Didn't See The Walls Fall, But I Heard Them!

Didn't See The Walls Fall, But I Heard Them! Joshua 6:1-21

Israel has just crossed the River Jordan. They have prepared themselves spiritually and they have prepared themselves mentally, thus far, following God's orders to the letter. Now, they are ready to begin their conquest of the Promised Land.

They are ready to claim for themselves the land that flowed with milk and honey.

However, like most things in life that are worth having, it won't come cheap!

For Israel, Jericho would be a standard, a point of reference, test, a specification against which things may be compared or assessed. i.e. a benchmark. It was at Jericho that they would flex their muscles and experience military victory and conquest.

Jericho was the first city they had ever seen that was surrounded by huge walls. It must have looked like an absolute impossibility to many. However, they listened to the instructions they were given by the Lord and they saw those massive walls fall down flat.

The book of Joshua is very relevant to the Believer today.

In that we are living in days of spiritual battles and spiritual struggles. We need to know how to fight in the realm of the spirit. We need to know that our God is able to give us the victory. We need to know how to follow Him to that victory.

Just as Israel faced the intimidating walls of Jericho, some of you today have or are facing walls and obstacles in your lives as well. You need to know how to over come them as you march towards the victory.

AS WE LOOK AT OUR STORY WE SEE THAT ISRAEL HAD A PROBLEM

v.1

Jericho was known as the oldest city in the world, in Joshua's day, it was surrounded by a system of two massive stone walls. The outer wall was 6 ft. thick and about 20 ft. high. The inner wall was about 12 ft. thick and was 30 ft. high. Between the walls was a guarded walkway about 15 ft. wide. Israel's problem was that they had a city to conquer, but there were some extremely huge walls in the way.

As we go through life, we have many obstacles that we face as well, but we must learn not to look at our obstacles as dead-ends, but as opportunities for the Lord to work in our lives!

Paul had such an obstacle in 2 Cor. 12:7-10 where he said, "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

This attitude is distant for some of you this morning. Yet, you must come to realize that the power of God is best revealed in and through us when we are unable to handle everything that life deals to us. God is more clear to us.......He's more visible to us when we take ourselves totally out of the picture! In a sense, that is what He did with Israel here.

As we will see, He completely removed them from the equation! The victory at Jericho was all God!)

v.2

As Joshua and all the men of war stood looking at those walls around that great city, God had a word of comfort for their hearts! For it is here that God promises Israel the victory before they ever attack Jericho! He lets them know about the conclusion of the story even before they ever enter into their battle!

As we face our obstacles, whatever they may be we can do so with confidence, because we have the Lord's promises as banners to march under:

That the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Cor. 10:4-5.

That all things are working together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. - Rom. 8:28; For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;2 Cor. 4:17.

That I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil. 4:13; Because I believe that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,Eph. 3:20.