Submitting to God or the way of Jesus is a key requirement in our development into the men and women of God. Submitting to God cultivates our oneness with God. Once we submit to the will of God by first loving God mentally, physically, and spiritually, God will empower us to do His will. From Joshua 5, we discover Joshua and the men of Israel’s submission to God’s circumcision at Gilgal. Their submission submersed them into an oneness with God where they became God’s sons and daughters. As God prepared Joshua and the nation of Israel to conquer Jericho, the tactics or battle plans of God were considerably different from those used previously by Moses and by Jericho. According to the words of God delivered to Joshua by the messenger of God, the instructions were for the men of Israel to show up, march once around the city for six days, and then go home.
As we examine the actions of Joshua and the nation of Israel throughout the sixth chapter of the book of Joshua, God further reveals His divine strategy for the success of those chosen by Him. Previously, in Joshua 1: 7-9, God instructed Joshua, ‘Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land, I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go’
According to Joshua 6, the words of God shouted by the chosen of God destroyed the walls constructed to save Jericho from their fate despite the actions of the people of Jericho. In these volatile times, we must remember as Paul teaches in 2 Timothy 1:7, ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.’ As the men and women of God, we must believe what Psalm 119:105 tell us, 'Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path.’ Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, 'Seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’ Therefore, one must conclude that if we want to get our names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, we must make sure that all that we do in our doing what God told us to do is done according to and by the words of God.
The most convincing evidence of the irrefutable existence of a powerful God is the actions of the men and women chosen by that God. Therefore, for the people of Moab, the citizens of Jericho, the atheist as well as all others to deny God is to deny oneself. To say God does not exist calls into question our existence. Romans 1:20 proclaims to us, ‘For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen being understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse.’
By the actions of the people of Jericho in Joshua 6:1, someway somehow, somebody got something twisted. Just as man's wisdom cannot understand God, the walls of Jericho could not withstand the power enumerating from the spoken words of God. Paul declared in Acts 17:24, ‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands, and he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.’ Therefore, in our modern day society, where church buildings overcrowd our world, we must realize that our manmade buildings cannot house God because Jericho’s manmade enclosures could not keep God out.
When the spirit of fear possessed the people of Jericho, their wisdom convinced them that their actions could save them. Although Jericho’s resistance to God’s plan was futile, they continued to place their trust in their proven battle tactic. They passed a harsh immigration policy by closing the city according to Joshua 6:1. The people of Jericho hid behind the safety of their walls as the news of what the men of God had done to others reached their streets. It is interesting to know that Acts 4:13-14 reads, ‘When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.’
As the people of Jericho witnessed the actions of the men and women of Israel, they took notice and became afraid. As the people of Israel witnessed the actions of the followers of Jesus, they were astonished and took note. Today, as the people of the world witness our actions, do our actions reveal to them who we are and what we represent? What way does the world view us because of our stand for God? Paul in Romans 12: 1-2 councils us about our actions, ‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is; his good, pleasing and perfect will.’
The fall of the walls of Jericho reveals more than the fact that fighting against God or the chosen of God is an unwinnable gesture. It established that the men and women of Israel did not fabricate the God of Abraham. Moreover, the God of Abraham proved Joshua and the children of Israel’s existence as the men and women chosen by God. This is why Philippians 2:5 states, 'Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.' To understand God, we must lay aside our wisdom and see things through the Anointing of God, which is the way Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Moses, Joshua, Jesus, the disciples, and the chosen of God saw things. However, our human wisdom will only confuse us and leave us twisted and thinking we know more than God does.
Though, Science points to the Big Bang as the beginning of all things, logic along with the recently discovered intelligent design theory dictates that somebody had to create the bang. Since the stillness of the beginning of time was broken up by the spoken words of God that Genesis 1:3 proclaims, (‘And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.’); one must conclude that the sudden interruption of the quietness of that day with the words of God shouted by the chosen men of God brought down the walls of Jericho. Their unexpected shouts sounded just like a great big bang as the men of God spoke the will of God into existence. The people chosen by God shouted and because of the power coming from the words of God that they shouted the walls fell down. Although, there have been many arguments that the shouting of the people might not cause the walls to fall, it is interesting to note in 1st Samuel 4:5, we read these words. ‘When the ark of the LORD's covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook.’
Today, although God has turned our world over to a reprobate mind, the men and women chosen by God should not believe the hype that Lucifer has the victory. The men and women of God chosen for a time such as these must follow God’s call to bear our cross in the highways and byways. We must physically show up in our hurting world for God because from behind the walls of our church building, we cannot save the lost from the wrath of God. We know the end of the story, and that is why we do what we do. We are the few. We are the peculiar. We are a holy nation and a royal priesthood chosen by God and that makes us a force to be reckoned with. We are what we are, and we do what we do because we know the Power behind the spoken words of God that will bring the walls of sin tumbling down.
God instructed Joshua in Joshua 6: 2-5 ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 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. 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.’ David informs us in Psalm 23:5 the table that God prepares for us is in the presence of our enemies. Joshua was one of the last of the original Israelites who left Egypt. Through the journey from Egypt unto the plains of Moab, God prepared Joshua by allowing him to encounter the potholes and pitfalls on his God-ordered path. God chose Joshua to lead Israel because it was time for the children of those that left Egypt to become the anointed men and women of God.
As we dine upon the meat of the words of God, God uses our trials and tribulations to prepare us and develop us into the men and women of God. Like the children of Israel, we are to go out into the world in the presence of our enemies so those following the way of the enemy will see us grow in God. Matthew 28: 19-20 states ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ From the table of our life experiences following God, we dine upon the meat of the Gospel. By consuming the meat of the Word, we develop into the anointed men and women of God and lay aside our childish or carnal ways. We are the evidence of the power of God that will make our enemies believe and come to God. Jesus came only to save us from our sins, but God sent the Holy Spirit to empower the men and women chosen by God to do greater things than Jesus, the Christ did.
To each of us as the mighty men and women of God, our jobs might seem impossible. The mere sight of the walls of our problems might overwhelm us. Still, we can forge ahead because along the way to the battlefront, we discovered that John 1: 12 says ‘But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.’ We know the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit of God is inside us because Paul instructs us in Romans 1: 16, ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ Therefore, it is time for us to realize that God has packed the body of Christ, the church of God with power to be a force to be reckoned with. Nevertheless, we must first believe it.
Matthew 21: 18-22 tells us that one day Jesus saw a fir tree and his spoken words caused it to shrivel. When the disciples saw the evidence of the power of Jesus spoken words, they were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” Jesus answered them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
The ideals Jesus taught were so radical, it cost Him his life. The way of Jesus is not about rules and regulations. It is not about efforts and good deeds. Going to a temple or a manmade building is not the way of Jesus. Jesus lived and taught total dependence on God and absolute obedience to God. To be a part of the Kingdom of God means we are among the Anointed Ones of God, but WE GOT TO BE REAL BECAUSE OUR GOD IS REAL. To be given the power to become the sons and daughters of God mean we are the Anointed Ones of God that showed up on the battlefront.
Through their life experiences, Joshua and the children of those that left Egypt knew God was faithful and their only source of security; and this was enough to convince them to go to the battlefront. They understood that if they looked only to themselves, they would fall. Therefore, they depended on the faithfulness of their God and showed up for seven days as the example of their God’s power. The point is not that God kept them safe without any effort of their own. It is not that He delivered Jericho to them. But the point is when they showed up, did as God instructed them, and depended on God’s promises, the Power of the spoken words of God shouted by the men of God brought Jericho’s walls tumbling down.
As the men and women chosen by God, we must remember that becoming what God empowered us to become is more important than worrying about what world might think about us. In life, Lucifer gives a person enough rope hang himself. However, the Scriptures say because of the words of God, we are empowered to cut the rope and escape. 1st Corinthians 10:13 say, ‘No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.’ To depend on God, we must first seek to experience the faithfulness of God. Nevertheless, we only experience the faithfulness of God when we show up on the battlefront.
Just as a well-founded belief in God brought success and prosperity to Joshua and the men and women of Israel, this same belief will preserve us in our days of spiritual, physical, and emotional conflict. However, as the men and women chosen by God, we can rejoice because since God has promised to always be for us, so who can be against us? I will say it again, we can rejoice because although we might as lambs among wolves, by the words of God spoken by us the reality of our God becomes evident to all. As a result, the men and women of God are not anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, we present our requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guards our hearts, and our minds in Christ Jesus.
This is why Paul in Philippians 4: 8-9 proclaim, ‘Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.’ Therefore, as the men and women chosen by God to be on the battlefront, we can rejoice because we have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. We can stand strong on the battlefront because we know we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. Therefore, we show up and we make our stand because we understand that our God will meet all of our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. Like Joshua and the men and women of Israel, we must always seek first to do what God told us to do. We must realize that God empowered us by His Holy Spirit to become the sons and daughters of God. A son or daughter of God is not stuck in disagreement over childish things. Rather the sons and daughters of God empower by the Holy Spirit of God grows into a relationship with God by being a man or woman chosen by God to speak for God on the battlefront.
As our eyes examine God's Holy Words, let us use the power from the mind of Christ that we must possess. Let us read and gain the correct understanding of God’s Words. Because Joshua and Israel showed up on the battlefront, the sons and daughters of Israel stood on their spiritual feet as mature men and women of God. They praised God with true power because His Words did not return without doing the job God dispatched them to do. Because of the mind of Christ, we can stand on our spiritual feet as the mature men and women of God. We can praise God with true power because His Words spoken by us will not return without doing the job God dispatched them to do. Since God’s Words have done a mighty work inside of us, let us come from behind the walls of the Church house and let us praise God on the battlefront so the walls of sins in the lives of those we are to save will come tumbling down.
