Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” (vv.1-6)
Jericho itself was on full alert; from a human perspective, this would be a hard, if not impossible, battle. Yet from God’s perspective, the battle was already over, because He can say to Joshua I have (in the past tense) given Jericho into your hand. The method of warfare given to Joshua by God was one that made absolutely no sense according to military intelligence. It required total dependence on God. It required great faith from Joshua because he had to explain and lead the nation in this plan. And, it required great faith from the elders and the nation because they had to follow Joshua in this plan. Obviously, this was something that God could have done without Israel’s help at all, but He wanted them to be a part of His work – as He wants us to be a part of His work today.
Joshua does not hesitate to do what the LORD has told him to do. And it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner as the other six days. And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city," that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword (vv.20-21).
Today, we should apply the same pattern when facing obstacles in our lives. Listen for that still small voice in His word, obey His instruction, trust He will bring us victory (as He did here with Joshua), and have the patience to wait on God as He brings His perfect will to completion in our lives.
The Truth: “Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD.” (Psalm 27:14)
