A CERTAIN story in the Bible is apt to be passed by because at first sight it appears to be a terrible one, but when carefully read in the light of divine metaphysics, which apprehends things as thoughts, an unusually useful and interesting lesson may be learned from it.
In the seventh chapter of the book of Joshua it is related that the children of Israel suffered a severe defeat at the hands of the people of Ai. This so alarmed and demoralized the Israelites that their leader, Joshua, prostrated himself before the ark of the covenant and besought wisdom and counsel of God in this extremity.
As a result of this communion, Joshua discerned that the recent defeat of his people was the direct consequence of Israel's disobedience to God's command that none of "the accursed thing" should be taken from the ruins of Jericho when that city fell. Someone, it appeared, had stolen and hidden spoil; and Joshua must discover and eliminate the sin and sinner. Thereupon he at once proceeded to uncover the error among his people by a method in use among the Jews of those days of casting lots; and Achan was found to have hidden rich treasure from Jericho in "the earth in the midst of" his tent. The story tells of the punishment meted to this disobedient man, so that nothing remained of Achan or his family, or the ill-gotten spoil, but a heap of ashes and stones in the valley of Achor, meaning trouble, and named after Achan or Achar, the troubler.
