Joshua 6:1-14 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Joshua 6:1-14. Let’s go!
Joshua 6:1-14 (NIV)
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 Have 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.
5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have 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.”
6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.”
7 And he ordered the people, “Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD.”
8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD’s covenant followed them.
9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding.
10 But Joshua had commanded the people, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!”
11 So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the LORD and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets kept sounding.
14 So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
On verses 1-14: Why would God tell Joshua and his army to do nothing except march around Jericho city once each day blowing trumpets until the seventh day? Was it a scare tactic meant to intimidate an already freaked out enemy, like a shark encircling its prey before it attacks? Wouldn’t Joshua and the Israelites eventually look a little foolish and be wasting resources, at the same time letting the people of Jericho take a good look at their army? It’s not clear why God commanded Israel to do this, or how marching around the city once each day would advance Israel’s cause. Yet Joshua did as the Lord commanded.
It goes to show that sometimes God’s way of doing things will not make sense to us. But just as a parent will sometimes lovingly do things that don’t make sense to their child, so we can be confident that our Heavenly Father always acts with a love and a wisdom we will not find anywhere else. When we look back, we will see that His way was truly higher than our way. So instead of debating, panicking, questioning and resisting, sometimes the best and most peaceful thing we can do is to trust and obey our Heavenly Father, relying on Him for strength and peace to get us through an uncertain time.
Heavenly Father, when Your way doesn’t make sense to me, help me to trust that You know better than I do, that Your ways are higher than my ways, and that You are far wiser, more loving and more capable than me. Therefore You are worthy of my trust. Thank You that You let me rely on You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
