not the time

Joshua 8:1-2 (JDV)

Joshua 8:1 Yahveh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all the troops with you and go attack Ai. Notice, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land.
Joshua 8:2 Treat Ai and its king as you did Jericho and its king, except that you may plunder its spoil and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”

not the time

Why did God change the rules concerning the taking of spoils after the Achan incident? From the standpoint of the people, they had passed the test. They had eliminated the defiled ones, and removed the curse from among them. The destruction of Achan and all of his things cleansed the land of its impurity.

But there is another reason. I have been relating these events to the reality of God’s final punishment of the wicked in hell after judgment day. Gehenna will destroy all traces of evil from God’s universe. What will happen then? God’s people will be set free to enjoy all the beauty and glory of God’s creation, with no threat of defilement, and no prohibition. Our hearts will have been cleansed, so that the treasures among us can be enjoyed without idolatry and shame. Given that, it makes sense that God would allow the Israelites to take plunder after the Achan incident.

Lord, give us the wisdom not to hold on to earthly treasures today, because now is not the time for our inheritance.