God Has Given You The City
Joshua 6
1. Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No-one went out and no-one came in.
2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.
3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.
4 Make 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, make 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."
Jos 6:16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! (NIV)
Jos 6:20 When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. (NIV)
On what authority and on what basis did the Israelites march against Jericho?
Where did they get this crazy battle plan?
What made them actually do it?
2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.
The city was shut up tight. There was no way in except over the wall.
Notice God said, "I have delivered it into your hands…". By all outward appearances, the city was impenetrable. By outward appearances, Jericho belonged to the citizens of Jericho. But God said to Joshua, "It's already yours. I have delivered it." All that was left was to march in and take it.
3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.
4 Make 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, make 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."
What a plan! This was insane. March around the city. Make yourself a target AND a laughing stock. Naturally, we want to fight. We want to plan and strategize.
I can't help but wonder today about some of the strategizing and planning that goes into ministry. Now I realize the wisdom of counting the cost and making a plan. If you aim at nothing, you'll hit nothing.
But whatever happened to getting the plan from God. His battle plan may not make much sense to the intellect, but it works in the spirit.
Jos 6:16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! (NIV)
These people actually believed that what God said was true. They marched in on nothing but the fact that God had said to do it.
The Bible said,
Jas 2:23 . . . Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness . . .
God had said to Abraham, when he was an old man and was past the age of producing children, that he would give him children and would make a nation of people out of him. Abraham accepted what God said, even though it was impossible from human standards.
(Now, down the road, Abraham got tired of waiting and began to doubt and got in the flesh and messed things up, like most Christians do.)
Great exploits have always been done by people who believed God and attempted the impossible and unrealistic.
Joshua went up against Jericho.
Jehoshaphat faced the Ammonites.
David fought Goliath.
All by faith - all impossible odds - all unrealistic from the view of man. But all victorious!
What promise has God given you?
Mr 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (AV)
Mr 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (AV)
Mr 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mr 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (AV)
Mt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mt 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen. (AV)
Mt 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (AV) Mt 5:13 ¶ Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. (AV) Mt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (AV)
Mt 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. (AV)
Mt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth:
Mt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world.
Mt 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (AV)
Mt 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (AV)
Lu 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. (AV)
Mt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (AV)
Lu 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (AV)
Furthermore, he said -
The gospel is the power unto salvation
We can do all things through his strength
He will provide for us from the riches of His glory
Truly, we are forced into a no-lose situation here.
He has given us the gospel, His name, and His Holy Spirit, and He has put the responsibility of the results upon himself.
We walk by faith!