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I have read many biographies, but never met with any which hit off a man's character in a line as this word of inspiration does. The noble and the great used frequently to suspend the "achievement" over the tomb of their departed ancestor in memorial of his renown, bearing a motto, which described the leading characteristic of the ancient founder of the family. Here is the tomb of Achar, or Achan, and here is the motto for his achievement. The tomb consists of a large heap of stones, which am injured people by God's command piled upon his ashes after they had stoned him to death, and burned his dead body with fire. What is the motto? "The troubler of Israel." What a finale to a man's life! What a record to paint on his escutcheon!

I. WHAT MADE ACHAN A TROUBLER OF ISRAEL? Sin. All trouble may be traced to this. It led Achan to commit the threefold crime of disobedience, defiance of God's scrutiny, and sacrilege. His one sin brought trouble into all the camp. This is all the mere remarkable when you remember how insignificant his position was among the tribes. We die all alone, but we cannot all sin alone. Even our secret sins are public calamities, and no transgression is without its malign influence upon the common weal.

II. THE TROUBLES ACHAN BROUGHT UPON HIS PEOPLE.

1. Defeat before a less powerful foe.

2. Depression of spirit, which unremedied, would he fatal to the very existence of the nation.

3. Anger from God, which would not be appeased even by the intercession of Joshua.

4. The threat of abandonment by God if they did not root out the evil from among them.

(George Venables.)

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KJV: And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.

WEB: The sons of Carmi: Achar, the troubler of Israel, who committed a trespass in the devoted thing.