Joshua 7:10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore do you lay thus upon thy face? 11 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. 14 In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man.
Covering and hiding one’s sins does not prevent God from offering the gift of repentance, even though it is not advised or recommended in the scriptures. In fact, it’s quite possible for persons to confess their sins under pressure, and yet it can be genuinely after the godly sort. In the above passage we observe that cautioned Joshua not to move forward with the public inquiry until the following day.
Question: Why wait until the morning? Answer: During the night, God would grant the same gift of repentance to and his household, and what he does with it will determine the outcome. Like the thief on the cross, he may have to suffer the adverse consequences, since thirty-six men had lost their lives on account of his sin.
Yet, he and his entire household could still be saved in God’s kingdom. Like as it was with David, a special interference from God would disturb Achan’s conscience that night, before he is cornered, and his response to God’s work on his heart is what will ultimately determine his eternal destiny.
Joshua 7:16 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!