{vi 5985-5996}Joshua 7:8-19
Just as Achan’s sin hindered victory for Israel, so if the flesh is allowed among the people of God, the Spirit is hindered in bringing our souls into the enjoyment of our portion in Christ. Then when trouble comes, as it did here, the first thought of our natural hearts is to try to escape the. This, we believe, is the reason why, when trouble comes into an assembly, some are turned aside, while others fear to act in faithfulness.
At this point, therefore, God spoke to Joshua saying, “Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies.” It was a fine thing for Joshua and the elders of Israel to humble themselves before God, but when unbelief came in as to the path God had chosen for them, and when they thought more of themselves than of what was due to God, God had to rebuke Joshua. We hear much about the importance of prayer, and this indeed a necessary and important thing, but when action has to be taken according to the Word of God, and we refuse or hold back, then prayer k of no avail. The word then is, “Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?” Unless prayer is the expression of our dependence and confidence in God and in accordance with His revealed mind and will, it is only a repetition of words, and may even become a wish on our part that God would acknowledge our wills instead of His own perfect will. This is deeply solemn.
Israel had sinned. Although it was only one man who had done the evil act, God says “they,” and tells Joshua in detail all that had taken place, sometimes we would like to blame some other person when difficulties arise, thus justifying ourselves, but when failure comes in among the people of God, God would have us confess our part in it, for “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” 1 Corinthians 5:6. We all have our part in these things, and we ought to own this to God, for the whole testimony is weakened, and God is publicly dishonored by sin among His people, We are all affected and ought to all own it.
And so God told Joshua that this was the cause of their shameful defeat at Ai, and moreover, He said He would not be with them any more if they did not deal with the evil that was among them. There is no easy way out of trouble. Sin must be dealt with according to God or we cannot stand before our enemies, whether it be the children of Israel in Canaan or ourselves today. God has told us that holiness becomes His house forever. (Psalms 93:5.)
God then told Joshua what was to be done. There was to be no delay, now that God had made the evil manifest. Sometimes we have to wait upon God to bring things to light, but when He does we ought to act at once for His glory. The next morning, therefore, God said all the children were to be brought together, and to pass before Joshua tribe by tribe. God then manifested that it was in the tribe of Judah, and so they were taken family by family. God showed Joshua that the evil was in the household of Achan, and so Joshua asked Achan to confess what he had done to the Lord and to him, and he did so.
ML 03/22/1953