Achan acknowledged his guilt, but when it was too late for the confession to benefit himself. He had seen the armies of Israel return from Ai defeated and disheartened; yet he did not come forward and confess his sin. He had seen Joshua and the 498 elders of Israel bowed to the earth in grief too great for words. Had he then made confession, he would have given some proof of true penitence; but he still kept silence. He had listened to the proclamation that a great crime had been committed, and had even heard its character definitely stated. But his lips were sealed. Then came the solemn investigation. How his soul thrilled with terror as he saw his tribe pointed out, then his family and his household! But still he uttered no confession, until the finger of God was placed upon him. Then, when his sin could no longer be concealed, he admitted the truth. How often are similar confessions made. There is a vast difference between admitting facts after they have been proved and confessing sins known only to ourselves and to God. Achan would not have confessed had he not hoped by so doing to avert the consequences of his crime. But his confession only served to show that his punishment was just. There was no genuine repentance for sin, no contrition, no change of purpose, no abhorrence of evil.

Akan indrømmede sin synd så sent, at han ikke kunne få gavn af sin bekendelse. Han havde set Israels hære komme slagne og modløse tilbage fra Aj; men det fik ham ikke til at træde frem og erkende sin synd. Han havde set Josua og Israels ældste kaste sig til jorden i usigelig sorg. Hvis han havde bekendt sin synd på det tidspunkt, ville han dermed have givet udtryk for ægte anger, men han forholdt sig stadig tavs. Han havde hørt, da der blev givet meddelelse om, at der var begået en stor forbrydelse, og det var endda tydeligt blevet sagt, hvori den bestod, men hans læber var som forseglet. Så blev den højtidelige undersøgelse iværksat. Hans sjæl bævede af rædsel, da han så, at hans stamme, hans slægt og hans familie blev udpeget. Men først da Guds finger udpegede ham, gik han til bekendelse. Først da hans synd ikke kunne skjules længer, sagde han sandheden. Hvor ofte går mennesker ikke til bekendelse på samme måde i dag! Der er stor forskel på at indrømme et forhold, efter at det er blevet bevist, og at bekende synder, som kun vi og Gud har kendskab til. Akan gik kun til bekendelse, fordi han håbede, at han derved ville undgå følgerne af sin forbrydelse, men hans bekendelse bidrog blot til at bevise, at hans straf var retfærdig. Han angrede ikke sin synd af hele sit hjerte, og agtede ikke at ændre sin livsførelse og nærede ikke afsky for synden.