Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings.
Joshua 7:11 NLT
It’s easy to think that I can hide a sin, cover it up and pretend that it’s not there. But that doesn’t work – it’s just denial. I might hide it from the people around me, but I’m a fool to think I can hide it from God! Even when I’m committing the sin I’m in denial and being a fool and blind to the truth. There is no such thing as a secret sin.
This whole chapter shows something else. Sin isn’t a one-off. It doesn’t just affect the sinner. In this case it affected a whole nation, men died and then the man’s family suffered as he did.
If I think that my sin is harmless or only affects me, I really am in denial. My sin costs me God’s blessing and that has an effect on my family. It might also affect my community and even my nation. How can I be so foolish? More importantly, how can I be so selfish? And this is on top of the hurt that I cause my Lord!
If I sin, I need to be open about it, honestly admit what I have done. But it is far more important that I am obedient in the first place.