Title: Victory at Jericho/Joshua 6:1-21
Content Victory in Jericho/Joshua 6:1~21, Ephesians 6:10~17
Dear brothers and sisters, at this time, I hope that we will share God's victory method through the story of Jericho, which we already know well.
First, the Battle of Jericho was a war that had already been won and fought. In Joshua chapter 1, the following promises continue to appear:
“Go to the land that I give to the children of Israel” (verse 2), “All I have given to you” (verse 3), “it will be your borders even to the Great Sea” (verse 4), “I will swear to your ancestors “You will prosper wherever you go” (verse 6), “Your way will be smooth, and you will prosper” (verse 8), “I, the Lord, will be with you” (verse 9). . ”
So this war was already over. In fact, the Israeli army, with its inexperienced warfare, lacked the ability to conduct effective combat. That is why, looking at Jericho, which was tightly closed like an impregnable and impregnable fortress, must have weakened morale. If the morale of the war is lowered, the war is already over, at least one way or another.
So God gave the first victory to the Israeli army. The enemies of Canaan that Israel will have to fight in the future will be stronger and more numerous. However, God is showing through his miraculous method that if God is with him, no matter how nimble the enemies may be, they will surely triumph. That's right. Israel was not just conquerors, but the New Frontiers who had to change the corrupt and rebellious land of Canaan into the land of love and peace that God wanted. Therefore, as the ‘army of God’, as long as Israel absolutely obeyed God’s absolute commands, victory was already promised to them.
So are we. I hope that you will walk with God in the life of a pilgrim like a pilgrim every day. God is waiting for our victory, which has already been confirmed. Jericho, which we will meet throughout our lifetime, must challenge itself with an increasingly powerful image. Each time, we confess that God is with us and pray that we will become victorious saints.
Second, the prepared victory is given upon absolute obedience and faith.
In verses 3-5 of the text, God's absolute command to conquer Jericho is recorded. God commanded them to go around the city once a day for six days, with the priest holding the trumpets in the center walking in front of the ark of the covenant, the armed men walking in front of it, and the rest following behind. And on the seventh day, they went around the city seven times, and at the last round, the priests blew long trumpets and commanded the people to shout with a loud voice. It is reckless to walk around a castle with life or death at stake. But the battle of Jericho shows that God's ways are completely beyond human wisdom.
God, seeing the faith of the absolute obedience of the Israeli army after a holy silent march for six days, finally answered on the seventh day. When the Israeli army shouted the “cry of victory,” the tightly closed Jericho became an “open city.” When God is with us, even a weak human voice can exert great power. Jericho, a tightly closed city, has become an open city through the cries of faith in the united community.
Dear saints, Believe and confess that God is the master of our life. God is with us with wisdom we never thought of. Are there any believers who are struggling with unresolved problems? If there are believers who are praying for various problems, such as business problems, workplace problems, or career problems, please seek God's method first. I believe that when we put these human methods aside for a while and ask God with the faith of absolute obedience, we will achieve true victory. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Third, true victory must follow only God's standards until the end.
In Joshua 6:17 and below, God's absolute standard for true victory is recorded. To spare Rahab the prostitute and her family; to set aside silver, gold, copper and iron utensils and other things to the Lord; That's it. From a human and commonsense point of view, this must be a very harsh standard. It is very cruel and terrifying to exterminate men and women, the elderly and even their families.
God is working as a 'Holy Warrior' in all wars, including the Battle of Jericho. In Joshua 5:13 and below, ‘God’s commander of the army’ appears. The appearance of the commander of the army of God before starting the war of conquest is to show that this war is God's war. God's military commander answered Joshua's question, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" and "No" is a completely different answer (Joshua 5:13-14).
What does it mean? The answer of God's military commander is that Israel can be an obstacle in Jehovah's holy war. In other words, if Israel does not obey God's absolute command, they too may be destroyed by God's sword. The ‘failure of the city of Ai’ due to Achan’s transgression and ‘the disobedience of King Saul’, which was not destroyed because he coveted good things in the war with Amalek, are good examples (1 Samuel 28:1819).
That's right. We must realize that true victory is a gift that comes from following God's standards to the end. We must bear in mind that this is a war that we have already won and fought through the battle of Jericho, so we must have a sense of duty to obey God's commands and to follow God's standards to the end, armed with the thorough faith that we will obey God's commands and follow only the Lord.
I hope that all of us believers will humbly kneel before God and pray to hear God's voice, throwing away their ingenuity, pride, prejudice, and selfishness. Also, I pray that you will only practice the way God has taught you to destroy the Jericho wall that is standing before us and participate in the glory of victory.