⁴ So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, ⁵ and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

 ⁶ Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel. And they put dust on their heads. ⁷ And Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord GOD, why have you brought this people over the Jordan at all, to give us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? Would that we had been content to dwell beyond the Jordan! ⁸ O Lord, what can I say, when Israel has turned their backs before their enemies! ⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it and will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will you do for your great name?”

¹⁰ The LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. ¹² Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. ¹³ Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.”

Joshua 7:4-13

This passage reminds me so much of myself. Often times I find myself on my knees before God asking Him why things are going so bad. Then He convicts me of sin and it all makes sense. Of course things are going wrong, because I’m in sin! 

But what really hits me about this passage is the response to sin. God doesn’t simply tell Joshua: “GG man, it’s over. Stay on your knees!” But instead, God says “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face?”

For Joshua and the Israelites, God’s promise was still true. He was going to give them the promise land. However, due to sin, they had ran into a hiccup. And now, similar to Matthew 5:29-30, except literally, they needed to cut off the part of the body that caused them to sin.

Thankfully, I don’t have to chop off parts of my body to address sin. Instead, Jesus bore the wrath and punishment for my sin. When I picked up my cross to follow Him, I died to this world and became a new creation in Him. In this assurance of salvation is the reason why when I am convicted of sin, I don’t end up on the ground forever. Instead, similar to Joshua, God says “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face?” Christ has paid for your sins and is dwelling in you now. Get up, consecrate yourself, and do the work I have called you to.