Joshua 6:1-5 The Fall of Jericho
6 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”
In this passage, God’s method of warfare is very different from how typical military intelligence would come against the fortified city of Jericho! It is obvious to us that Israel would have to totally depend upon and trust God for the victory. Can you imagine being Joshua, a military strategist and leader, telling his leadership team and the nation of Israel their “marching orders?” I imagine it messed with their heads, because it would mess with ours. God’s ways are not our ways and we have to accept it. However, a constant remains for Joshua and for us today: our focus must be on the Lord (the Ark of salvation) if we are going to gain spiritual victories.
The Lord told Joshua right up front that He had already given Israel the victory, but Joshua still had to obediently walk through the process with God’s people. That is our message for today. God has promised us the victory over our spiritual enemies; He is doing battle on our behalf. Our part is to follow the lead of our Lord—to be in sync with His instructions. God did not need the Israelites to take down the walls of Jericho, but he wanted to reveal His power and manifest His promise to love Israel. This lesson is about laying hold of a true relationship with God; for Israel and for all of us as believers.
Prayer: Lord, today is a very important election day for the United States. We face many spiritual enemies that have come against the form of government you put into place, as well as your Wisdom for legislation, so we humbly bow to your lead. As you did with Joshua, please go before us Lord. Our focus is upon you and your will for this country. Our country is spiritually sick because we have rebelled against your Word and righteous commands of love. Therefore, we must repent. Holy Spirit, please draw us into repentance. We pray for an elected commander-in-chief to take office who will obediently bow to your authority. We pray for elected representatives and senators to take office who will also obediently bow to your authority. We stand against the spiritual enemies of division and we call for a wave of humility and collaboration to overtake our leaders. We pray for the people of this land to bow and honor your righteous rule. This election is a test and will reveal the spiritual future of this country. Bring revival to this land, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.