Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho
and the walls came a-tumbling down
and the walls came a-tumbling down
The lyrics above are more of the song that I posted yesterday about how Joshua and the Children of Israel took over the land of milk and honey ( The Promise Land of Canaan) that God had promised Abraham some 500 years before in Deuteronomy 6:3. There was one problem. First, they had to conquer the city of Jericho It would not be an easy task, and no doubt Israel was tired of the wandering they had done for the last 40 years in the desert. Could they really do this?
Now they had just crossed the Jordan river and were on its eastern banks in Canaan. (Joshua 3:14-17) It was a walled city, and basically unconquerable so how were they going to even attempt this? You may want to read more about just how high, wide etc those walls were proved to be in excavations of them by going to What should we learn from the walls of Jericho falling down?. But if not, let me tell you that the Children of Israel had to have some doubts about how they were going to overtake this city.
What kind of silly idea had God come up with now?
Did they forget all the things he had done in those 40 years for them from their release from captivity to the miracles he did for them to get them through the desert? Or had they seen what he had done for them and simply believed what he told them?
However silly it may have seemed, God did require this of them. And when he requires something of someone, he gives them the way to do it. In fact, in Jeremiah 32:27 he says this: Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too difficult for me? Whatever his plan was, anyone that may have been having any doubt was perhaps forgetting that the battle was not really theirs. It was God's.
So what was this plan?
The people were to silently march around the city for 6 days, and then on the 7th days they were to shout and that is exactly what they did. They shouted and blew their trumpets on that 7th day and the walls of the city immediately fell. And then God's people ran up into the city and captured it. Joshua 6:2, 16, 20.
It had been no silly plan of God at all. It had taught them and us that he sometimes does require certain things of us. Even when we don't always understand what he is doing. And when we do, he does great things in our lives. He teaches us that he keeps his promises and that he loves us. And last but surely not least, he teaches us that he can do anything because he is God and has that much power.
He is our God, just as he was the God of the Children of Israel for those that truly love and serve him.
The song about Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho is only partially true. Yes, he and the people did what God told them to do, but it was only because of God, that those walls came down. They did their part and then God did his. Just as he expects of us today.
March 21, 2019, Promise: And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. Luke 1:50
Hi Friends. I am glad you came today. Please come back tomorrow for another amazing Special woman. Thanks for your visit and have a blessed spring day!
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