Let the Punishment Fit the Crime (A Sermon based on Joshua 7:16-26)

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Let the Punishment Fit the Crime

A Sermon based on Joshua 7:16-26

Sunday, February 21, 2010 - Lent 1C

        Do you ever wonder about the thieves on the cross? I mean about what they did to earn a punishment so horrible as to be tortured to death? After all, they're not called murderers, or even robbers. They're called thieves. What did they take that was so valuable that demanded their torture and their very lives in reparation? Or who did they steal from? Was it Pilate himself? Even so, doesn't torture and death seem a harsh punishment for theivery? What ever happened to "let the punishment fit the crime"?

        "Let the punishment fit the crime." That principle has been guiding legal systems worldwide ever since God told his people in Deutoronomy 19:21, "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." Or ever since God commanded Noah in Genesis 9:6, "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed." 

        But this morning we hear about a man who stole (and he stole from some dead men who wouldn't even miss what was taken!) and yet the punishment hardly seems to fit the crime. The man, and his sons and daughters, cattle, donkeys and sheep, were all stoned, then burned, then buried. Did the punishment fit the crime? Let's listen and find out. This is the account recorded for us in Joshua 7, beginning at verse 16...     

¹⁶ Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was taken. ¹⁷ The clans of Judah came forward, and he took the Zerahites. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was taken. ¹⁸Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. ¹⁹ Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me." ²⁰ Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: ²¹ When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath." ²² So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath. ²³ They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the LORD. ²⁴ Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. ²⁵ Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today." Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them. ²⁶ Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

        Wow! Harsh punishment isn't it? It might seem hard for us to understand. After all, what was the big deal? The people he stole from were dead. They certainly weren't going to miss their coat or a few bars of silver and gold! Wasn't God being a bit unfair here? Did God just have a bad day and needed to take it out on someone? 

        No. There's more to it than that. You see Achan wasn't just stealing from some dead guy. He was stealing from God. In Joshua 6(:17-19) God made it clear through Joshua: "The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD... keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury." For stealing from the plunder all of the Israelites would be subject to punishment. With a bit of a pun God says that for taking the devoted things of God they would all be devoted to destruction.

        And even when it was discovered that someone had taken some of the devoted things and risked the lives of the entire nation, Achan still didn't confess his sin. During the entire lengthy process of revealing who the culprit was, he remained silent—nervously biting his nails and sweating it out, hoping they wouldn't discover it was him. It wasn't until he was caught that he finally admitted any guilt! 

        And even then, when he finally did confess, "It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel," (7:20) he used the word for sin that means "goofed up" or "made a mistake" rather than the more honest word that means "deliberately sinned" or "chose to rebel." 

        Was the punishment unjust? Far from! God was actually being gracious to his people and taking care of the problem before it spread and killed them all. As Caiaphas, the High Priest of Jesus' day, said, "It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." (John 11:50) And the memorial of piled rocks would remain so that all of Israel would learn from Achan's bad example and remember it.

 

        What a vivid lesson for Israel! And what a vivid lesson for us! But, wait a second! We're not like Achan! Right? We're no thieves, right? I mean, I've never gone into a bank and held it up. I've never robbed a little old lady in some back alley. I've never broken into anybody's home to steal what wasn't mine. And I've never tried to shoplift any items from any store without paying for it—not even a candy bar when I was a kid! And I know that I certainly haven't robbed any graves lately. I'm no Achan and neither are you, right?

        Well, maybe we haven't shoplifted, robbed a little old lady, or held up a bank. But why not? Out of love for God? Or out of fear of getting caught? What if you could get away with it? Maybe you wouldn't steal a DVD or a CD from the store, but if you could download it on your computer without paying for it? Maybe you wouldn't take petty cash from work, but a few office supplies? After all, no one will notice right? You're not hurting anyone! … Ah, how much like Achan we really are!

        In fact, even if you've never actually taken anything that wasn't yours, you and I are still thieves. You see, we sin against God, not only by what we do, but also by what we don't do. Do you always work your hardest at your job? Or do you sometimes take a little extra break? Do you ever take care of personal business while you're on the clock? Then you've stolen from your employer! They're paying you to work, not to be lazy or do your own thing. The money they paid you for the work you didn't do, really belongs to them.

        In a 1990 Parade Magazine article a  California company estimated that U.S. businesses lose $220 billion each year to what they called "time theft" -- fake sick days, getting someone else to punch in your card on the time clock, making personal telephone calls and conducting private business during work hours. And that was before the internet and Windows solitaire! Who knows how much is stolen now!? Are you guilty of stealing some of that $220 billion?

        If not, you still sin -- against God -- when you waste or mismanage the blessings that God has entrusted to you since "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it." (Psalm 24:1). You sin when you fail to help others protect and defend their property, or by simply being malcontent with the blessings God has given. It's as if we say to God, "What do I care about all that I have?! You still haven't blessed me with enough! You're holding out on me! You don't really love me! You're a cruel and unloving God."

        And we have all well earned the punishment of hell -- a punishment that does fit the crime of our rebellion against God very well. 

        And make no mistake! We may be able to hide our theft from everyone else, like Achan did, and bury it deep in our hearts where no one else can see it. But don't be a fool like Achan was! You know that you can't hide any sin from God! He knows what evil lurks in our very hearts! So don't try to hide it, but give glory to God and confess your sin to him. …And when you do confess your sin to him with a sincere heart, a beautiful thing happens. He takes that sin away... with a punishment that didn't fit the crime!

 

        You see, Caiphas didn't prophesy on his own when he said, "It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."  (John 11:50)  But as High Priest he prophesied and spoke from God. (cf. vs. 51). You see God punished Jesus even though he committed no crime! 

        Though Jesus had no earthly wealth, no house or home, no land, no donkey or horse, though all he really had was the clothes on his back, he remained perfectly content. When satan tried to tempt him with the riches and wealth of the nations, Jesus said, "No, thanks. I'm not interested." Because he trusted in God and was content with what he would provide. He always remained perfect and he gave that perfection to you and me. 

        And he took our sins of theft and every sin on himself on the cross. Remember what Jesus said to that thief crucified next to him? "Today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 24:43) In other words, "Every one of your sins has been forgiven! Everyone theft, every crime, every attitude of greed or malcontent is erased and gone. For it was better that I should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish -- or that you should perish. So I now take the punishment of hell that your crime deserves. Now you are perfect and therefore, qualify to enter into my paradise of heaven!"

        Friends, he's said the same to you and to me! That's why he came: to forgive the sins of thieves like that man on the cross, like me, like you by taking the punishment that fit our crime. Now, you and your family won't be stoned to death for your sin! You won't be burned! Not in this life and not in the life to come! You will never experience the hell that you deserve for your sin and for your foolish attempts to cover it up! Paradise is yours!

         So, let's thank him by first learning to be content with what we have as we appreciate the rich gifts that he's given: forgiveness, salvation, heaven and so much more! Let's thank him by generously giving of our time and offerings to his church and to others in need and be good managers of these gifts. For when you die or when Jesus returns it won't matter how much money you have or what clothes you wear. It will only matter that because you cling to the truth that he took the punishment that fit your crime, he will say to you, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 24:43) In Jesus' name, dear friends, amen.