Joshua 7:10 –
But the LORD said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this?”
This chapter was just after defeating Jericho soundly. One man during the plunder took some items for himself and as a result the Lord did not bless their next attack. The fled an army that was smaller and should have been easy to defeat. In a panic Joshua fell to his face asking the Lord why. Interestingly this was His response, which goes against what I would have expected. Why in some cases does God expect submission and reverence, while this time He wants Joshua up?
God in this case wants to explain why they failed and the actions he must take to recover his blessing. Interestingly the friend or foe comment from chapter 4 comes into play here. A friend may overlook the transgressions of one person, but God wants to make a point. Like the DI from PI, if one man fails in the platoon they all must pay. In this case the one person is sorted out and eventually punished for taking the sacred items.
In this instance the man, Achan, and his family were stoned to death even after confessing and return the items. Was this fair? Considering his stealing cost the lives of many during the attack, Achan could be considered a murderer and therefore death was appropriate. But why did his whole family have to die? Unless they all knew about the plunder and remained quiet, then they could be considered accessories. The key to take from this is to follow God without question. The grace of Jesus helps retain our salvation, but does not protect us from the results of our transgressions. So I ask was Achan “saved” or was he “confessing” because he had been singled out already?