The meaning of the valley of Achor is often unknown to Christians. While most Christians have heard or sung about the valley of Achor being a door of hope, many of them don’t know what happened in the valley of Achor and why the valley of Achor is a door of hope (Hosea 2:15). Many times Christians sing songs but don’t know the true meaning of the lyrics. They sing and pronounce words, that in comparison to their lifestyle don’t line up. It’s so easy to sing a song with a lovely melody and moving words and be led by warm fuzzy feelings and emotions. What is the meaning of the valley of Achor in the Bible and what does the valley of Achor represent?
Joshua and the city of Jericho
To find out what the significance of the valley of Achor is, we must go to the Book of Joshua. In Joshua 5:13, we read how the captain of the hosts of the Lord appeared unto Joshua with a sword drawn in his hand. When Joshua saw him, he fell on his face and worshipped. Joshua asked him what he had to tell him.
The captain of the hosts of the Lord commanded Joshua to take off his shoes. He aha? Because the place, where Joshua stood was holy.
Joshua obeyed the words of the captain of the hosts and took off his shoes.
The Lord told Joshua that He had given Jericho into his hand.
The Lord revealed His plan to Joshua and instructed him, step by step, what he had to do.
After the Lord gave Joshua all the information, Joshua called the priests and the people of Israel.
Joshua shared with them what the Lord told him and gave the following commandment:
The city of Jericho and all there is within (except Rahab and her household) shall be accursed. Ko koe hoki, kia tupato ki te mea kua oti te kanga, lest you make yourselves accursed, when you take of the accursed thing, a kanga te puni o Iharaira, whakararu hoki. Engari nga hiriwa katoa, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and iron, kua whakatapua ki a Ihowa: ka riro ki roto ki te whare taonga a Ihowa (Joshua 6:17-19)
Joshua not only gave this commandment to the people, but he also explained why the people weren’t allowed to take anything from the city of Jericho. Joshua told them, what would happen if they disobeyed this commandment Tuhinga o mua.
What happened after the fall of Jericho?
The people of Israel obeyed the words of the Lord and conquered and destroyed the city of Jericho. Heoi ano, not everyone obeyed the Lord’s commandment.
There was one man, who rebelled against the commandment of the Lord. This man disobeyed the words of the Lord and obeyed the will of his flesh.
He was led by his carnal lusts and greed and took of the accursed things, brought them to his tent, and hid them in the ground. Because of this one’s man act of disobedience to God, the whole congregation of Israel became accursed.
By one man’s disobedience to God, the whole congregation of Israel became accursed
By one man’s rebellion and disobedience to God, the whole congregation of Israel became accursed, a whakarerea iho e te Atua tana iwi. This became visible when the people went out to smite the city of Ai. Instead of smiting the city of Ai, the men of Ai smote 3000 Israelites.
Israel had sinned against the words of the Lord and transgressed the covenant of the Lord. Therefore Israel became accursed. (Panuitia hoki: Ka taea e koe te uru atu ki te hara o nga hoa whakapono?).
Because Israel was accursed, the people of Israel couldn’t stand before their enemies.
The Lord couldn’t be with Israel anymore unless the people of Israel destroyed the accursed from among them.
The people had to be sanctified, so that God could dwell with His people again.
The Lord instructed Joshua to sanctify the people and tell them, why they weren’t able to stand against their enemies. He also told him what they had to do to remove the accursed from their midst.
Joshua brought Israel by their tribes and took the tribe of Judah
In the morning, Joshua brought Israel by their tribes and took the tribe of Judah. Joshua brought the family of Judah and he took the family of the Zarhites. And when he took the family of the Zarhites, man by man, he took Zabdi. Joshua brought Zabdi’s household man by man, and Joshua took Achan.
Who was Achan?
Achan was the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah.
Achan’s confession to Joshua
Joshua confronted Achan and asked him to give glory to the Lord and make a confession to the Lord. He asked Achan to tell him, what he had done and not hide it from him. Achan confessed and told Joshua that he had sinned against the Lord God of Israel.
Achan told Joshua, that when he saw a good Babylonish garment, two hundred shekels of silver, a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, he coveted them. He took them and hid them in the earth in his tent.
What happened to Achan after his confession?
After Achan’s confession, Joshua sent messengers to the tent of Achan, to collect the accursed things. The messengers took the things and brought them to Joshua and the people of Israel. They laid the accursed things out in front of the Lord.
Joshua and the people of Israel took Achan, te hiriwa, te kakahu, te poro koura, his sons and daughters, ana kau, his asses, his sheep, tona teneti, and all Achan had. Then they brought Achan, To'na utuafare, and his possessions to the Valley of Achor.
Then Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day (Joshua 7:25).
After Joshua’s words, all of Israel stoned Achan with stones in the Valley of Achor. When they had stoned them, they burned them with fire and raised over him a great heap of stones.
Why was Achan killed in the valley of Achor?
Achan was killed in the Valley of Achor because Achan rebelled against God and disobeyed the words of the Lord God.
Achar was the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed. Due to Achan’s rebellion and disobedience to God and his wicked work, Engari, To'na utuafare, and all his possessions were stoned to death in the Valley of Achor.
How did the valley of Achor become a door of hope?
The Valley of Achor became a door of hope because when the accursed was removed and destroyed among the people, the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. The Valley of Achor meant for Achan and his family the end; mate. Heoi ano, to the people of Israel, the Valley of Achor became a door of hope, because in the Valley of Achor the tide turned and God returned to His people and they were reconciled with God.
The evil in the congregation was removed and God became their God again and they became His people.
Both the prophet Isaiah (Ihaia 65:10) and Hosea (Hosea 2:15) prophesied and wrote about the valley of Achor.
They prophesied about the te taenga mai o te Karaiti; Ihu Christ and that Jesus’ work of redemption on the cross would become a door of hope, for everyone, who would believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as Saviour and make Him Lord over their lives.
By the disobedience of one man Adam, evil entered and the whole human race became accursed.
Ia tangata, who would be born of the seed of Adam would be affected by evil and would be born as a sinner and deserved the death penalty. (Panuitia hoki: Kei te noho tonu koe he tangata hara i ngā wā katoa?).
But because of God’s great love for people, Ua tono mai te Atua i Ta’na Tamaiti o Iesu Mesia i te fenua nei.
How did Jesus Christ become a door of hope?
Jesus Christ became a door of hope, because He became the Substitute for fallen man. Jesus carried all the sins and iniquities of the world and took the death penalty (due to Adam’s disobedience to God) ki runga ki a ia. No reira, katoa, who believes in Him and accepts Him as Saviour and Lord and becomes whanau ano i roto ia ia, would not have to carry this punishment anymore.
Jesus also carried your sins and iniquities and took the death penalty for your sins upon Him. He shed His precious blood to deliver you from the curse and restore (whakaora) you and reconcile you with God. (Panuitia hoki: Ko te rangimarie i whakahokia mai e Ihu i waenganui i te tangata kua hinga me te Atua).
He gave you the ability to become a son of God (e pa ana tenei ki nga tane me nga wahine) through faith and regeneration in Christ and by His Spirit.
Jesus gave His life for you. No reira, you would be freed from the power of sin and death and receive another nature (Te natura a te Atua). Through this new nature, you shall no longer live as a sinner in disobedience to God. But you shall live as a saint in obedience to God and His Word. You shall be free and walk in righteousness and receive eternal life.
Ko koe hoki, kua mate i roto i o koutou hara, i te kotingakore o o koutou kikokiko, I whakamarie ano ia me ia, kua murua hoki koutou e koutou nga he katoa; E whakaputa ana i te tuhi ā ringa o nga whakaritenga i ahu mai ki a mātau, e hē ana ki a mātau, a tangohia ana e ia i te huarahi, te tuku i tona ripeka; Ka pahua i nga rangatiratanga me nga mana, Whakaputaina mai ana e ia, Te wikitoria ki runga i a raatau
Kolosa 2:13-15
What is the meaning of the valley of Achor in the Bible?
The meaning of the Valley of Achor in the Bible is that in the Valley of Achor the old man and his evil sinful nature dies and the new man arises in righteousness (I roto i a te Karaiti).
When you go to the Valley of Achor, it means the end of your life as a sinner with its evil deeds and practices. (Panuitia hoki: Ko te ra tuawaru, te ra o te hanganga hou).
In the Valley of Achor, you lay down your old life and your new life as a new creation begins, when your spirit rises from the dead by the Holy Spirit. (Panuitia hoki: Ko te tukanga mamae e mōhiotia ana e mate ana).
No reira, nana, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt
Hosea 2:14-15
Why does the Valley of Achor mean the Valley of troubles?
The Valley of Achor means the valley of troubles for the old man because the Valley of Achor is the place where the old man dies. Engari mo te tangata hou, the Valley of Achor means a door of hope as mentioned in Hosea 2:15.
When you are ready to lay down your old life and submit to Jesus Christ and obey Him and do the will of Jesus; Te hinaaro o te Atua, only then are you ready to go to the Valley of Achor.
He mea nui kia count the costs before you make this decision.‘
'Kia tote mo te whenua’
