Joshua 7:13
““Get up! Sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, for Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, “There is a devoted thing among you, Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted thing from among you.””
What does Joshua 7:13 mean?
God is telling Joshua that Israel's defeat in battle happened because something "devoted" (stolen from God during their conquest) remains hidden among them. Until they identify and remove whatever was taken, they won't succeed against their enemies, and they can't move forward spiritually. The command to "sanctify" means to set themselves apart, get honest, and prepare their hearts for what needs to be made right. This speaks to how unconfessed wrongdoing creates a barrier between us and God, affecting not just our spiritual life but our ability to face the real battles we're in. Sometimes we need to stop, look inward, and deal with what we've been holding onto before we can move ahead.