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Blog readers liked our Sunday School discussions on Joseph , Moses, and the Ten Commandments, so I thought I would share what we talked about regarding Joshua and the fall of Jericho. For those of you that don’t know the story, you can find it in the Bible in the book of Joshua, but I’ll give a brief synopsis here:

Moses finally brought the children of Isreal into the promised land, but the problem was it was already inhabited. So Joshua sent spies into Jericho to check out the situation, and the spies were hid by a kind and bright harlot named Rahab. She saved the lives of the spies and sent them safely on their way, asking only that when they took the city to spare her and her family. The spies agreed and returned to Joshua. But how would they take such a walled city?

Joshua prayed and God gave him an answer. It was a bit odd, but Joshua trusted it and was obedient, never worrying that it sounded unlikely to do any good. They were all to march around Jericho silently followed by large shouts and trumpet blasts after it was circumnavigated. They were to do this six days in a row in the same way. On the seventh day, they were to go around silently seven times in a row, before letting loose their clamor. That time when the trumpets blew, and they shouted loudly, those impenetrable walls simply fell down before them, to the astonishment of everyone. Joshua’s people simply walked in and easily took the city, while keeping their promise to Rahab.

Our gleanings from this story:

• Listen for guidance from God before proceeding in any undertaking. Get quiet and you will hear your answer, even though it may be unexpected in content. Then you need to follow as directed, giving all glory to God.
• Be sure to listen to God and not the arguments of the human mind which will try to discredit spiritual inspiration, sow seeds of doubt, and dissuade you from taking action.
• Obedience to God brings solutions that are sometimes unusual, but always reliable. We must proceed based on spiritual discernment, even when we do not have any physical evidence that solutions are at hand.
• Walls of all kinds are brought down through faith and unity. We need more faith and unity applied to the obdurate “walls” we need to fight in our own day and time. (We discussed what some of those walls may be.)
• The faith that knocks down walls is made up of stillness, obedience and also joy, so we should cultivate those qualities. We should be confident in God, expecting to be dazzled every time.
• Commitment to obedience is victory in itself in every department of life. This is something we can apply in our own lives, and it will bring about the needed changes for us as well, every time.
• No wall or opposition can obstruct those siding with almighty Truth. Let’s make sure we are on God’s–Truth’s– side and we will win if we are humble enough to do as Truth requires.
• We can expect every evil to fall because it is built on a shaky foundation of hubris and trumped up weakness.
• Think of those in the city looking out. What the heck was that army doing out there? How many were they? They were probably afraid, and that fear most likely grew increasingly each day, until on the last day, when it mushroomed horrendously huge. Fear always lays waste and devastation in its path. Avoid fear like the plague–it is dangerous!– for it brings devastation and disaster in its wake. Refuse to look at or listen to fear if you want to be safe and sound.
• Furthermore, keep your promises, and be open to unexpected allies even among the ranks of the opposition.
• And if you, like Rahab, find yourself caught on the wrong side, be courageous enough to subversively help those that side with good, until good wins the day, saving and releasing you from that snare.

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