And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.  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. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day. (Joshua 7:24-26 KJV)

Romans 15:4 tells us, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” I believe the seventh chapter of Joshua was recorded to reach into the heart of every man and grab his attention. The distance between Israel’s momentous victory and utter defeat was one seemingly small decision. Because of Achan’s decision to bring the accursed things into camp, all of Israel became polluted with sin, 36 soldiers died at Ai, and the most painful of all, his entire family had to pay the price for his sin. I believe God desires for every man to see the magnitude his decisions hold in the world he lives in. Because of his creative order, and specific responsibilities given, the implications of a man’s decision is far more costly. We see this biblical truth in the life of Achan, as well as the opening pages of scripture: Although, it was Eve who first disobeyed God in the garden, the responsibility ultimately fell to Adam. Hence, Paul reminds us, “By one man’s sin many were made sinners.”

Like Adam, every man has been placed in his own “garden,” where he is responsible to edify, nourish, and protect. Every decision flows into that world, whether good or bad. The core issue to our society is not solely the work of Satan, rather it’s the failure of men to properly align themselves under the reign of God to fulfill their divine responsibilities. It’s no coincidence Achan’s place of Judgement was in the Valley of Achor, -Achor meaning disturbance or trouble. That’s what we bring into our homes, our marriages, and our churches when bringing sin into camp. We foolishly sow tares into the very place we are called to nourish and protect. As the watchman of our homes, we hinder the spiritual authority needed to ward off the hounds of hell that wish to destroy our families. As James reminds us, we must first submit to God before we can resist the devil! In essence, sin prevents us from becoming the men God has called us to be. As Achan discovered, when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin, and sin when finished bringeth forth death.

I’ve personally witnessed the destruction and desolation of sin. The broken hearts and bonds of trust, all shattered by selfish decisions. If we’re honest, we don’t have to look far to see monuments that stand as a witness to what sin has the power to accomplish. We are not to undermine the grace and mercy of our Lord: Yes, his blood has the power to cover the abounding of sin. However, man is not to presume on the sure mercies of God with his foolish decisions. Paul tells the Galatian’s, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” We cannot sow to our flesh and expect anything other than corruption. That’s the power in the decision of a man. We’re fools to think we can hide sin for our own pleasure. The truth of God’s word stands against us, “A little leaven leaventh the whole lump.” 

So, why do we have the Achan’s in life? What makes Apostolic Men chase the follies of this life to the detriment of his family’s spiritual well-being? Why do men trade the treasures of Heaven, for the trinkets of this world? To think, Achan was standing in the land flowing with milk and honey, yet all he could see was worldly treasures. If we could follow the trail of every man who’s fallen into sin, or perhaps had their own Valley of Achor, I believe we would trace it back to broken altars in his life. Somewhere along the journey, he decided to walk away from his source of strength, and that seemingly small decision was like throwing a pebble into still waters: Every conduit of his life felt that one decision. Our homes, our marriages, our children, our churches, all feel the effects of our prayerlessness. It’s the decision of a man to forsake the altars in his life that leads him to covet the things of this world. E.M. Bounds said, “Life will never be finer than the quality of the closet.” How true that is! There’s a direct parallel to a man’s spiritual life and his prayer closet: Poverty in prayer leads to poverty of soul, thus it drives a man to fill that void with the carnal pleasures of life. The greatest blessing we can give our world is to keep fire on our altars. That’s where the roots of sin and idols are eradicated. It’s the furnace of the soul that burns the dross of our hearts. It’s the place our will is rectified unto God, and the eternal comes to the forefront of our lives. It’s where God can make us into the men we were created to be. Leonard Ravenhill said, “No man is greater than his prayer life.”

One of the greatest blessings in the life of a man, is to wake up every day feeling the responsibilities God has given him. Knowing the power my decisions hold in the life of my wife and children, keeps me connected to my only source of strength found in Jesus Christ. The cost is too great, eternity is too long, and Heaven is far too precious than to make the wrong choices in life. May God help us to always see through the lens of eternity, knowing we have a world depending on us to lead them to Heaven. As Paul stated, “By one man’s sin, many were made sinners; he finishes by declaring, “So by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous.” That’s the power in the decision of a man!”

God Bless, JDS