| Pastor Tim Lee: Jericho,walls that came down. |
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6:1Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 6:2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, [and] the mighty men of valour. 6:3 And ye shall compass the city, all [ye] men of war, [and] go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 6:4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. 6:5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long [blast] with the ram's horn, [and] when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. 6:6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD. Jericho was a fortified city that just happened to be, in the way of the children of Israel entering into the land of promise. It is recorded in history about the thickness of these walls around Jericho, that on the width of these walls that three to five chariots could pass each other on the walls. Joshua has the leadership position and the leading of the Spirit to lead these children of Israel into the promised land. Jericho goes into lock down when word gets back that the children of Israel was coming. Joshua being a man of war knows that in the natural, this city could not be taken in attacking the walls. You got to look back with me to the time, that Moses sent spies of that numbers was Joshua that came back from veiwing the giants saying, we are well able to take the land. Take special note to verse 2, the Lord said unto Joshua, I have given into thine hand the land, the king and the mighty men of valour. God had instructions, that were especially for the children of Israel, in how the walls would be brought down. God has a plan that includes marching, a trumpet sounding and a great shout. What would have happened had they not marched, or not sounded the trumpets or made no great shout? I hope you understand that God has his reasons for us to obey, his instructions. God knows the end from the beginning, Joshua knew what the Lord told him in the present. God knew that Jericho was only the beginning to many victories that were ahead of the children of Israel.
6:16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.
Look with me at how simple following the Lord's instructions are and the results of keeping his commandments. The children of Israel marching when it was time to march, blowing the trumpet when it was time to blow the trumpet, and shouting a great shout when it was time to shout unto the Lord. The results in following God's plan brought down the walls of Jericho, delivered the land and the king and the mighty men of valour into the hands of the children of Israel. I can't find anywhere in scripture that people failed to succeed, where they keep the commands of God. I find numberous times, where people failed, when they went in opposition to the Lord's commands.( King Saul ) The same applies to the day and hour we live, God expects his people which are called by his name to keep his commandments. Maybe your walls are not as high or as thick as the walls of Jericho, yet their still walls. They are walls that's keeping you from the place that God would have you to be. Are they walls that keep you from being a prayer warrior? Are they walls that keep you from attending church regularly? Enough about what the walls can do unto you, they're walls that through faith God will bring them down. Got any rivers? you think are uncrossable. Got any mountains? you can't tunnel through. God specializes in things thought impossible, and he can do what no other god can do. |
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