Why the whole family?

[Winnie]

The short answer is:

Josh 7:1, 11, etc. LEB But the Israelites broke faith concerning the devoted things. Achan son of Carmi son of Zabdi son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took from the devoted things; and Yahweh’s anger was kindled against the Israelites.

11 Israel has sinned and transgressed my covenant that I commanded them. They have taken from the devoted things ...​

The Israelites broke faith, sinned. Every single one of them, in their own way and at their own time. Achan (of the tribe of Judah) was really just an example of the bigger (universal) problem (sin!). A problem (sin) common to us all. Achan's sin just happens to be detailed for us to read about. How it was specifically exposed by God (casting lots starting with the tribes, then the clans, then the family, then the tent, then the person) for all the others to see is an interesting read too. It points out, in fact, exactly what God said. "Israel has sinned"!

AND it points out that the fact is, we all sin. (do I really need to post the Scripture to back that up???)

Can you imagine the whole nation watching as Joshua followed God's instructions going through the process of finding Achan's loot? Is it me, is it me???

It's only by the Mercy of God that the entire nation wasn't burned, much less Achan's family and livestock.



Of course there's something more to it. The 'more' is not conducive to short post length, however. It's quite an in-depth study required if someone wanted to completely understand why the livestock (and everything else) belonging to a sinner such as Achan was burned.

BTW, the Texts doesn't say they were "destroyed". Merely that they were "burned with fire, he AND all that belongs to him". Plus, guess what, there were others left standing there that also deserved to be "burned with fire" too! Lot's of them. That one event/sacrifice was a mere smidgen of the expiation for sin that needed/needs to occur. Fortunately, we have The Propitiation for our sins (Jesus Christ). So did they. They just didn't realize it.

The 'issue' is the difference between expiation versus propitiation. Hint: Jesus Christ does both for us in HIS atonement.

There's no way to explain it all in a post or two or three and I don't fully understand it all anyway. I'd suggest reading all about the atonement (expiation versus propitiation). But again, the 'short answer' is that Achan's 'stuff' being burned was a type of the Sacrifice Jesus has made for us all.

http://www.reasonablefaith.org/which-is-explanatorily-prior-propitiation-or-expiation

Or just wait, we can ask Jesus one day.

Oh, and we might ask Achan or his family (if he/they had salvific faith in God) what he thinks about it all one day.

I am under the impression Israel is supposed to be considered one, so if one person sins, God said 'they' have sinned.
But, I could be wrong of course. But also the fact that some of them fell in war, because of the trangressions of Achan, or others. Sounds like God was trying teach a serious lesson to get this goal of taking over the land accomplished.

 

[atpollard]

If you're going to count Lazarus then you also have to count the daughter of Jairus, (Luke 8:54-55) the son of the widow, (Luke 7:12-15) Dorcas (Acts 9:36-41) and Eu'tychus (Acts 20:9-10) so that makes 8 resurrections.

Matthew 27:51-53 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

At one point, you couldn't swing a dead cat in Jerusalem without hitting someone who had been resurrected.

 

[Northman]

We face physical death (unless we are alive when Jesus returns) but it is no longer a permanent condition. All of mankind will be raised immortal and incorruptible. (You "Eternal Address" is up to you. John 3:36; 5:28-29; Ro 6:2-10; Mat 25:31-46; 1 Pe 1:17)

1Co 15:51-57
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Not too sure what this was about...

 

[Jim Parker]

Matthew 27:51-53 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

At one point, you couldn't swing a dead cat in Jerusalem without hitting someone who had been resurrected.

And, often, the cat was resurrected too!!