Joshua 7:20
"It is true," Achan replied, "I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Joshua 7:20?

2. How does Achan's confession in Joshua 7:20 teach about personal accountability?

3. What can we learn about God's holiness from Achan's actions in Joshua 7:20?

4. How does Joshua 7:20 connect to the commandment against coveting in Exodus 20:17?

5. How can we apply the lesson of hidden sin from Joshua 7:20 today?

6. What steps can we take to avoid Achan's mistake in Joshua 7:20?

7. Why did Achan confess his sin in Joshua 7:20 only after being confronted?

8. How does Achan's sin in Joshua 7:20 affect the entire community?

9. What does Joshua 7:20 reveal about personal responsibility and communal consequences?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Joshua 7?

11. Who was Achan in the Bible?

12. Why did Achan's disobedience lead to Israel's defeat?

13. What is the Bible's stance on stoning?

14. What does "lust of the eyes" mean?
Discussion Questions
1. How does Achan's confession in Joshua 7:20 illustrate the biblical principle of confession found in other scriptures like 1 John 1:9?

2. In what ways can personal sin affect the community of believers, as seen in the account of Achan and the defeat at Ai?

3. How does the account of Achan challenge us to examine areas of disobedience in our own lives?

4. What steps can we take to ensure that we are living in obedience to God's commands, avoiding the pitfalls of hidden sin?

5. How can we apply the lessons from Achan's account to foster a culture of accountability and confession within our church or small group?1. In Joshua 7:1, Achan's sin is said to bring trouble on Israel as a whole. What does this verse teach us about the corporate nature of sin within a community?

2. Achan's sin led to defeat at Ai, which shocked Joshua and the elders. How can our individual actions affect the groups or communities we're part of?

3. Joshua reacted to the defeat with mourning and despair. Why did he react this way and what does it teach us about leadership and responsibility?

4. How does God's response to Joshua in Joshua 7:10-12 instruct us on moving forward after a setback or failure?

5. God knew who was guilty, yet He had Joshua cast lots to determine the guilty party. What might be the reason for this and how can this process be compared to our justice system today?

6. In what ways might we be tempted to take what isn’t ours, like Achan did, especially in our current society?

7. Achan hid the spoils of Jericho in his tent, thinking his sin was hidden. How does this story speak to the misconception that our hidden sins have no consequences?

8. How can Achan’s story serve as a reminder of the short-lived pleasure of sin compared to its long-term consequences?

9. How did Achan's confession in Joshua 7:20-21 reflect his understanding of his sin and its gravity?

10. How can we apply the lessons of Achan’s story to our own lives when dealing with temptation and sin?

11. How can this story help us understand the concept of personal accountability and its importance in a society?

12. What lessons can we learn from Joshua's leadership and his dealing with defeat and sin within his people?

13. How does Achan's story challenge us to think about the impacts of our private actions on our community?

14. Despite the heavy consequence of Achan’s sin, God’s anger was turned away after justice was served. How can this narrative be used to understand God's wrath and justice?

15. Why do you think Achan’s entire family was punished for his sin? How does this compare to our modern understanding of justice?

16. The chapter ends with a place being named the Valley of Achor, meaning trouble, in memory of this event. Why do you think it's important to remember such difficult times?

17. Can you share a personal experience when a hidden mistake or sin of yours affected the people around you? How did you deal with it?

18. How does Achan's story remind us of the importance of obedience to God's commandments in our daily lives?

19. How does Achan's action contrast with Rahab's action in the previous chapters? What does this say about the nature of decisions and their outcomes?

20. In this chapter, Joshua and the Israelites are taught a hard lesson about the importance of holiness and obedience. How can we learn from their experience and apply it in our contemporary lives?

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