Hebrews 11:30-31

Hebrews 11:29–31 ESV

29 By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

In verse 29, the Israelites were complaining and whining about everything. In verse 30, they walked around Jericho and experienced the victory of God. We really need some parentheses between verses 29 and 30 because so much life happened from Exodus 14 to Joshua 2 when they spied out Jericho. So much sin. So much distrust. So much punishment and death. So much wandering and waiting. So much roller coaster religion. So much sanctification and growth. Without the parentheses, Israel would not have been ready for the victory of verse 30.

The growing seasons of life are necessary for the victorious seasons of life. The road to spiritual victory is truly God’s victory because it’s powered by the grace of God for the providence of God through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Here are five truths about God from Israel’s victory over Jericho

1 - God invited Joshua to stand in the presence of his holiness.

Joshua 5:13–15 ESV

13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

This was probably a normal conversation in those days. People carried swords with them and it was important to know who were friends and who were foes. The commander of the Lord’s army stood before Joshua. The Bible doesn’t tell us who the commander of the Lord’s army, but we can take a guess based on two clues. First, we can go to Exodus 3 and find “take off your sandals for you are on holy ground” when Moses was confronted by the Lord in the burning bush. Second, in Revelation 22:8, John fell down before the angel that was with him throughout the vision. The angel rebuked him and told to worship God alone.

The important part of these verses is that Joshua was invited to stand in God’s holiness before God revealed his upcoming plan. Worship and adoration was the natural result. Center stage of Israel defeating Jericho is God’s holiness and man’s worship.

Central to God revealing his future plans in our life is God’s holiness and our worship. We look around at the current events and all the evil in our world ~ center stage is God’s holiness and man’s worship.

Your back hurts. Your leg hurts. Your brain hurts. Your memory is fading. Your anxiety and stress is spiking. Your car is broken. Your money is gone. Your sin is heavy. Your marriage needs help. Your family needs salvation. Your emotions ache. Your heart is heavy. Parenting is difficult. Being a teenagers isn’t easy either. You want to fix what you cannot control. Your mental tank is running on empty.

What is taking center stage of your life? If God’s holiness and man’s worship were vital to what happens next in Israel’s story, they have to be vital to what happens next in our story. Matthew 11:28 -“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” This verse is a clear invitation to stand in the presence of his holiness.

2 - God decided Jericho would be defeated and Israel would be victorious

Joshua 6:1–5 ESV

1 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

In Bible times, a city wall was your protection. The gates could be closed so the city was shut off from the rest of civilization. Verse 1 tells us the people of Jericho were scared and isolated themselves until they could figure out what to do. Verse 2 records the Lord decided Jericho would be defeated along with its king and all of its top officials. Israel would be victorious. In verses 3-5, the Lord ordered steps to fulfill his purposes.

There is a simple, but important, lesson in these verses that we need to see. Not only did God control the outcome, but God also mandated every step along the way.

Those Israelites footsteps had to be evil and demon-possessed. Don’t be foolish! It would be foolish to credit any number of footsteps with more power than God’s words. Equally, it would be foolish to think any created being, human or angelic, had more power to carry out a plan different than God’s plan. Created beings always fulfill the purposes of the Creator. ALWAYS!

Chris, God could have given Israel that victory an easier way with less bloodshed, why didn’t he do it? I don’t know. That’s his decision. We need more focus on God’s holiness and man’s worship and less focus on why God doesn’t do things according to human understanding.

3 - God gave simple instructions that required a trusting, patient obedience.

Joshua 6:6–16 ESV

6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.” 7 And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.” 8 And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them. 9 The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” 11 So he caused the ark of the Lord to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. 12 Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days. 15 On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city.

Sourdough bread has become my go-to bread for lots of reasons. There is a specific process for the correct sourdough outcome. According to www.theclevercarrot.com, “In approximately 7+ days you’ll get 1 cup of bubbly, active sourdough starter…” The author also said, “yes, it takes that long - there are not shortcuts” because “sourdough is more than just a recipe; it’s an understanding.”

This author’s recipe:

Day 1 - Add 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup of water into a 24 oz jar.

Day 3-7 (each day) - 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup of water.

Sourdough is a great example because it is simple, takes 7 days, and is more than just a recipe for success. It’s an understanding. It is possible to ruin a sourdough starter.

Day 1-6 - The entire army needs to walk around the city walls without making any noise. Seven priest need to lead them with the Ark of the Covenant. They need to blow their trumpets. Go back to camp and wait.

Day 7 - Do everything that you did the first six days, except do it 7 times. On the 7th lap, you will shout like your life depends on it.

A simple, 7-day recipe that required understanding. Israel was the sourdough starter being fed by God’s ingredients and instructions. Israel couldn’t get ahead of the process because God’s purposes were to be fulfilled. Israel’s role was a trusting, patient obedience. Continue reading Joshua and see the outcome.

We are the sourdough starter. We are to have a trusting, patient obedience according to the ingredients God is feeding into our life. We are also to avoid those things that will ruin us.

4 - God declared that selfishly keeping what was devoted to him was disastrous

Joshua 6:17–21 ESV

17 And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. 19 But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” 20 So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. 21 Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.

Everything Israel found in the city was devoted to the Lord for destruction, with a few exceptions. I want to point out one thing from verse 18. Don’t take for your own possession anything that has been devoted to the Lord. You will destroy Israel and you will bring trouble upon yourself.

In the context of this passage, some things devoted to the Lord are holiness, worship, understanding, trust, obedience, and the control of outcomes.

Maybe your application today is more focus on God’s holiness and man’s worship and less focus on why God doesn’t do things according to your understanding.

5 - God protected Rahab because she took a huge risk for God.

Joshua 6:22–25 ESV

22 But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” 23 So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. 24 And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 But Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

If you want all the details about Rahab’s risk, you need to go back to Joshua 2. While the spies were in Jericho, Rahab hid them in her house, which was built into the city wall. She told them where to hide for 3 days before heading back to their camp. When Jericho officers can into her home, she took a risk because she knew that God was on their side. They made an agreement that preserved her life and anybody with her because she preserved the lives of the spies. Rahab was honored because she chose to partner with what God was doing with the Israelite nation.

As I wrap this up, what risks are you currently taking to partner with God in our community?