“Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?” the Lord said to Joshua (Joshua 7:10NKJV). Punishment comes and we can think God is mean. Why would He do this to us? We cry out to Him, lie prostrate before Him, and maybe try to manipulate Him. But there is sin somewhere.
He tells us to get up and figure it out. Search our minds and ask ourselves, “Did I sin against God? Either by commission or omission? Is this on a large scale, like am I going in the wrong direction, or is this a secret sin in my heart? Am I leaving out some personal directive He has already shown me and I need to do?
In personal prayer time, ask the Lord to reveal the problem. He is faithful. In Joshua chapter 7, God narrows down the problem for Joshua by choosing from the tribes, then the families, then the households, then the man responsible. Achan. All the time the Lord was closing in on Achan, he had a chance to confess. But he did not. Maybe he hoped God did not see him or would turn a blind eye. But once the perpetrator was identified, it was Joshua's turn to confront him.
Joshua spoke pleadingly to Achan saying, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me,” (Joshua 7:19). As the Lord was patient to give Achan time to confess, so Joshua was patient to let him have his time of confession. Although we do not have to confess to others what we have done or thought, we need to confess things to God in prayer. The Lord desires to relieve the guilt we bear when we are in sin against Him or against others. He desires to hold us tightly to Him, not to crush us, but to keep sin from coming between us. We can forget He loves us.
Now Achan, poor Achan, he had a clear directive of what not to do. And his whole family was “in” on it. The ripple effect of that sin caused many to be punished, even to death. The Israelites nearly missed entering the Promised Land because of it. If it was not for Joshua, acting as the intercessor, pleading before God, asking why He would bring them so far only to destroy them now, using the tiny town of Ai, the Israelites may not have known the problem and been utterly destroyed themselves.
Joshua asked the Lord why He would do this when other nations were watching them and would hear about their failure. And why couldn't they just stay on the other side of the Jordan, safe and sound (but not in the Promised Land). The other nations would judge God as unable to take care of His people (as Achan did) and kill off all of the Israelites, then what would God do for His name?
Seems silly yet we can think the same way. We can be deceived or discouraged by trials and think God made a mistake choosing us or maybe He just cannot do it. Maybe it was all wishful thinking not really “God's” directions. That is the devil talking. And he uses people to beat us down with sayings like that.
Joshua was not aware of the sin the in camp, the stolen stash that was hidden under the tent of Achan's family. Like a secret room hidden in our hearts, we can harbor some deep rooted sin. We may have practiced it and enjoyed it for so long that we hardly notice it. We might even think God is okay with it because He allowed us to “get away with it” for so long. Yet now it is time. If we will ask Him to point it out, He will. Then we must confess it to Him with an apology. Once confessed, the blood of Jesus washes us clean. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (1John 1:9). The blood of Jesus is not something we can see physically right now. It is a supernatural cleansing that happens spiritually when we believe. Believe it and live forgiven and set free. Walk on toward the Promised Land.
Sadly, for Achan, he was still under the Law at that time. He and his whole family were stoned to death. It was the “eye for an eye” era. Not so with us. We live in the age of the Church, otherwise known as the dispensation of grace. Jesus has come, conquered sin, beat back death, and now reigns supreme with the Father. His Holy Spirit inside of bornagain believers helps with conviction, confession, and conquering of sin in our lives. Then His love can flow freely through us to touch others' lives and introduce them to Christ. Let's be encouraged by God's words to “Get up!” God has not forsaken us and never will.