Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 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. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in” (Joshua 6:1-5 NIV). 

God does the impossible

This is a very well know story about Joshua and the walls of Jericho. However on closer examination and using our spiritual insight, we notice that this is not about Joshua blowing the walls down it is about obedience to God.

God appeared to Joshua and gave him some instruction that seemed crazy. March around the thick walled city but ensure that the Priest, that is, those who are carrying the glory of the Lord are at the front. Not only did the Ark represent the glory of the Lord, it also contained the tablet of stones on which were written the commandments and Aaron’s rod that budded. Joshua was given very specific instructions; everyone should march for seven days but only the priests should make noise for the first six.

I believe that these crazy instructions which Joshua carried out to the tee, was a means of testing his obedience. Remember that for the past 40 years he had been fighting using well rehearsed strategies to overcome all the ‘ites’ that they came up against. Now God had appeared to him and he had to relay these crazy strategies to his commanding officers.

Progressive prophetic leadership is not always logical! When we are led by the Spirit of God sometimes we cannot see the end from the beginning, however we are called to walk by faith and not by sight (2Cor 5:7). When we do this amazing things will happen.

So today whatever the walls are and however high they are ask God for a strategy to bring them down and he will give you one. It may not be what you envisaged but then his ways are not our ways, nor are his thoughts our thoughts!

Read Joshua 7