Clearing the Conscience

“But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan… took of the accursed thing…. and they have put it even among their own stuff.  Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you” (Joshua 7:11,12).  “And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). 

The Lord had set the promised land

Before His people Israel.

The help of God would make them stand,

And by His hand the nations fell.

But after Israel’s victory

Which God had wrought in Jericho,

They did not wait on God to see

If they were cleared to further go.

The Lord could see His people’s pride;

He also saw what Achan did.

The thing accursed was hid inside,

But nothing from the Lord is hid.

There is an vital lesson here,

By which we should be exercised:

We need to have a conscience clear

From things that are by God despised.

The Lord is searching us within,

And He will show us each mistake.

He cleanses us from all our sin  

Which we confess and will forsake.

O Lord, we come to You again

That You may wash our conscience clean

Without offense toward You and men,

That Your salvation may be seen!