So over the next few weeks I will be putting these messages on this blog, there are a few reasons for this, primarily my prayer is that someone reading the blog needs to hear the message of God in them.
Recently I have been looking at the Old Testament Heroes, spending some time reading through their stories and looking at the lessons that God has for us through them.
The story of Moses, is very well known. He had led God's people out of Egypt, across the Red Sea and away from slavery. During this time the Israelites had partaken in many miracles of God. Crossing of Red Sea, the 10 Commandments, 40 years in the desert to name but a few.
When Moses was about 120 years old, He chose a successor to lead the Israelite people when Moses died. Joshua was to be that man.
Joshua came from the tribe of Ephraim, part of the House of Joseph, which had commanded the most authority at the time. Joshua had been born in Egypt, and had experienced life as a slave. He had also took part in the Exodus and therefore the miracles that God had displayed.
Most importantly, God had called Joshua to lead His people. When Joshua was 80 years old, Moses died and the leadership of God's chosen people was passed on by Moses Deuteronomy 34.
Joshua was tasked with leading the Israelites into the promised land, into God's promise for the people. This begins with the crossing of the Jordan. What a lot of people don't realise, is that what happened at the Red Sea also happened here at the this time at the Jordan. The waters were parted and the Israelites crossed over on dry land.
Joshua 1:1-6
God had already told Joshua that the land was given to the Israelites. But it did not come to them without battles that they had to face.
The campaign of the Israelites entering into the promised land was lead by Joshua and opened with the siege of Jericho.
The city of Jericho itself, had been built to guard the Eastern approach to the hills, A city that trusted so much in the strength of its walls, as a defence.
Like Moses 40 years before him, Joshua sent spies into Jericho, before going to look at the fortifications for himself.
The King of Jericho and the people of the city had heard that the Israelites were coming, they had been warned if Joshua's spies, and they were afraid.
Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.Joshua 2:8-11
For this reason Jericho had been locked down. Its was prepared for the invasion. And it was quite some fortification. Archaeologists suggest that its walls were some 30 feet high, with an inner and an outer wall separated by 12-15 feet. The outer wall would have been a minimum of 6 feet thick.
The defences were so sturdy it had not been possible to move the walls to expand the city, instead houses were built between the walls.
It was for this reason that Joshua had wanted to see the defences for himself. He was a veteran commander and had already defeated Sihon and Og in battle. Yet at this time Joshua is met by an armed man
I had read this passage several times before I reached for the commentary to understand what was going on here.
Joshua had come face to face with the commander of the Lord's Army. Some claim it was an angel, in which case it was likely Michael, Others believe that this armed man was the Son of God Himself. Jesus standing before Joshua, either way it was a distinct message to Joshua. A reminder that He was not the highest ranking officer in God's Army. That he was not the true commander of Israel, but the servant of God.
We see shades of Jesus teaching in this - the first shall be last and the greatest among you must become a servant. It also highlights the New Testament teaching of Philippians 2:5-8
And only then does God give Joshua the battle plans.
March around the city walls with all the armed men - Repeat for the six days.
Take 7 priests to carry trumpets of rams horns. On the 7th day - march round the walls 7 times with the priest blaring trumpets. When you hear the long blast raise a shout and the walls will fall.
Notice the significance of the numbers here. 7 Priests. 7 Trumpets. 7 Days. 7 times round the wall.
7 is the number of completion, of perfection.
The Israelites also carried the Ark at this time. The Ark symbolised the presence of God among the people. And would serve as a reminder that it was God that sacked the city of Jericho, and not the people themselves.
The interesting fact to note is that the walls of the city fell outward. A physical impossibility. Only by having the walls attacked from the inside would the walls have fallen outward, But the walls of Jericho fell towards the Israelite people.
Yet another reminder for us and for the Israelite's that the city was delivered by God alone.
It also important to know that God had called for Jericho to be His. Unlike the future cities that the Israelites would sack, Jericho was not to be looted and plundered. In essences it was to be Israel's tithe to God, the first fruits of the Harvest. And the results of not keeping this 'first fruits' are clearly shown in Joshua 7 and make a whole different teaching that I will get to another time.
The church today is in much the same plight as the Israelites. We have experienced strong moves of God and moved into the wilderness. God has appointed His people and laid out His plans, just as He did with Joshua, and it is so vital that we follow those plans to the letter.
Only through Obedience and Unity, doing exactly what God tells us to do, can we overcome. There is nothing that God's people can not defeat, if and hen we stand together doing just what God tells us to do.
And its not just unity within the walls of our building, it must to be a unity with the people of God.
Our towns in the UK have become strongholds. My town is. It has become a fortress of sorts. And we WILL never see breakthrough without us all coming together under our leaders, supporting them as one. Keeping to the letter of God's plan.
As a church we need to understand that God calls our leaders, and He anoints them to lead just as Moses did with Joshua.Hebrews 13-17. We need to be praying for our leaders.
Our leaders in turn, need to understand that they are servants of God and of the people. Understanding like Joshua that they are not the ranking officer in the army of God. Knowing who the true commander of the Army is.
We need to be coming together as one.
Jericho would never have fallen had the priest's decided they wanted to play harps instead of horns. Or if they warriors had attempted to scare the Canaanites inside Jericho with their War Cries during the first 6 days.
Jericho fell because each person had a part to play, each person knew the importance of their part and followed the plan exactly. Each knew that Hod was present among them. And each worked together as one.
To labour the point I am making here, I will finish with Jesus prayer in john 17:20-23
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
This MUST be our prayer also. That we might be One.
Together, working as one, with God in our Midst, we can defeat anything and we don't even have to fight sometimes
This MUST be our prayer also. That we might be One.
Together, working as one, with God in our Midst, we can defeat anything and we don't even have to fight sometimes
