Profiles in Leadership: Achan – The Ripple Effect of Sin

But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things (the spoils of war), for Achan the son of Carmi … took the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel. Joshua 7:1 Things had been going so well for Joshua and the children of Israel as they won victory after victory in their crusade to possess the Promised Land. But after and incredible victory over Jericho, an Israelite foot soldier named Achan chose to disobey some clear directives regarding treasures captured in war. Joshua had told his men that all the spoils taken from Jericho were to be considered “devoted things”, belonging in God’s treasury. Achan defied Joshua’s orders, taking some valuables and hiding them under his family’s tent. Joshua, unaware of Achan’s sin, sent a small contingent of soldiers against Ai – and the confident Israelites suffered a major rout. Joshua immediately recognized that something must be very wrong. He sought God’s face for answers and eventually identified Achan as the culprit. In an act of severe judgment, the guilty man, his entire family, their livestock and possessions were all destroyed. By this fearsome act, Joshua determined to follow God and to remove those who would stand in the way of God’s work. The story of Achan illustrates the principle that leaders may become vulnerable following a major success. Although it can be very difficult, leaders must take the appropriate steps to remove those who block God’s blessing and work. When a team member like Achan compromises a core value, the ripple effect of his or her action can hurt many others. Godly leaders must stop the ripple before it becomes a flood. Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com