“Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel… And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once… for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn,.. then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.’So Joshua called the priests.., ‘Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets before the ark of the Lord… Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.’
“And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them…
“On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times… And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said, ‘Shout, for the Lord has given you the city’… So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city.” Joshua 6:1-8,15-16,20
The plan sounded far-fetched, even unrealistic. Conquer an established, walled city ruled by a king and mighty men of valor by blowing trumpets? And in such strange manner? Why the intrigue of seven days of silent marching, and seven circumnavigations on the seventh day? The plan of the Lord seemed oddly curious, but the word of the Lord proved powerful. Joshua led Israel in a battle of faith. They defeated Jericho not by sword and spear but by obedience and confidence in the promise of God. (Psalm 20:7)
We live so much of our lives seeing through a mirror dimly, nit-picking at requirements we don’t understand, angry at this, worried about that. Our flesh vantage point fuzzies the possibilities of a transcendent, wonder-working God and we miss out on experiencing His marvels. We fear stepping out in faith because we lose desired control. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
But our Lord calls us to conquer these tendency-enemies, these squatters that take up space in our spirit land He wants to rule. Every mind- and control-grab is a rejection of surrender to Christ, a shrugging off of faith. We can’t serve two masters. (Matthew 6:24)
Will we continue in worldly practices, unwilling to test God’s promises, or take up the trumpet and set about God’s ways? What self-crafted tools of trade need we exchange for those of faith?
Lord, help me release my ways of thinking and doing to believe Yours, and so marvel at Your amazing glory.
As the rain and snow 