While Joshua 7 Reminds Us of the Righteousness of God and the Dangers of Offending Him

Joshua 8 – July 14th

While Joshua 7 reminds us of the righteousness of God and the dangers of offending Him with our sin, Joshua 8 emphasizes His forgiveness and mercy. Israel really messed up at Jericho. They started well, acting in obedience, but there was sin within the camp, and God punished them for it. As humans, our reaction when someone breaks our trust or offends us is to trust them less the next time around. We “shorten the leash,” so to speak. God is smarter, no surprise.

Israel sincerely repents and deals with the sin promptly at the end of chapter 7. Rather than simply withholding blessing, God gives the Israelites the same promise He had already given them: “Do not fear or be dismayed. Take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai; see, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land” (Josh. 8:1). There is no grudge held against them for disobeying. There is no threat if they were to sin again. In fact, there is not even one stipulation. Tyler Kenney says it this way: “So what is god’s response to Israel’s abuse of grace and their subsequent repentance? More grace.”

This is all over the Bible! Think of the prodigal son from Luke 15. He gives his son a great gift. His son abuses the gift. Upon returning, at rock bottom, aware and repentant of his mistakes, the father does not reject him. He does not make him stay with the servants. He invites him in, slaughters the fatted calf (reserved for special occasions), and throws a party. This is how God treats Israel in chapter 8. Instead of withholding, he actually increases His blessing—this time, He bestows much of the spoils of war upon them. This is a picture of each and every regenerate believer. We have been shown incomprehensible grace; yet, we still sin. And every time, God welcomes us back, faithful to forgive our sins and continue the process of sanctification, making us more and more into the likeness of His son on a daily basis.

I am an addict of God’s grace. I am in need of it every second of every day. However, we must be careful not to live a lifestyle of abusing that grace; this is not a sign of a heart that has been truly changed by God. Humans have a tendency to swing the pendulum too far in any one direction. There are legalists, who tend to love rules more than they love the Lord (not enough grace). Then there are the antinomians, who seem to love grace so much they do not care for holiness (too much grace). Paul, anticipating that many would swing the pendulum too far, says, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom. 6:1-2). Remember, and be encouraged—if you are faithful to repent and turn away from your sin, becoming a child of God, He will pour out His great grace on you, just like He did with Israel in Joshua 8.