Liable to Destruction

Jericho was the first display of the Diving Warrior on the west side of the Jordan River. The battle plans, odd as they were, underscored the power of God. If trumpets and marching and shouting could bring about the destruction of the chief city in the promised land, then everyone would have to know it was God that did it.
Jericho was to be "devoted to God." It was to be totally destroyed as an offering. It would show respect for the Divine Conqueror- giving Him the first fruits of all the bounty they were about to receive. The obedience, submission, and self-restraint of each warrior would prove a solid wall of respect for God. Every warrior was expected to pass by the wealth of Jericho, leaving it in a fiery heap, in recognition that God would soon abundantly supply. Those who would steal from God, who could not wait out of respect for God, would make themselves liable to destruction. They, their families, and their nation would suffer the consequences of their private sin.
If the solid wall of respect for God had gaps, it meant that someone had contempt for God. We commonly think of contempt as words and actions that show we despise another. In the case of Achan, contempt for God lay hidden in a quick decision, a rash judgment to profit privately from items that were going to be burned anyway. It makes good sense if respect for God is not taken into account. And of course, that is the definition of contempt.