Dealing with my Jericho

Are you a person who likes to do the easy things first— then get to the hard things? Or do you choose to do the hard things first— then cruise on through with the easy stuff next?

I tend to want to do the hard things first. I’m not sure why— I guess I just want to get it over with— or deal with it when I’m most focused or strong, or dedicated. I think God might be that way too.

Joshua has led the people through the crossing of the Jordan River— back in chapter 3 of Joshua— and now they find themselves on the doorstep of one of the most fortified and strong cities in all the Promised Land. God seemingly is going to take care of the hard things first!

The big idea today is that just as Joshua and the nation of Israel faced formidable roadblocks in their travel into the Promised Land, we too face what seem like impossible blocks in our lives.

Maybe this is your experience also— but even just after we experience a glorious miracle with God, like crossing a river that dries up for you— you almost immediately run into a wall. You meet the enemy there in that resistance. We all face our Jericho’s. The challenges to moving forward with God.

The Big Idea:

God can make impossible dead-ends turn into victorious breakthroughs through faith not force.

Jericho is a very historic place. There has been archeological digs going on there for hundreds of years.

[photo of Jericho site today]

Because of the digging and research, Jericho is a very well documented place also. They have found an outer wall— and also an inner wall. The outer wall was about 6 feet thick and 15-20 feet high— the inner wall was About 12 feet thick wall, maybe as high as 30 feet high. It’s estimated that the city encompassed about 8-9 acres of land. It’s really not that big in today’s thought— but large enough to be like a little city. Can you imagine the sight of that? But yet, this is a daunting roadblock for the people. They had not obtained any heavy artillery catapults or scaling ladders or battering ram weapons— no real way to even get into the place.

They could have tried to make these things— but they weren’t even skilled or knowledgeable to figure out how.

Some 40 years earlier, Moses sent several spies into this land, and guess what? They reported that there were giant cities and powerful enemies in the land. In fact, Joshua was one of only two people to come back from that expedition and suggest that Moses lead the people head on into the hard things!

Joshua 6:1 NIV

1 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

This place, Jericho is actually a beautiful place— it probably was back then also. It’s almost dead center in the middle of Israel today— we can read previous to this, that Joshua also had sent some spies into the city— and a woman there named Rahab informs them that the whole city is basically afraid that they are coming.

But Joshua — although he was indeed a military trained fighting man— a soldier, he probably doesn’t have a really clear idea of what God is about to do.

Continue reading:

Joshua 6:2 NIV

2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.

The verb tense here— “have delivered” Jericho into your hands is very interesting. It’s what Hebrew language experts will call a “perfect possessive” tense. It’s basically saying even though it hasn’t actually happened yet— you can act as if it has.

[slide to describe perfect tense]

It’s as if God is saying— it’s already done, just trust me and follow my lead. It’s a promise.

That thought is echoed by Peter in the New Testament also:

2 Peter 1:3 NIV

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

As Joshua and all the men of war stood looking at those walls around that great city, God had a word of comfort for their hearts!

1. Here, God promises Israel the victory before they ever attack Jericho!

2. He lets them know about the conclusion before they ever enter into their battle!

With God, our dead-ends become breakthroughs. (v.2)

Our God is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever imagine.

He has a way of doing things that “only He could do”.

As we face the walled cities in our lives, these obstacles and challenges, we need to learn to believe the Lord, to take Him at His Word and trust Him for our victories!

Romans 4:20–21 (NIV)

20 Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

God’s solution to our challenges may involve an unconventional strategy (v.3)

Joshua 6:3 NIV

3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.

Joshua 6:4 NIV

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.

Joshua 6:5 NIV

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.”

Joshua and these seasoned fighting men had to make a conscious decision to obey God’s orders. This sounds more like a parade, than a war plan.

Can you imagine how this conversation went? Huddle up. “its a march”.

After one or two days I’m sure the guys were a little confused. “ok, I’m not sure what we’re actually doing here.”

It’s definitely something that Joshua would need to accept by faith.

God’s plan may not even make any sense at all to us.

IN this plan, there are a ton of strange things. We can’t unpack them all—but folks who study this type of thing closely will tell you that:

-It’s accepted that the seventh day of marching is actually the sabbath day. Why are we “working” harder than any other day on the Sabbath?

-It’s not the Levites that are carrying the Ark- it’s the priests.

-It’s completely foreign to them that God tells them to take the Ark into this “battle”— Leviticus 10-11 or so explain that the Ark is not supposed to be in battle.

-It’s not the silver trumpets that they usually used for war time. It’s the Shofar— a ram’s horn — that is always used to announce the year of Jubilee and the celebration festivals?

There are just way too many factors here that would lead almost everyone in the nation of Israel to look sideways at this plan.

But God is very clearly leading Joshua— and the Lord even mentions this later through the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 55:8–9 NIV

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

If God tells you to do something— even if it seems way too simple— we need to trust Him. Don’t kick and scream and make it something that it’s not.

Following God’s instructions requires steadfast faith, not human force. (v.6)

Joshua 6:6 NIV

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.”

Joshua 6:7 NIV

7 And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

Joshua 6:8 NIV

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.

God’s plans are sometimes very simple. We are the ones to often make it difficult.

When we meet someone and lets say they really hate another person— I hate that guy.

“Really?” I say. You have a problem with that person? “Yes, he hurt me— or he owes me” I can’t stand that guy.

You seem like you’re pretty festered up about all that. How long has it been? 10 years. Wow. 10 years you’ve harbored this hatred in your heart— like a roadblock— a dead end. Why don’t you just forgive him?

WHAT?

Yeah— that’s what Jesus tells us to do…

But pastor, you just don’t… No— don’t make it more complicated.

Forgive as the Lord for gave you. Matthew 18:21— The story of the unmerciful servant. Forgive them— and pray for them.

That’s it. Be free of the hatred— forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Take a look back at the situation here:

7 seems to be a common theme or number in God’s plan.

7 priests, 7 trumpets, 7 days— and then 7 times on that 7th day.

It is a number that means “completeness.”

Its actually the symbol of complete blessing for God’s people—but also complete judgment for the people who live in the land. All these people have turned away from God and done really horrible things.

That is echoed also in the book of Revelation with several observances of groups of 7. The judgment on these people was not complete— part of the promise was to give Israel this land— but it was also part of the promise for justice to be served on those who purposely are rebelling against God— and you can read about how bad it got in Leviticus. God is using Israel as the instrument of His plan for the land.

If’ you’re here today, and you’re not right with God— judgment is coming. There is no neutral. Too many people in the world today want to separate themselves from the truth— you are either right with Him through the sacrificial death and resurrection power of Jesus— or you are not right with God and will be subject to His judgment.

Joshua 6:9 NIV

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.

Another observation I want to make here is that out in the middle of the whole procession here once again is the Ark. This symbol of God’s presence. Out in the line up— right in the middle of the procession.

Joshua 6:10–11 NIV

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.

God asks us to follow the instructions— even to show restraint at times— they were instructed here NOT to shout or even talk with a loud voice, until the seventh day. One of the hardest things I’ve faced in my life— maybe you too— is to be quiet and listen. It’s a discipline. It’s even more difficult to get a group of people to be silent.

People are generally uncomfortable with silence. Always something running— music, talk radio, TV, etc.

March

How to line up

A front guard, the priests, the Ark, and then the rear guard.

Defeating our Jericho requires three factors: The presence of God, in the midst of His people, believing His promises.

God asks them to go for a little walk for six days in a row—shut up and listen for the sound of freedom.

Sometimes we want to run ahead and try to win the battle on our own. I know that’s my tendency. “Oh I know exactly what to do— I have this shield and sword and I’m going right in there and take care of business”. NO

The Jericho’s of our lives represent these roadblocks— dead ends. Jericho comes to us in all sorts of different ways:

Bad habits, selfishness, anger issues, strongholds of lust or greed. Emotionally we face temptations.

We all have our stuff. I have Jerichos in my life. Strongholds in my life that I have had to seek God’s power, within His presence, among His people, believing His promises. Those are like “internal” Jerichos.

Other times, we face “external” Jerichos. Like praying for that person in your life that you know needs to meet Jesus. When LORD will you break through? Sometimes we need to start marching in prayer— and we will learn every little crack and crevice in that city wall.

Sometimes we need to remember how many times the people were instructed to march around Jericho?

13 times. once each day for 6 days, and then 7 times on that 7th day.

God’s presence

Within a community of people

Trusting His promises.

Do you have these three elements in your life?

God’s instructions to Joshua about the taking of Jericho contain no reference to military strategy but rather indicate that it is essentially to be a ritual ceremony.

David M. Howard Jr.

These narratives in scripture often double tell the story— they describe what is going to happen— then they record that it did indeed happen!

Joshua 6:11 NIV

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.

Joshua 6:12 NIV

12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.

Joshua 6:13 NIV

13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding.

Joshua 6:14 NIV

14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

Joshua 6:15 NIV

15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.

Joshua 6:16 NIV

16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!

Joshua 6:17 NIV

17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.

THis is a tremendous and dramatic victory. This powerful city— with all the fortifications that man can create— falls with a crash causing chaos and destruction and death.

Devoted here means something very particular.

Hebrew word Herem or Harim. It’s basically “dedicated” or sometimes to “utterly destroy”.

There are several times in the book of Joshua where the people are allowed to glean or take some of the stuff from the results— but not this one. God is saying “this one is mine”. All of it. Even the gold and silver and valuables:

Joshua 6:18 NIV

18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.

Joshua 6:19 NIV

19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”

From this we need to understand that:

The result of God’s plan is holiness and worship, not possessions and wealth.

Jericho, the word itself means “City of Fragrance”— it was historically known for sweet smelling flowers and fresh water springs. But it was to be dedicated to the Lord in a tragic ending. That beauty had become rebellious to God— isn’t that just how the Enemy works. He twists that which God made to be something evil and disrespectful to God.

If I’m going to trust Him for the victory— I will also trust Him to provide for me afterward.

If you read ahead in chapter 7, you’ll read a tragic story of a man named Achan who steals some of the spoils, and causing a curse to fall on the whole nation. God is serious about this holiness.

The process by which we will face and break through our Jericho will follow a God ordained pattern:

Slow- Whatever you are facing was established in your life over a long time. The enemy has been building walls for a long time. Keep marching.

Powerful- The community of God’s people together cannot be stopped. The group gathered in Jesus’ name is more powerful than the sum of it’s parts. Get into community.

Loud- The Shofar will sound for you— and you can shout for the victory.

Joshua 6:20 NIV

20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.

We want to emphasize today that if you are facing Jericho, that there is hope. There is victory. We are fighting a battle, that God has already won.

The enemy has twisted something good in your life— maybe you need to begin a process to slowly, powerfully, and loudly join God in dedicating your Jericho back to God.

Is it your anger? Is it your pride? Is it your sexuality? Is it your possessions, your greed for more? What is that Jericho in your life?

“God most often works victory in ways that lead us to know that it was only Him who accomplished it”- Pastor Charlie Grimes

We want you to make that change today— it’s a process that God will reveal to you. In prayer, with friends, in God’s timing, and for His glory.