Title: The Fallen Jericho: A Wonderful Victory
Contents
1. Words that begin
When you want to do something or have a problem, you can get a lot of help by consulting with a professional. However, the problem is that even among experts in the same field, opinions, judgments, and prescriptions on the same work or on the same problem are different. Therefore, believers must acknowledge and seek help from experts, but they must believe that the ultimate help comes from God alone.
It's not, but if you look at history, you don't know how many cases in which success or failure or victory or defeat did not depend on objective conditions simply judged by humans. So, the writer of Ecclesiastes says in Ecclesiastes 9:11, “When I turned and looked under the sun, I was not a fast runner who first arrived, and a strong man did not win the war… ” is what he said.
2. God's Operation
According to God's promise of blessing, Joshua became the leader of the battle for the conquest of Canaan and began to attack the city of Jericho. In fact, Israel could not compete with Jericho because Israel had not received proper military training as well as personality and technical education for more than 400 years, and had been doing bricks and baking as slaves in Egypt from generation to generation. I did.
However, since the power of God working through Israel was known in heaven and earth, Jericho was in a hurry to close the gates and keep them.
What is very sad is that when all the kings of the Amorites and all the kings of the Canaanites heard that God had made the Jordan waters dry up and brought them to Israel, their hearts melted and lost their minds, but they refused to believe in and serve God. This is no different in the case of Jericho.
God instructed Joshua, who still believes in their gods and faces Jericho, who is holding the gates tightly shut.
The operation was truly extraordinary. It's just a tour around Jericho. The armed soldiers in the front go ahead, and the seven priests blow the trumpets behind them, the ark of the covenant symbolizing the presence of God behind them, and the rear troops follow, but no one makes a loud noise except the sound of the trumpets blown by the priests. You said you shouldn't make any noise. In this way, they were to go around Jericho only once every day. And on the seventh day they will turn six times in the same way, and on the seventh day, the seven priests will blow their long horns, and when they hear the sound, all the people should shout with a loud voice. If you do that, the wall will collapse. It is truly an absurd and bizarre operation.
If you win according to the strategy, it cannot be said that you won because of Israel's number or military power. Not only that, but you can't even say you won because of any other conditions of victory. This is exactly what God intended. This is to remind Israel, Jericho, and all the Gentiles who hear about this war that the true and absolute God that they must believe is not all evil gods in the world, but Jehovah God who works through Israel. In a word, please believe that it is the work of God's mission.
Everyone, I hope you will believe that God's inner intention is to have them repent and believe in Him and be saved from Canaan, which is ripe for iniquity and burst into destruction.
Therefore, the defeat and destruction of Jericho, who did not repent and relied on their gods to fight back, was clearly stated. On the other hand, the victory of Israel, being used as an instrument of God, is also obvious.
The decisive factor in victory or defeat is whether you are on God's side rather than the conditions for victory. What is important is whether it is the camp where God is truly with us or the nation where the Word of God lives and works.
The same is true of an individual's life, which has been compared to a fight. It is not possible to underestimate the circumstances, circumstances, and spiritual forces of an individual. However, please believe that the decisive factor is also Emmanuel, that is, God is with you.
What is the secret to the victory of the Apostle Paul, who preached the gospel of Christ while fighting all kinds of persecution, persecution, and Satan's tricks beyond imagination? He confesses in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Thanks be to God, who always triumphs over us in Christ, and through us in every place the smell of the knowledge of Christ.”
The victory of Christ, who overcame the temptations of Satan, who was constantly biting and drooping, and accomplished the cause of salvation, which is God's will, was also extraordinary. In Colossians 2:15, it is said, “He triumphed in the cross, revealing principalities and powers.” This victory of Christ's death is an extraordinary victory that cannot be comprehended by the minds of those who have not been helped by the Holy Spirit. That is why 1 Corinthians 1:23 says, “We preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness.”
Although the operation God had commanded for the war against Jericho was absurd, Joshua obeyed, and Israel also obeyed Joshua. They obeyed the command for six days, but there was no sign of change in the walls of Jericho. Even on the seventh and sixth rounds, nothing changed at all. But when they went round seven times, the trumpets of the seven priests sounded a long time, and the people shouted aloud, the wall collapsed.
Gentlemen, obey the Lord's commands, but obey them to the end. Even if it doesn't seem like it makes sense, be obedient to the end.
It happened in the old days of King Shun. One day, he told his servants to pour water into the guruok. At that time, all the servants were babbling, accusing the king and not obeying the orders.
However, a loyal servant said, "How can I disobey the king's orders?" He drew water all day and poured it into the guru. No matter how much water was poured into the gutters or not, the bottom of the well was eventually exposed. At that moment, a large glistening gold nugget stood out. So, the servant took the gold and went to the king and confided in him. Then the king was very happy and said, “This is the prize for the obedient, so take it with you.”
Calvin said, “The best attitude of a Christian is first to obey God’s commands, secondly to obey, and thirdly to obey.”
3. Orders for processing after victory
Joshua, who had taken over the city of Jericho by the power of God, gave four orders to the army and the people who were intoxicated with victory.
The first is that Jericho and everything in the city should be dedicated to God. This command does not mean simply to give only wealth to God, but to give glory to God for victory.
The second is that Rahab, the prostitute who hid two of Israel's spies, and anyone living in that house should live as promised. Rahab risked her life as well as the lives of her family and all her relatives to hide an Israeli spy because she believed in God.
Third, do not take anything offered to God. If you get drunk, you may be sacrificed to the camp of Israel, and you may end up in anger.
Fourth, all living things in the city of Jericho must be destroyed. Destroy with the sword the old men and women, the cattle and the donkeys This is God's terrible judgment on the unrepentant sex. So Jericho was destroyed.
4. Conclusion
Even now, there are people and nations that are living a life of idolatry and sin. In order to take advantage of the church, there are people who become fake members, oppose the messengers of God, and deceive the members of the church.
But sin is by no means infinitely permissible. Romans 2:4-5 says, “Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and forbearance, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? You are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of righteousness, when the righteous judgment of God is revealed.”
(Pungseong Methodist Church. Book: Complete New Testament Commentary Series/ Interpretation of difficult scriptures/ Prosperous prayer/ Salvation Before Jesus Came/ Salvation Before Jesus Came/ Understanding Paul’s Humanity/ Sermonbook 18. 426-3051)