Achan's silver and gold - Deut 7:25-26 -

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/222135881633

 

>> The graven images of their gods you shall burn with fire; you shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it; for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house, and become accursed like it; you shall utterly detest and abhor it; for it is an accursed thing. (Deut 7:25-26) <<

 

This was the warning from God to Israel ahead of Israel's conquest of Canaan. He forbade them to covet the silver or the gold that was overlaid on the idols of Canaan and to take them to their houses, because they, though very valuable, are abominable things that should be throw away like dog poop.

 

(Israelites could secure other properties as spoils of war except such abominable things. The land of Canaan which Israelites conquered had been a very important region for the international trade. Israel took all the wealth (silver, jewelry, money, etc.) accumulated by the Canaanites for thousands of years. Besides those valuable things, strong fortresses, beautiful houses, cisterns or wells, roads, and pastures and farmland became Israelites' estate. Israelites had been slaves for 430 years in Egypt, but they took over all the estate and wealth of Canaanites. This is why the 430-year-slavery can never just be regarded as wound and pain to them.)

 

The land of Canaan became an abomination to God because of the inhabitants, God ordered Israel to burn all things including humans and cattle, as burnt offerings to God. Things that can't be burnt, such as silver or gold, must be brought to God's sanctuary. Perhaps they should first be dedicated to God so that the abominable state of the things might be removed, and then so that they could be used in Israel.

 

(God killed all inhabitants of Canaan, men and women, young and old, to give the good land to Israel, but later Israelites fell and committed sins worse than those of Canaanites in the land. They lived such a wicked life in the land, which they indeed should have valued, for the land was given them after the extermination of the inhabitants. (They desecrated the land by their crimes.) God punished Israelites and made them taken captive to another nation. But he, remembering his covenant with their ancestors Abraham, Jacob and Isaac, brought them from there to Canaan, and allowed them to live there again. Israelites should have been destroyed and removed from Canaan forever like the former inhabitants, but they could inhabit the land thanks to their ancestors who kept their faith in God to the end.)

 

It seems that a man Achan, coveting the silver and gold that should have been dedicated to God to be free from the abominable state, and the clothing that should have been burnt, brought them into his tent (his house) furtively and hid them in his tent. He acquired them when Israel conquered Jericho. Achan and his family were killed because of them, the abominable things.

 

If a Christian keeps a Buddha statue at home because it is an antique, or if a Christian hangs out with homosexuals for human rights movements, which is an extremely impertinent attitude; the Holy Spirit of God will depart him and his house, but instead the evil spirits will come into him and his house. It is the outcome of ignoring God's warning.

 

Presumably, some composers will pray to demons or idols to receive from them ability to compose beautiful secular songs of sweet melodies. Some singers or some entertainment agencies will offer up pig heads on a table to demons before they make records or music videos. Can the Holy Spirit be with you if you keep listening to such music which is in the power of demons, or if your head is full of their songs, or if you play such songs in your house? Surely the Holy Spirit will leave your house and evil spirits will visit your house. Some of the nice pop songs might have been composed by those who lived a life of adultery or idolatry. If such music is heard in your house all the day, could the Holy Spirit abide there?

 

Christians must keep away from evil things and evil people.