This past weekend, I was reading Joshua 6 in preparation to teach my Sunday School class and a familiar story suddenly became brand new. Joshua 6 records the story of when the children of Israel circled the walls of Jericho and the city was delivered into their hands. I thought I knew the story so well, I almost didn't look at the text again (dangerous mistake).
Against my foolish judgment, I picked up my Bible and began to read the text. The Holy Spirit arrested me at verse 2. I couldn't believe what I was reading. The first verse of the chapter sets the scene: the children of Israel were gathered outside the city and the people of Jericho were on lock-down inside the city walls, knowing that the people whom the "gods" favour have gathered outside. I began to picture the siege in my minds eye. There must of have been a sense of uneasy calm in the streets of Jericho. They knew that the enemy was without, but they felt secure that as long as the gates of the city were not opened they would be safe. As for the children of Israel, they must have been scratching their collective heads wondering how they would get through the seemingly impregnable walls of Jericho.
But verse two comes along and tells us that the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, the king thereof and the mighty men of valour." "Have given." "Have given"? Wait just a second! At the time God said this to Joshua, they were still outside the city walls and Jericho was on lock-down!
I read the verse over and over. God didn't say, "Fear not Joshua, for I will give Jericho into thine hand." He said, "See, I HAVE GIVEN..." That "see" implies that Joshua had something to look at as proof...but at the time, all Joshua could see with his natural eyes was a city with impregnable walls on lock-down.
But God was not looking at the situation through Joshua's limited scope. God was seeing the situation in His reality. In His reality, the children of Israel had already taken the city, the king had been captured and the mighty men of valour had been defeated.
Those two verses made me think of all of my personal struggles and problems. I reminded myself that I do not know what I do not know, but that God is looking at everything that I see as insurmountable with the lens of His reality. My only responsibility, indeed our only responsibility, is to obey God's word.
In the verses immediately following verse 2 in Joshua 6, the Lord outlines what has to be the most absurd military strategy in that time and since. God told them to walk around the walls of Jericho once per day for six days and then on the 7th day they were to walk around 7 times. Then, possibly the most absurd thing of all, was that they were to shout and blow trumpets and sings praise on the last go-round.
Why would anyone think that would work? But the scripture does not record any hesitation on Joshua's part. He simple gathered the people and explained God's absurd plan and the people did just what God had commanded. Finally, after seven days of walking because of their obedience, God's reality became their reality as well.
Trusting God to the point of absurdity is inconvenient and downright foolish at times...at least in our eyes. But if we could look through the lens of God's reality, we would see that He declares the end of a thing from the beginning.
Against my foolish judgment, I picked up my Bible and began to read the text. The Holy Spirit arrested me at verse 2. I couldn't believe what I was reading. The first verse of the chapter sets the scene: the children of Israel were gathered outside the city and the people of Jericho were on lock-down inside the city walls, knowing that the people whom the "gods" favour have gathered outside. I began to picture the siege in my minds eye. There must of have been a sense of uneasy calm in the streets of Jericho. They knew that the enemy was without, but they felt secure that as long as the gates of the city were not opened they would be safe. As for the children of Israel, they must have been scratching their collective heads wondering how they would get through the seemingly impregnable walls of Jericho.
But verse two comes along and tells us that the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, the king thereof and the mighty men of valour." "Have given." "Have given"? Wait just a second! At the time God said this to Joshua, they were still outside the city walls and Jericho was on lock-down!
I read the verse over and over. God didn't say, "Fear not Joshua, for I will give Jericho into thine hand." He said, "See, I HAVE GIVEN..." That "see" implies that Joshua had something to look at as proof...but at the time, all Joshua could see with his natural eyes was a city with impregnable walls on lock-down.
But God was not looking at the situation through Joshua's limited scope. God was seeing the situation in His reality. In His reality, the children of Israel had already taken the city, the king had been captured and the mighty men of valour had been defeated.
Those two verses made me think of all of my personal struggles and problems. I reminded myself that I do not know what I do not know, but that God is looking at everything that I see as insurmountable with the lens of His reality. My only responsibility, indeed our only responsibility, is to obey God's word.
In the verses immediately following verse 2 in Joshua 6, the Lord outlines what has to be the most absurd military strategy in that time and since. God told them to walk around the walls of Jericho once per day for six days and then on the 7th day they were to walk around 7 times. Then, possibly the most absurd thing of all, was that they were to shout and blow trumpets and sings praise on the last go-round.
Why would anyone think that would work? But the scripture does not record any hesitation on Joshua's part. He simple gathered the people and explained God's absurd plan and the people did just what God had commanded. Finally, after seven days of walking because of their obedience, God's reality became their reality as well.
Trusting God to the point of absurdity is inconvenient and downright foolish at times...at least in our eyes. But if we could look through the lens of God's reality, we would see that He declares the end of a thing from the beginning.
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