Achan's Greed

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. The booming of forty thousand pairs of feet marching forward was punctuated by sharp spears hammering into the gravel. Everything thrown to the rhythm of war drums. 00:00:15 Speaker 2: Tribe of Judah forward. 00:00:19 Speaker 1: They marched until they neared an archer's bow range from the city, and then halted and turned to face north. 00:00:26 Speaker 2: Princes of Yahweh fowed. 00:00:30 Speaker 1: The unit of priests moved together, the seven priests at the front carrying shofars. The Ark of the Covenant and its priestly guardians crossed the plains of Jericho before the great army tribes of Israel fowed. All of Israel's enemies needed to know who their real adversary was. It wasn't Joshua, nor was it the armies under his command. It was the Lord who challenged them. 00:00:59 Speaker 3: It was the law who marched. 00:01:01 Speaker 1: It was the Lord who would carry out his plans for his chosen people. 00:01:06 Speaker 4: Today you will again see the wonders of the Lord. Mighty walls of Jericho will fall before you again. I tell you keep yourself from the things set apart with you will be set apart for destruction. If you take any of those things you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction, and make trouble for it. 00:01:29 Speaker 5: All the silver and. 00:01:30 Speaker 4: Gold, and the articles of bronze and silver are dedicated to the Lord, must go into the Lord's treasury. 00:01:38 Speaker 1: Their cries drowned in the sound and chaos of the falling stones, bricks, and mud. The inner wall deteriorated. First the day breed tumbled down the corridor between the two city walls and into the sloped rampart, and then collided spectacularly with the outer wall. The force of the rubble hitting the base brought only already crumbling top heavy walls with an enormous crash. Then all went silent. 00:02:12 Speaker 6: Click the link of the description to grow closer to God. There you'll find daily prayers, Bible plans, sleep stories, and so much more, all on the prey dot com app. Click the link of the description to get started. 00:02:26 Speaker 1: The air hung thick with the scent of crumbling stone and burnt cedar, a city unmade by the breath of God himself. Dust swirled in golden shafts of afternoon light, curling and drifting like ash from a funeral byer. The walls of Jericho lay in ruin, their shattered bones scattered across the earth. Israel moved among them like kings surveying a conquered realm. They were victorious. More than victorious, they were unstoppable. The soldiers laughed as they walked the streets where Canaanite guards once stood watch. Their shields clanged together like symbols of celebration. Young men lifted their voices in wild cheers. Fathers embraced sons, brothers clasped allers arms with the fierce joy of men who had tasted death but found life instead. Victories swelled in their chests like a song that could not be silenced. Joshua stood among them, his face a canvas of raw emotion, pride, relief, and awe all tangled together. Dust clung to the lines of his face, but his eyes shone with a light that was not his own. He raised his hands, calling for quiet, and the men stilled. 00:03:56 Speaker 2: What did I tell you? 00:03:58 Speaker 4: The Lord has given us this victory, not I, not you, not any man among us. It is the Lord's hand that brought Jericho down. He told you to be strong, he told you to be courageous. 00:04:14 Speaker 2: Look now at what is possible when you trust in him. 00:04:18 Speaker 7: Look at these walls, cast down like chaff before the wind. 00:04:23 Speaker 1: The men shouted their agreement, their voices rising like a war chant. 00:04:28 Speaker 2: The Lord is our strength, the Lord is our shell. 00:04:32 Speaker 1: They beat their chests and raised their fists to the sky. Joshua's gaze swept over the wreckage, his heart full and steady for the first time in weeks, for all his doubts since the death of Moses, here at last was proof, proof that God's favor had not departed with his master. He had walked in the shadow of Moses for so long, wondering if he could fill such a place. But here was the answer. The same power that parted the sea had brought down these walls, and Joshua had been chosen to lead them, not for his strength but his obedience. He breathed deep, filling his lungs with the air of victory. 00:05:21 Speaker 4: Take nothing for yourselves, but what is set aside for the Lord. The idols of this city are filled shines. The false gods burned them all. Let no man be tempted by their craft or their beauty. Do not let greed undo what the Lord has done. 00:05:38 Speaker 1: The soldiers obeyed. They overturned graven images of Bah and Asherah. They hurled them into the flames. Black smoke coiled into the sky, blotting out the sun. The sweet stink of burning wood and melting gold filled the air. Silver plates were shattered, Copper and bronze effigies crumbled into molten ruin. They kept only what was pure, unmarked gold, raw silver, precious stones, offerings for the treasury of the Lord. The rest was cast into the fire. Joshua watched it all in silence, his eyes shadowed but sharp. The burden of command was heavy on his shoulders, but it sat easier now, thank you not. Joshua turned, walking toward the heart of the city, where the Temple of Jericho still loomed. Its roof had caved in, and its facade was cracked, but it stood proudly among the rubble. Its pillars were gilded with gold, and twin bronze statues guarded its entrance. Eyes blank and unseen. Even now in defeat, it had the air of defiance. Joshua frowned. Another soldier was standing near the temple's threshold. Joshua called to him, acon, come here, aChn A broad shouldered man with quick, restless eyes stood at attention, his sword hung at his side, blood still drying on the leather of his gloves. 00:07:15 Speaker 3: I'm here at your will, General. 00:07:17 Speaker 1: Joshua gestured toward the temple. 00:07:19 Speaker 7: Done with me, I don't like the look of this place. 00:07:23 Speaker 1: They entered together, their shadows long in the flickering torchlight. The air inside was thick with old rot and the sour tang of spoiled wine. Broken vessels lay scattered across the floor. The remains of sacrifices, blackened bones and decaying fruit, lay in piles near the altar. The clawing smell of incense lingered, still stubborn as sin. Joshua grimaced and handed aChn a torch. 00:07:52 Speaker 7: Sore, places tainted. There's nothing here, we need, no treasure worth touching. Burn it all, don't linger, but aChn lingered. 00:08:02 Speaker 1: He stood before the altar, his breath shallow, his eyes locked on the treasures laid out before him. A cloak of deep red embroidered with gold thread, folded neatly as if waiting for him. Beside it, a pile of shining coins, not copper or bronze, but gold, bright as the sun. A bar of silver lay half buried beneath them, thick and heavy. His heart began to thud in his chest, loud as a war drum. 00:08:37 Speaker 3: No one would know. 00:08:39 Speaker 1: The thought slithered through his mind like a snake through grass. His breath quickened and his hands twitched at his sides. He could feel it, the weight of it in his hands, the smooth, cool breast of the silver, the rough weave of the cloak on his skin. 00:09:00 Speaker 3: You fop for this, you deserve it, You wrist your life for it. 00:09:06 Speaker 1: He stepped forward, slowly, like a man wading into a pool, knowing it would be cold, but helpless to stop. His fingers hovered over the cloak. He glanced over his shoulder. Joshua's voice echoed from the temple doors. Acon, are you coming, Acon jerked back, his breath, hitching. 00:09:29 Speaker 3: Yeah, Yes, dinner right behind you. 00:09:32 Speaker 1: His voice cracked. He coughed, cleared his throat, and forced a smile. 00:09:38 Speaker 3: Ah, just gathering oil for the fire. 00:09:42 Speaker 7: Good, burn it all, every last piece will not carry Jericho's filth with us. 00:09:49 Speaker 3: As you say, sir, as the Lord commands. 00:09:52 Speaker 1: But his eyes had already returned to the altar. Aiken exited the temple Joshua had departed back to Caleb. He glanced back at the temple. The flames behind him rose high, casting long, twisting shadows on the ground like writhing serpents. Achon stood alone, a torch in one hand, a satchel slung over his back. The fire danced in his eyes, his face split with a grin that showed too many teeth. He glanced left, glanced right. No one came, no one watched. He slipped his hand into the satchel. The gold was cool in his hand. He squeezed it, let it roll over his knuckles. The silver bar pressed against his back like a brand, hot as shame, but he ignored it. His breath hissed out in a low chuckle. No one, No, No. The flames consumed Jericho's temple, but could not burn away the sin hidden in Achin's heart. The gold remained, the silver remained, the curse remained, and in the quiet of the night, while others slept, the weight of stolen treasure lay heavy on ACN's sole. The sun blared over the eastern horizon, its red light seeping through the mist that clung to the lowlands of the Jordan. Shadows stretched long and lean across the river bank, where Joshua sat alone, knife in hand, a gnarled branch slowly taking shape. Beneath the edge of his blade. Shavings of pale wood curled and fell to the earth. His gaze flicked to the river now and again he enjoyed the ceaseless hush of it. It was the sort of sound that could lull a man into forgetting time altogether, which perhaps was why he sat there so long. Joshua was anxious. He had sent a company of men into battle, but hadn't heard back. 00:12:04 Speaker 7: I should have returned by now. 00:12:06 Speaker 1: They had gone up to eye at dawn the day before. It was meant to be a simple campaign. I was a city of little renown, perched on its hill like a cockrel on a dung heap. Three thousand men had been sent to. 00:12:20 Speaker 8: Crack its gates. 00:12:21 Speaker 1: That should have been more than enough, better to spare the whole army from weariness, when a small company would suffice. Jericho had already fallen, and fallen with such thunder that all of Canaan now trembled behind their stone walls. But Jericho had been a miracle. Jericho had been the Lord's work Joshua's eyes rested on the river, but his mind drifted far from it. His chest rose and fell with a slow, measured breath as he tried to untangle his thoughts. Was it pride to believe success had become a certainty? He had watched the earth split the beneath Corah and his rebels, had heard the thunder of Sinai and lived to ten of it. Victories could be sudden, yes, but so too could calamity. One moment, honey on the tongue, the next, the taste of ashes. Joshua was still in the grip of such musings when the snap of the branch pulled him from his thoughts. He rose in an instant, his eyes sharp as the falcon's. A runner emerged from the brush, panting, face slicked with sweat, eyes wild with urgency. 00:13:32 Speaker 7: General the men, ever turned and what news you're taking the city? 00:13:38 Speaker 5: Well, I think you should hear their report yourself. 00:13:41 Speaker 1: Joshua dropped the branch he'd been carving. He drew a deep breath, preparing for the worst. The camp was alive, with the low murmurs of men too exhausted to speak, yet too ashamed to remain silent. The stink of blood and sweat lay heavy in the air. When the soldiers sat scattered like broken pottery, dirty, battered, pollow eyed. They drank deep from water skins, but did not meet Joshua's eyes as he approached, not a word, not a glance. The stink of defeat was more potent than the blood on them. His eyes swept over them and found Caleb and Salmon. Caleb's brow was split open, and blood had streaked down the side of his face in a thick, crusted line. Salmon leaned heavily on his spear, his face a mess of swelling bruises, his lower lips split and caked with dried blood. 00:14:38 Speaker 2: What happened? 00:14:39 Speaker 1: Kleb exhale through his nose, eyes fixed on the ground as he wiped the blood from his brow. 00:14:45 Speaker 8: Ah we who asked, ow we underestimated them. 00:14:50 Speaker 1: Salmon, his pride more bruised than his flesh, lifted his head and spoke. 00:14:55 Speaker 3: We reached the gates. They drove us back. Then they chased us down the ridge and caught us at the Stronge quarries. That's where the worst of it happened. 00:15:05 Speaker 8: How many dead thirty six it would have been more if it were for Salomon's quick thinking. I was too disoriented to take church. 00:15:18 Speaker 1: The number hung in the air, sharp as the clang of steel on steel. Thirty six men gone. Joshua winced at the amount. It was not an astronomical loss, but considering the miraculous victory of Jericho with no casualties, it was still unsettling. Joshua did not understand. Had not the conquest of Canaan been divinely orchestrated. Caleb seemed to agree, and, displaying a rare bout of frustration, continued. 00:15:49 Speaker 5: I don't understand. The numbers were in our favor. We should have overtaken them easily. And after what the Lord did for us at Jericho, what happened. Has he abandoned us? 00:16:05 Speaker 3: And we need the control of the ridge route. Without it, our way to the north is south of Canaan would be blocked. AI as not a city we can lose if we want to win the land. 00:16:15 Speaker 1: Joshua nodded. The young lieutenant was correct. I was meant to be the easy target after Jericho, but its loss could not be overstated. Just then, Rahab ran up to their group from the crowds of injured soldiers in a frenzy, she reached Salmon and embraced him with a thud. She frantically assessed his wounds and tore away part of her garment. She gently pressed it against his split lip. 00:16:42 Speaker 3: It looks worse than as he is, my love. 00:16:44 Speaker 1: How Salmon pressed his hand over Rayhave's on his cheek and smiled warmly at her. The two had married shortly after their victory at Jericho, apparently having taken Joshua's speech about chosen family to heart. The newly words murmured softly to each other. As Raehab continued to tend to Salomon's wounds, sensing the need to give them some privacy, Joshua steered Caleb away. Caleb grasped Joshua by the forearm and drew him close so only he could hear the fear in his eyes, intensifying. 00:17:19 Speaker 8: Joshua, If the people lose heart, we lose the war. You know this. 00:17:27 Speaker 7: We did everything that was asked of us. 00:17:29 Speaker 1: Joshua looked beyond Caleb's shoulder, and his stomach twisted tighter as he saw fear sweep through the camp. He heard it in their whispers, He saw it in their shaking heads. White hot fear gripped Joshua, and his pulse began to race. Had God changed his mind? What had gone so terribly wrong? The hours passed and night came heavy with silence. Within the shadowed confines of the tabernacle, Joshua lay face down before the ark of the Covenant, his clothes torn, his hair and beard coated with dust. The air smelled of incense and old smoke. The priests and his elders knelt outside, their silence as heavy as stone. Joshua's voice was hoarse as he cried out, his face pressed to the ground. 00:18:24 Speaker 4: O Lord God, why have you brought our people across the Jordan only to hand us to our enemies? 00:18:31 Speaker 1: His words echoed in the hollow space of the tabernacle. His breath was ragged, his heart roar. 00:18:37 Speaker 4: With the Canaanite's hear of this, they will wipe out our name from the earth, And then what will happen to your great name? 00:18:44 Speaker 1: Silence? For a long, terrible moment, there was nothing. Then the air shifted. The flames of the sacred lamps flickered wildly, though no wind stirred them. The voice came like thunder, beneath the earth. 00:19:02 Speaker 9: Stand up, Joshua, Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned. They have violated my covenant. They have stolen what was set apart. That is why you cannot stand against your enemies. 00:19:20 Speaker 1: Joshua's blood went cold, his mind raced a thief, a traitor. The Lord's voice grew hard as iron. 00:19:32 Speaker 7: Until you remove what is set apart, I will not be with your. 00:19:37 Speaker 1: Joshua rose slowly to his knees, dust falling from his face and little rivules. His heart beat hard in his chest. Fury burned in his blood, slow at first, then heart as molten iron. His eyes burned like embers, disobedience, rebellion, treachery. 00:19:58 Speaker 8: From within. 00:20:00 Speaker 1: He knew now someone had stolen from the Lord, taken from the spoils of Jericho. Joshua's lips pursed inward, and his jaw clenched. His tongue was joyless and sharp as a whetstone's edge. We will find them, and when they did, there would be no mercy. The morning sun beat down on Israel, its searing rays like a mighty hand of justice, seeking to burn out the traitor. Fear was still heightened at Camp but it also made way for a tense silence as they waited to see how the leaders of Israel would assess the guilty and flash them out. Eliezer, the High Priest, presided over the casting of lots. Eliezer prayed and reached into the pouch sewn into the breastplate of his priestly garment that contained a lot for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Together, they had called all the heads of families of each of the twelve tribes to come to the courtyard, and before all of Israel, Eliezer had drawn the tribe of Judah. The Lord was guiding this elimination process to identify the guilty party. Joshua now stood looking out at all of them, his blood still boiled with righteous fury. The traitor of the Lord was standing hidden among them in the tribe of Judah. Eliezer pored over the names of the clans of Tribe Judah. Eliezer used the divine gemstone tool, the thummin or, the tool of truth, and considered each clan until he finally made his next selection. Again, he was guided by the Lord through the divine tools that the appointed craftsman Bezeleel had made when he crafted the garments. 00:21:56 Speaker 9: According to divine. 00:21:57 Speaker 1: Direction, the band of Masta hesitantly. The heads of the families that Zarai towed forward again. Eliezer consulted the records in Isamara's hands and used the gemstone to guide his selection. 00:22:13 Speaker 2: Zabdi, son of Zarah. 00:22:16 Speaker 1: Zabdi's face was drained of color, but he had no choice but to step forward. His children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren were with him. Joshua surveyed the group of men he had anticipated that the wrongdoer would have confessed by now. Israel did not know the full intent of the Lord's plan to expose the sin among them, but Joshua knew that a truly repented heart before the Lord could stay his hand of justice. None of Zabdi's sons met his eyes, and none confessed. Their silence was damning of their guilt. Joshua nodded to Eliezer to continue. Eliezer consulted the names again and flipped the inscribed gemstone in his hand for each until he reached a verdict. 00:23:07 Speaker 2: Carmi, son of Zabdi. 00:23:10 Speaker 1: Joshua waved Zabdi back to stand with the rest of his clan within the tribe of Judah. Kami and his children were positively sweating now, but still no one confessed. Someone in this group knew something and yet stayed silent. Joshua fixed Kami with a stare. The man seemed terrified and confused, but not defiant. Joshua's eyes slid to the man beside him, one of his sons. This man looked anywhere but at Joshua. He had an air of indignance to him, disbelief verging on defensiveness. This was their rebel. Joshua waited another moment before giving Eliezer the signal to continue. The man stayed silent, and Joshua's heart sank. His silence sealed his fate. Joshua nodded for Eliezer to cast what Joshua knew would be the final lot. 00:24:10 Speaker 2: Aiken, son of Carmen. 00:24:13 Speaker 1: Calmi, looked at his son in surprise, suspicion beginning to form on his face in a frown, but he returned to their clan and left his son, Aiken, and Aiken's children standing alone before Joshua. It was then that Aiken met Joshua's eyes. The defiance there was fierce and wild, a snapping animal backed into a corner. His intensity had a calming effect on Joshua. 00:24:41 Speaker 7: My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and confess to him. I urge you to tell me what you've done. Don't hide anything from me. 00:24:51 Speaker 1: Aiken's surprise Joshua by reacting to his measured response like a slap in the face. Frantically, Aiken lashed out at his frightened children standing beside him. 00:25:02 Speaker 10: What, General, Joshua, he stopped drawing your lots with me. You don't need to question my children. 00:25:09 Speaker 1: Aiken's children looked bewildered at their father's willingness to wrap them out. Joshua's heart sank as he realized that betrayal was the look on their faces, not anger. It seemed that Aiken had not quite acted alone in his trespasses against the Lord. He had stolen it, but they had hoarded it. 00:25:32 Speaker 7: No, I am asking you, Aiken, tell me what you've done. 00:25:38 Speaker 1: Defiance hung in the air, brittle as ice between the two men. With each second that ticked by, Joshua felt certain that a confession of true repentance would not come an admission of guilt, perhaps, but not one of regret. 00:25:56 Speaker 10: It's true, I'll sind against the Lord, the God of Israel. When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, five pounds of silver and a bar of gold weighing a pound and a quarter. It's true I coveted them, so I took them. You can see for yourself. They're concealed in the ground beside my tent, with the silver under the cloak. 00:26:19 Speaker 7: Thank you, my son. 00:26:21 Speaker 1: Joshua then turned to Finnahas, who was standing beside his father Phineas. 00:26:27 Speaker 7: Take a few men and go to Aikin's tent to confirm a story. The stolen items are there, bring them back. 00:26:33 Speaker 1: Aikin's children, looking uncertain, started to edge back to their grandfather and the other members of their clan. Joshua held up her hand to stop them. 00:26:44 Speaker 7: No, my children, you will wait here until this matter has brought fully to light. 00:26:48 Speaker 1: As he had said, the stolen plunder was found in Aikin's tent. Finnahas and the others brought it and spread them out in the courtyard. In the lord's presence. The sea was sobering. Acon and his children rebelled against their Lord's commands. They had not wronged Joshua. They had wronged the Lord and stolen what should have been laid aside for him. 00:27:12 Speaker 7: Acan, son of Karmi, I sentence you to die for your crimes against the Lord. 00:27:18 Speaker 2: You and yours will. 00:27:19 Speaker 7: Pay the ultimate penalty for your open rebellion. 00:27:22 Speaker 4: It's because of you that the Lord's anger burns against us. You have single handedly cost us the victory against Ai. It is because of you that thirty six Israelite men are dead. It is because of you that the presence of the Lord almost left us. This matter must be set right. Why have you brought this trouble today? The Lord will bring you trouble. We will mark the place of your execution as a place of trouble. Let no one in Israel forget this day. 00:27:57 Speaker 1: They bound Aiken in the middle of the valley. Each tribe member picked up stones, tears of rage and sorrow dripping from their chins. One by one they hurled stones at him. Blood and the screams scattered across the field. Acon writhed before them, bound and unable to free himself. Stone after stone struck Achan until he breathed his last. Joshua took Achan along with his idols and burned them. Everyone looked at Ach and melted with his idols. He shared their fate, destined to become nothing. 00:28:43 Speaker 6: If today's reading moved you, the Prey dot Com app is where you can go deeper with daily prayers, Bible plans and more. Download at free link in the description. 00:28:53 Speaker 1: This Prey dog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.