Wednesday, July 04, 2007

And Jericho fell

I have to admit, after years of reading this story, I still find it fascinating. Found in Joshua, we find God performing the amazing through his people.

First off, Jericho was a real city. It had real people, it was surrounded by a real wall. It was solid. Thought to be impenetrable.

I found this kids site which talks about it abit. Christian Answers. This site talks about how archaelogists have proven that everything said in the bible is accurate. I found it useful to acutally picture what the city might have looked like.

So Joshua had the people do just what God had commanded:
8And 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. 9The 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. 10But 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." 11So 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.

12Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13And 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. 14And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days.

Can you imagine?
Just walking. No talking, yelling, screams of defiance, just walking around a city for six days. All the noise heard was the trumpets of the Lord sounding.
Then on the seventh,
15On 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. 16And 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.
on the Seventh day you walk seven times, shout loudly AND... the WALLS FELL DOWN!

I find that totally amazing.

Totally shows the power of God over anything that man can create. GOD is WAY Better. it is just too neat this story of God at work AND his people being faithful.

2 comments:

Hanley Family said...

This is one of my favorite stories out of the Old Testament. My favorite is actually just before the wall...when they are crossing the Jordan and have to step in the water to make the river stop flowing. I guess at the point where they were, it was no gradual slope and the priests would have had to just jump in...no dipping the toes first to see if God really would do what he said. They had to trust Him completely.

And I'm also here to tag you. I don't normally tag people, but for once I decided to play along.

Annette said...

oh...that is neat. the whole trusting in God whole-heartedly thing. Thanks.