Folly or Fulfillment?
Opening Prayer
Pray that through his Word today the Lord will bring your thoughts and ways into line with his.
Read Joshua 6:1-11
[1] Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. [2] Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. [3] March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. [4] 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. [5] 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.” [6] So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” [7] And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD.” [8] When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD’s covenant followed them. [9] The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. [10] But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” [11] So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the army returned to camp and spent the night there. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
What do you think the Jerichoites thought watching this march?Imagine what it must have been like to hear Joshua’s strange command as the people prepared to take Jericho. What a very strange way of besieging a city! The city is tightly shut up (1), but there is to be no storming of the walls and no attempts to undermine them, either. This exercise must have looked bizarre to the inhabitants of Jericho, too. Are these really the armies of the living God they’ve been so afraid of? All this must have been a true test of Joshua’s leadership, showing just why all those earlier assurances that he really was the person of God’s calling were really necessary. These plans, however, are not Joshua’s but God’s. Joshua merely passes them on. And as we saw yesterday, God’s ways are not ours, and we are to ally ourselves with his plans, not try to get him to endorse ours. In the end, the taking of Jericho will be a demonstration of the power of God alone, and the fulfillment of the promise he’s already made even before the “attack” begins: “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands” (2).
Apply
How might God ask you to trust him in something seemingly strange and illogical? Pray for all the faith you need.
Closing prayer
Lord, I don’t always understand Your ways, but I do always want to follow Your lead. Help me to trust You and obey.
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