Joshua 6: Walls

Carcassonne

by Sean Munson

photo source






And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho,
that he lifted his eyes and looked,
and behold, a Man stood opposite him
with His sword drawn in His hand.
And Joshua went to Him and said to Him,
"Are You for us or for our adversaries?"

So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord
I have now come."

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped,
and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"

Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua,
"Take your sandal off your foot,
for the place where you stand is holy."

And Joshua did so.

...And the Lord said to Joshua:
"See! I have given Jericho into your hand,
its king, and the mighty men of valor.
You shall march around the city, all you men of war;
you shall go all around the city once.
This you shall do six days.

And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns
before the ark. But the seventh day
you shall march around the city seven times,
and the priests shall blow the trumpets.

...when you hear the sound of the trumpets...
all the people shall shout with a great shout;
then the wall of the city will fall down flat.
And the people shall go up every man straight before him."

- Joshua 5:13-15, 6:2-5

Jericho was a highly fortified city.

The first wall was twenty feet high and six feet thick.

There was a second wall - thirty feet high and twelve feet thick.

Formidable.

Impossible.

Insurmountable.

These must have been the thoughts going on in Joshua's mind as he stood before the walls of Jericho.

This is a familiar story to many of us. But I don't want it to be just another Biblical account that I remember well.

What is our response when we are facing walls that seem impossible to overcome?

The Jericho wall story taught me two important responses:

- the obedience of faith
- the obedience of silence


The Obedience of Faith

Lately God has been etching deep into my heart these words from Hebrews 4:2

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them;
but the word which they heard did not profit them,
not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

If I want the WORD that I hear to prove profitable or beneficial to me, there is a faith response required.

It cannot be emphasized enough: the words written in the Bible are spirit, truth, and life.

Truth is truth... whether we believe in it or not, truth does not change.

God is the Creator of the entire universe, and is Sovereign over all, whether we acknowledge Him as such, or not.


These thoughts are shared openly here, without any intention of sounding dogmatic or self-righteous.

As a record of my faith journey, this blog is written with the humble desire that in more ways than one, this woman's life may be a signpost that will help show the way and lead others closer to God.


The Word that I hear, the Word that I read and study, requires a response. God's WORD has to be met with a response of faith in my heart if I want them to feed and nourish my spirit.


For many years, I was unaware that I was receiving the Word of God mostly with my mind, as mere information.

There was intellectual assent, resulting in belief.

Somewhere along the way I realized that merely believing could not produce lasting change. If I wanted transformation, there had to be a response of faith as well.

A response of faith means that I am willing to receive the words not only in my mind but also in my heart, then act accordingly.

That is the only way that the words of the Bible become life-giving to anyone.




At Gilgal Joshua circumcised the Israelite men, and three days later, he led them in observing the Passover meal.

These two important acts of obedience clearly demonstrated that they had received the word of God and mixed it with a response of faith.

The Israelites were about to launch a major military campaign and were in great need of encouragement. They needed to be assured of God's provision, protection, and power.

The response of obedience was crucial.

God waits for the circumcision and the Passover to take place before revealing Himself to Joshua as the Commander of the Army of the Lord, the Lord of Hosts.

God reveals Himself to Joshua as Jehovah Sabaoth, the name God uses when He goes to war. It is His battle name.


There are things God requires of us, especially when we are about to enter enemy territory.

What is our protection and our assurance in the face of overwhelming odds?

I believe it is the response of faith, resulting in humility and obedience, that God is waiting for before He reveals the secret strategies that will help us win the battle.

In effect, God says to Joshua: I'm your Commander in Chief, I am ready to go to war, and I am about to reveal the battle strategies to you. Are you ready to do as I say?

Joshua had a choice - to respond with his head, or to respond with his heart.

Choosing the response of faith, he bows before the Lord, and obeys when the Lord tells him to take the sandals off his feet, for the ground on which he stands is holy.


Awe fills my heart as I read this story.

The sandals we wear touch the ground on which we walk and symbolizes the sphere of our authority and the extent of our territory.

There is something about taking off our shoes before the Lord.

It is an act of humility, a sign of submission, relinquishing what we think belongs to us... laying down our claims to what we have acquired, even by our hard work... our achievements... our accomplishments... the relationships we hold dear.


In my heart is this desire to do as Joshua did. To bow, and to take off my shoes.

To lay down my claims and turn everything over to God.

It is not that easy. To respond in faith is never easy.

But it is the only way to victory.


After Joshua took his sandals off, God revealed to Joshua that Jericho is already given into his hand.

Given into Joshua's hand. When I think of the concerns that are weighing my heart down these days, these words come as a much-needed encouragement.


We will always face walls in our lives. Walls that seem formidable and insurmountable.

But there are instructions to be followed, and a response of faith is required.

Will I believe? Will I obey? Am I willing?



The Obedience of Silence

The battle plans that Joshua received were quite unconventional. Go around the city once every day for six days without saying any word. The priests were to carry the ark, and seven priests with rams' horns were to go before the ark. All the people were to follow them.

These are strange plans indeed. But what I hear in my heart is important.

Am I willing to do as God says?

Often the defeat in our lives are brought about by the words we speak... or write.

This is a good and timely reminder for me. To choose carefully the words that come out of my mouth, or my hand.

Silence is a powerful weapon for spiritual warfare. We reveal and disclose too much to the enemy by what comes out of our mouths. When we talk too much, the enemy knows where we are weak, and targets those weak spots to defeat us and render us powerless before his evil schemes.

He is well able to recognize the men and women who are standing on God's authority in their lives.

We give ourselves away by our words.

Life and death is in the power of the tongue. And Joshua understood this as God gave him the battle strategy of maintaining silence before a formidable wall.


There is a time to speak, and a time to keep silent.


A few days ago, I wanted to call a loved one to tell her I was aware of what she was going through, and that I was praying for her. Suddenly, this thought came to my heart:

What is your motive in calling her? That plan is not from Me. There is no need to tell her what you know. Just pray.

These past days, every time I had the urge to share this important prayer request with a few close friends, I heard the same voice telling me: Keep that to yourself. I don't want anyone else to know what is happening. If you happened to know, it is only that you may begin to intercede, and in maintaining silence, you are preparing the ground for My victory to come.

Sometimes we need to share what is going on. There are times when we are required to keep our mouths shut.

I have been reading this Bible account the past weeks, and have been asking God to teach me how these words can be met with faith in my heart.


There is a time to speak, but there is a time to keep silent.


Over the years, I have seen myself fail in the area of my speech. Often unintentionally. But more out of habit... speaking out of turn...

being too quick with a witty reply... to speak my mind... to react in self-defense

At times, wanting to impress... to flaunt...

Or most of the time, just plain and simple disobedience - ignoring the gentle whisper in my heart.


These past months I have come to know better. Still there are many lessons to learn in this area.

To always let my words be guided by the Lord...

To be a woman who chooses not to react, but rather, to respond...


God told Joshua that there was a precise moment to shout - and then the walls will fall down, and the promised victory will come.


That is also what I desire... that I will know the moment to shout, and in doing so, pave the way for victory.

These Scripture passages nourished my spirit this morning:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

- Lamentations 3:22-26



For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.

- Psalm 62:1

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength...."

- Isaiah 30:15