The Consequences of Confession

Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”  Joshua 7:19  NASB

From me – מִמֶּֽנִּי  “from me.”  Notice the personal character of this request.  First, it’s not a command but a doubled appeal.  Second, Joshua treats Achan as if he is a son, a very close relationship.  Third, there is no indication that the request is public or that the confession is public.  We would expect “do not hide from us” but the verse only includes Joshua.  We should not assume it was intended to be public.  It was Joshua’s command that was disobeyed, and God backs up Joshua’s authority so the violation is against God and Joshua.  The public trust is not violated even though they experienced the consequences.

But the real question is this: Why confess?  The verse indicates that even though Joshua knows now that Achan is guilty, he still does not know why he is guilty.  He does not know the exact nature of the disobedience.  What he knows is that something is wrong.  All the people know this too.  But the sin is private and hidden.  Joshua asks that it be revealed to him.

Rabbinic commentary says that two things are necessary for forgiveness.  First, honor God.   Joshua implores Achan to give honor to God, that is, to reveal what he did so that all this effort commanded by God will be acknowledged and God’s honor will be upheld.  Second, admit.  This is the allocution required before forgiveness.  But punishment still follows.  The idea that forgiveness removes the punishable consequences isn’t found here.  If punishment still follows, and in this case the punishment is death, then why confess?  What is the benefit to the perpetrator?  Rabbinic commentary says that confession now in this world exonerates the soul in the next world.  The reason for confession is to enter the olam ha’ba without blame.  But does this make sense in the time of Joshua?  There is no idea of an afterlife in the Torah, or if there is, it isn’t specified.  This is anachronistic exegesis and commentary.  We can read the verse as if it endorses an afterlife only if we already have an idea of an afterlife.  Otherwise the act of confession here is only to comply with Joshua’s request because Joshua appeals to Achan’s conscience.  The net result is that God’s honor is upheld and Joshua’s status is confirmed.

Additionally, the text implies that there is no such thing as private sin.  Even this sin done in secret has public consequences.  It also suggests that there is no private confession, that is, between the sinner and God alone.  Someone else is always violated and that other person or persons must hear the confession.  In this case, Joshua doesn’t know what has transpired until Achan confesses.  All Joshua knows are the consequences until the confession.  I wonder if we aren’t often in the same position.  We know something is wrong and we experience the consequences of whatever the act was, but until confession we don’t know why things happened as they did.  Furthermore, what we learn here is that confession might bring forgiveness but it doesn’t erase the consequences.

Topical Index: private, confession, consequence, Joshua 7:19