Unveiled Face: Jericho

In Sunday School, I remembered hearing the story about the Fall of Jericho. With the sound of trumpets, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. I remembered thinking that it was so cool! But after Sunday school, I didn't hear my pastors teach about this passage. I don't understand why, considering that it's one of the most applicable passages in the Old Testament.

God gave Joshua specific instructions in verses 2-5.

Joshua 6:1-11

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.” 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.

The soldiers followed Joshua's commands in verses 7-9. But pay special attention to verse 10.

Joshua 6:10

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.”

Remember, this is a war. Literally, all they did was march around the city. I looked in previous chapters to decipher the meaning of "camp" in verse 11. From what I collected, the camp had every Israel inhabitant (Joshua 3:1-3, 5:10). The men went back to "camp" to spend the night. That means that they saw their wives and children after a long day of war.

...Can you imagine these conversations?

DAY ONE:

Wife: Hello, my strong powerful husband! You are my Sun and Stars! How was the battle today? Did you kill anyone? Can I see their heads?

Soldier: UHH no...we kinda walked around the city. You know, we had to scope out the area...

Wife: OHH okay I understand..

DAY TWO:

Wife: Hello my Arms of Steel! I'm so glad you made it home today! How many people did you kill?

Soldier:UHHH so you know that thing we did yesterday? Yeah same thing...

Wife: Okay...

DAYS THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX: same conversation as DAY TWO.

Joshua NEVER told them when he will give his signal. NEVER. The soldiers obeyed God's orders, but it seemed pointless. Days of marching around the city just seemed like boring routine.

Sometimes when we obey God, we feel stuck in a boring, pointless routine. We don't know when God is going to intervene, but we obey him anyway. What if after the fifth day of marching around Jericho, the people collectively gave up? That's two days before Joshua gave them a signal. God would have never revealed their victory on the seventh day.

It reminds me of running marathons. 26 miles of nonstop running is stupid. I mean, maybe that's fun for some people, but I call it torture. I bet the best part of that torture is seeing the finish line. Although the runners barely have any strength to finish, they pump out their last amount of energy and finish the race.

I wish that life was like a marathon. Not that I'd enjoy killing myself slowly from wearing out my legs, but I'd want God to reveal my finish line. When will this pointless torture end? When will God reveal to me his glory? When will I give God his victory?

Only God knows our "finish lines". In the meantime, he wants to see if you will remain faithful to him through routine-like, boring tasks. If you stop running his race or stop obeying his tasks, you will never see your victory that God wants to give you.

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised.-Hebrews 10:35-36.

On the 7th day, the soldiers woke up early as usual and began their same ritual. Only this time, Joshua commanded, "Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction (Joshua 6:16-17)."

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 (Joshua 6:20).

Don't give up God's commands.

And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”-Joshua 10:25