The Story of Achan
and Corporate Responsibility
by
Ellen G. White
The above stated title to this
document is my own. The contents is by
Ellen White except for an addendum at the end of Ellen White’s statements—Ron
Beaulieu
“In the manner in which the Lord dealt
with Achan, we can see how great is his displeasure against
those who commit similar sins.
The standard of the gospel today is no lower than it was in the days of
Joshua.” {YI,
February 1, 1894 par. 4} “When one who is a
transgressor is reproved, and puts on an appearance of innocence, and
complains that he has been dealt with unjustly, there are many who will
sympathize with him, and will cast reflection upon the reprover, who has in
the fear of God sought to do his duty. Had punishment come upon Achan before
he had with his own lips made confession of his wrong, the people who were
naturally ready to rebel, would have charged Joshua with dealing harshly with
the young man, and would have denounced him as unmerciful in apportioning so
dreadful a punishment. They would have treasured up
the memory of his deed, and would have repeated to others the judgment he had
given, and would have used it as an example of the severity of men who were
placed in high position among the children of Achan confessed, and said, "Indeed
I have sinned against the Lord God of This
history shows how the Lord regards sin that men may think of little account.
Achan had indulged in covetousness, in theft, in embezzlement (appropriating
that which had been dedicated to the cause of God), and he had dissembled; he
had put on an appearance of innocence through all the critical examination
that had been carried on, and pretended
to be a man guiltless of any crime. The Lord made manifest by his dealing with Achan just how he
looks upon such a course, in order that the people of God in all ages may
fear and honor the Lord of heaven. Achan's sin had caused the death of thirty-six
men; and yet he had regarded it as a light matter. The men and women who claim to be keeping the commandments of God,
make it manifest that they have very little idea of its grievous character if
they indulge in any phase of sin. Those who profess to be Christians, and
yet do things that are after the order of Achan's
sin, who embezzle the Lord's goods, and appropriate for the use of their
families that which should go to the treasury of the Lord's house, will not
be left without judgment at the hand of God. {YI, February 1, 1894 par. 3} What was the sin of Achan? Listen
carefully to the words spoken by Jesus Christ from the pillar of cloud: " In the New Testament we read that
"a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira
his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, (his wife also
being privy to it,) and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles'
feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to
the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? while it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias
hearing these words, fell down, and gave up the ghost. And great fear came on
all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and
carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours
after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered
unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that
ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold,
the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall
carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up
the ghost. And the young men came in, and found her dead,
and carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon
all the church, and upon as many as heard these things." The
case of Ananias and his wife is recorded that the whole world may have a
testimony as to how God regards dishonest practices. {YI, February 1, 1894 par. 5} From the pillar of cloud Jesus spoke to
Joshua, condemning Commentary by Ron Beaulieu: The principle of corporate
responsibility is further illustrated in scripture by the following words of
Christ: 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the
righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers,
we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them
which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your
fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye
escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto
you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and
crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute
them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come
all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the
blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye
slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall
come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that
killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house
is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see
me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of
the Lord. Matthew 23:29-39. Because of the sins of the leaders, Ellen White Comments Further on
Matthew 29-31
The Pharisees built the tombs of the prophets, and adorned their sepulchers, and said one to another, If we had lived in
the days of our fathers, we would not have united with them in shedding the
blood of God's servants. At the same time they were planning to take the life
of His Son. This should be a lesson to us. It should open our eyes to the
power of Satan to deceive the mind that turns from the light of truth. Many
follow in the track of the Pharisees. They revere those who have died for
their faith. They wonder at the blindness of the Jews in rejecting Christ.
Had we lived in His day, they declare, we would gladly have received His
teaching; we would never have been partakers in the guilt of those who
rejected the Saviour. But when obedience to God requires self-denial and
humiliation, these very persons stifle their convictions, and refuse
obedience. Thus they manifest the same spirit as did the Pharisees whom
Christ condemned. {DA 618.2}
Little did the Jews realize the terrible responsibility involved in
rejecting Christ. From the time when the first innocent
blood was shed, when righteous Abel fell by the hand of Cain, the same
history had been repeated, with increasing guilt. In every age prophets had lifted up
their voices against the sins of kings, rulers, and people, speaking the
words which God gave them, and obeying His will at the peril of their lives. From generation to
generation there had been heaping up a terrible punishment for the rejecters
of light and truth. This the enemies of Christ were now drawing down upon
their own heads. The sin of the priests and rulers was greater than that of
any preceding generation. By
their rejection of the Saviour, they were making themselves responsible for
the blood of all the righteous men slain from Abel to Christ. They were about to fill to overflowing their cup of iniquity.
And soon it was to be poured upon their heads in retributive justice. Of
this, Jesus warned them: {DA 618.3} Ron’s Commentary: These words are definitive of corporate
responsibility as taught in the New Testament: “By their rejection of the Saviour, they were making themselves
responsible for the blood of all the righteous men slain from Abel to Christ.” There is more than one way to reject Christ. We reject Christ by manifest disobedience
to His expressed commands such as Isaiah 8:9-13.
"That upon you may come all the righteous blood
shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood
of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this
generation." {DA 619.1}
The scribes and Pharisees who listened to Jesus knew that His words
were true. They knew how the prophet Zacharias had been slain. While the
words of warning from God were upon his lips, a satanic fury seized the
apostate king, and at his command the prophet was put to death. His blood had
imprinted itself upon the very stones of the temple court, and could not be
erased; it remained to bear testimony
against apostate
Looking forward, Jesus declared
that the impenitence of the Jews and their intolerance of God's servants
would be the same in the future as it had been in the past: {DA 619.3}
"Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and
scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall
ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city."
Prophets and wise men, full of faith and the Holy Ghost,--Stephen, James, and many others,--would be
condemned and slain. With hand uplifted to heaven, and a divine light
enshrouding His person, Christ spoke as a judge to those before Him. His
voice, that had so often been heard in gentleness and entreaty, was now heard
in rebuke and condemnation. The listeners shuddered. Never was the impression
made by His words and His look to be effaced. {DA 619.4}
Christ's indignation was directed against the hypocrisy, the gross
sins, by which men were destroying their own souls, deceiving the people and dishonoring God. In
the specious deceptive reasoning of the priests and rulers He discerned the
working of satanic agencies. Keen and searching had been His denunciation
of sin; but He spoke no words of retaliation. He had a holy wrath against the
prince of darkness; but He manifested no irritated temper. So the Christian
who lives in harmony with God, possessing the sweet attributes of love and
mercy, will feel a righteous indignation against sin; but he will not be
roused by passion to revile those who revile him. Even in meeting those who
are moved by a power from beneath to maintain falsehood, in Christ he will
still preserve calmness and self-possession. {DA 619.5}
Divine pity marked the countenance of the Son of God as He cast one
lingering look upon the temple and then upon His hearers. In a voice choked
by deep anguish of heart and bitter tears He exclaimed, "O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto
thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen
gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" This is the separation struggle. In
the lamentation of Christ the very heart of God is pouring itself forth. It
is the mysterious farewell of the long-suffering love of the Deity. {DA
620.1} Ron’s Commentary:
Speaking of the separation struggle, notice these forceful words: “Christ was a protestant...The Reformers date back to Christ
and the apostles. They came out and separated themselves from a religion of
forms and ceremonies. Luther and his followers did not invent the reformed
religion. They simply accepted it as presented by Christ and the
apostles." E.G. White, Review and Herald, vol. 2, 48, col. 2.
Pharisees and Sadducees were alike silenced. Jesus summoned His disciples, and prepared to leave the temple,
not as one defeated and forced from the presence of his adversaries, but as
one whose work was accomplished. He retired a victor from the contest. {DA 620.2}
The gems of truth that fell from Christ's lips on that eventful day
were treasured in many hearts. For them new thoughts started into life, new
aspirations were awakened, and a new history began. After the crucifixion and
resurrection of Christ, these persons came to the front, and fulfilled their
divine commission with a wisdom and zeal corresponding to the greatness of
the work. They bore a message that appealed to the hearts of men, weakening
the old superstitions that had long dwarfed the lives of thousands. Before
their testimony human theories and philosophies became as idle fables. Mighty
were the results flowing from the words of the Saviour to that wondering,
awestruck crowd in the temple at But Israel as a nation had divorced herself from God. The natural branches of the olive
tree were broken off. Looking for the last time upon the interior of the
temple, Jesus said with mournful pathos, "Behold, your house is left
unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till
ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." Hitherto
He had called the temple His Father's house; but now, as the Son of God
should pass out from those walls, God's presence would be withdrawn forever
from the temple built to His glory. Henceforth its ceremonies would be
meaningless, its services a mockery. {DA 620.4} |