the master of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den".

Also, in the book of Acts, remember the story of Ananias and Sapphira who God immediately struck dead after they lied about how much they had received for the property they had sold. This was after Jesus had died.

It all seems so harsh to us. But I acknowledge that I have a very limited scope of understanding God's ways. His ways aren't our ways. I'm just glad He's dealt so mercifully with me.