Joshua 6. We will go to verse 12. This is the fall of Jericho. I am going to read a bit here through verse 21. But I want to tell you that the text (something just to keep in mind) of this miracle tells us about three times what happened or it tells us what is going to happen, and Joshua gives the command to make it happen, and then it tells us what happened. So that is an integral part of this particular miracle.
This particular miracle - another astounding miracle - all they do is march and shout and play trumpets. And everything was done for them. The defenses of the city - they were completely obliterated. They were wide open for conquering, for Israel to conquer the people there in Jericho.
Now, this miracle, it is about obeying the voice of the Lord. That is what this miracle emphasizes. That is why it is repeated. The instructions are repeated several times, and then we find out through the course of the story that the people did exactly what God asked them to do. They followed the instructions. And when they followed the instructions, God responded and did exactly what He said He would do, which was to completely conquer Jericho. He made it easy. He did most of the work.
There are a few interesting little details about like they were supposed to march in silence. It is an interesting detail. How does that apply to our walk, our marching with our Leader? It shows a measure of trust and respect and of course obedience as well, that the people did exactly what He said.
And finally, the whole city and everything in it was devoted to destruction - is another big principle here. Those things except for some of the things here. What does it say? The silver and the gold was for God to put in the treasury, but everything else, everything organic, everything alive in the city was destroyed. They were to take nothing for themselves during this miracle or during the conquest of the city.
Like I said, I think this really helps us to understand what we are getting into here in terms of the miracle at Jericho. I think it makes this commentary, if you will, by Paul, applied to what happened at Jericho, really clarifies things.
Now remember, Christ is represented here by Joshua himself, but also by the ark of the covenant that is being carried around the city and the priests' trumpets blowing announce His presence.
We saw that in Jesus in the Feasts, Part Three, and the Day of Trumpets. What do trumpets signify in terms of the Feast of Trumpets and that is, that God is King, and He is here. He is our present divine King.
Now it is interesting to understand too that the Israelite warriors are there. There is a guard out front, and there is a guard at the back. So the warriors are there, marching, I almost want to call them an honor guard because they are present. They are equipped to fight. But they do not eventually do a whole lot of it because God does most of the work.
So the advance guard is there, the rear guard is there, but they say and do little but march and shout. They march; they follow the ark. They follow the directions. And they shout. What are they shouting? Well, shout of a shofar, shout of praise and honor to their King. They are not doing fighting; they are marching, and they are praising their God and their King.
The whole story, I feel, is designed to impress on a person reading it that God's agency and power in delivering enemy strongholds into our hands is awesome! How much do we have to do? We have to march along following God and praising Him for all His wonderful acts and all the gifts that He gives us and the grace that He gives us, our forgiveness, and all the wonderful things that He does.
And we watch Him work. We do almost nothing but obediently go along for the ride and cheer His presence and His absolute power over the opposition.
You know, we get ourselves into a lot of trouble when we try to interfere with God and the way He is working. How many times do we get out ahead of … . . .