Get up…Israel has sinned

“And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.”

- Joshua 7v10-11

Israel was all crossed over the Jordan. As they followed God’s instructions He gave them a great victory at Jericho. Jericho was a massive, well-fortified city, yet it literally fell to pieces before Israel. The next city in the battle plan was Ai. A much smaller city, it should have fallen easily. However, there is no indication that they sought God’s will; they just went out to battle and were stunned with a crushing defeat.

Joshua was distraught! How could we lose a battle like this? He went to God and asked God how He could let this happen. God was quick to response, but it was surely not the response Joshua wanted. God said, “Get up from there Joshua. You lost because Israel as sinned.”

Joshua was blaming God. God, on the other hand, put the blame squarely where it belonged, on Israel and her sin. A modern day preacher might put God’s answer this way; “Quit your pity party Joshua. Israel has sinned, lets deal with it and get on.”

How often do we blame God for the way things are going when the fault is really ours? How often does God to us, “Get over the pity party, deal with your sin and get on with it?”