You Could Have Heard A Pin Drop!
I want you to think back for just a moment, to what the earliest memory you had as a child, when a world event was taking place.
For me, probably the first national event I ever remember, was the rocket that took off and was headed to the moon.
Almost anyone you ask, all down throughout history, when an event such as 911 or Kennedy’s assignation,
or Elvis and John Lennon’s deaths, can usually tell you in detail, what they were doing that day.
Tragedy, although there’s always a chance something could happen, seldom ever has its arrival announced before it happens.
Unless it were announced and given the correct time it would occur and it happened like clock work,
No one would believe it to be so, after the first failed prediction.
I mean think about it for a minute, when alarms were first put on cars, everyone would kind of freak out when they went off, horns honking and lights a flashing.
But now, when an alarm goes off and it really doesn’t matter where it happens, in a store or a parking lot.
People are undeterred from their routine and the only thing that bothers them about the whole situation, is the noise!
The bible talks about such a people that became bothered by some noise!
Joshua 6:1-5 MSG.
1. Jericho was shut up tight as a drum because of the People of Israel: no one going in, no one coming out.
2-5. God spoke to Joshua, "Look sharp now. I’ve already given Jericho to you, along with its king and its crack troops. Here’s what you are to do: March around the city, all your soldiers. Circle the city once. Repeat this for six days. Have seven priests carry seven ram’s horn trumpets in front of the Chest. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, the priests blowing away on the trumpets. And then, a long blast on the ram’s horn when you hear that, all the people are to shout at the top of their lungs. The city wall will collapse at once. All the people are to enter, every man straight on in."
Jericho stood directly in the way, between Israel and the Promised Land.
Its walls were built well and believed to be able to withstand, anything that an enemy could throw against them.
It actually had 2 walls that fortified it, the outer wall measured from 32 to 41 feet in height.
Then, there was a second wall which was far greater, believed to be more than 6 feet thick and more than 46 feet tall, it was thought to be impenetrable.
Those who lived in Jericho were steeped in idolatry; living in constant fear of attack,
but for many years had felt safe and invincible behind their great walls.
They were well prepared for an attack, but in spite of all their protection,
the people of Jericho were fearful, shut up inside their own city, afraid to leave it.
You see, they had no doubt heard of the awesome power of the God of Israel.
Joshua 5:1 MSG.
1. When all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and the Canaanite kings along the seacoast heard how God had stopped the Jordan River before the People of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts sank; the courage drained out of them just thinking about the People of Israel.
Word had spread far and wide about the God of Israel that dried up the waters of the Red Sea;
annihilated the entire Egyptian Empire!
led the Jews through the wilderness by a cloud and pillar of fire;
caused thunder and lightning upon the mountains to signify his presence.
Now came the news that these Israelites had crossed over Jordan on dry land and were now bearing down on the city of Jericho.
No matter how many men they had , who were willing to fight, or how thick their walls, the people of Jericho were afraid.
Who can fight against God? Who can defeat the God who rains down fire from Heaven,
feeds several million people daily, for over 40 years in the wilderness, destroys the power of Pharaoh and then sets his sights on your city?
This was a dark time in Jericho. There simply was no way out!
Defeat, death and destruction of their great city was imminent, defeat was inevitable.
It was also a time of literal darkness for the gates were shut up so that none could get in or out of the city.
It doesn’t take a whole lot of insight to see that all of mankind is facing similar circumstances each and everyday,
The whole world is trying to find a place of peace and safety from the events that take place on a daily basis.
Knowing there are really no reliable long term answers to be found or agreed upon.
More and more we see the things of God and our Christian values vanishing on a daily basis,
The more Jesus Grace message is brought to the forefront, the harder the accuser tries to get everyone to revert back to the way it was before He came!
You don’t need Him, you can do it on your own, he tries to get the world to rely on the one thing that is for sure, or so they think and that is self
While a lot of the world refuses to believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
It is refreshing to see someone out of the blue on national TV. Stand up and give a testimony,
about how they owe everything to Jesus and what He has done for them!
How much more should we (who have known Him for years and years) be singing Jesus Praises and telling the world what He has done for us!
As hard as the accuser tries, he is constantly reminded everywhere he looks, that Jesus is coming soon.
The world may cry out that God is dead; that Jesus was nothing more than a man; and that the Bible is just a book full of impossible stories;
but the voice of the Holy Spirit is whispering in their hearts, that its all true.
There is a constant effort to disprove all the prophecies in the Bible, but the harder they try to prove them wrong,
The more that there proven to be correct, one by one, day after day, time and time again!
There is a sense of imminent doom in the world, coming one day in the future, but far to few are willing to give up what their doing and surrender to the will of God.
Just like those people in Jericho, the devil has the whole world convinced, there’s no need to be worried until that day!
Somehow, the devil keeps all of them believing that they will be all right, until the day comes.
Unfortunately, there will not be a warning when that day will arrive,
although there will be many warning signs, for all who want to see them, all along the way.
Joshua 6:6-13 MSG.
6. So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and told them, "Take up the Chest of the Covenant. Seven priests are to carry seven ram’s horn trumpets leading God’s Chest."
7. Then he told the people, "Set out! March around the city. Have the armed guard march before the Chest of God."
8-9. And it happened. Joshua spoke, the people moved: Seven priests with their seven ram’s horn trumpets set out before God. They blew the trumpets, leading God’s Chest of the Covenant. The armed guard marched ahead of the trumpet-blowing priests; the rear guard was marching after the Chest, marching and blowing their trumpets.
10. Joshua had given orders to the people, "Don’t shout. In fact, don’t even speak not so much as a whisper until you hear me say, ’Shout!’ then shout away!"
11-13. He sent the Chest of God on its way around the city. It circled once, came back to camp, and stayed for the night. Joshua was up early the next morning and the priests took up the Chest of God. The seven priests carrying the seven ram’s horn trumpets marched before the Chest of God, marching and blowing the trumpets, with the armed guard marching before and the rear guard marching after. Marching and blowing of trumpets!
14. On the second day they again circled the city once and returned to camp. They did this six days.
God wanted things done a certain way and Joshua was adamant about carrying out Gods orders!
Even though sometimes it doesn’t make sense to us, God always has, a well thought out plan for victory.
Its not up to us, to try to figure the whole thing out, cause when we do we usually get in the way and prolong the pending victory!
His ways are not our ways and be thankful that there not, He always takes on the difficult part of the task,
Leaving us with what we like to think is the hard part, just believing that God is capable of doing His part.
Has anyone ever heard or seen one time, God was not able to take care of things on His end of the bargain?
The procession would be led by the armed men of Israel going before the 7 priests who blew the trumpets,
then would come the priests bearing the Ark of the Covenant with the rear guard following behind.
It must have been quite a sight to see as this progression went around the walls of Jericho every day.
Like the movie groundhog day, the same thing over and over each day.
You can imagine the 1st day, Imp sure everyone in the city was a little rattled,
But as the days came and went, they got a little immune to what was actually happening.
I can only imagine what the people of Jericho thought, standing high above it all, on their huge wall trying to figure out just what these Jews were up to?
What was the God of Israel going to do?
The world looks at Christianity the same way, almost in disbelief.
Thinking to themselves, why bother with it right now, threes still plenty of time to do whatever we want to do.
They were being mislead, just like all of Jericho was mislead.
Six days had past by, but they were oblivious as to what was really going on,
The accuser was probably telling them, this city is in impenetrable, their just a bunch of crazy people, relax!
So what if they’ve been marching around the city for days, a lot of armies have done that in the past, and all of them were no match at all!
What do you think that there going to do to us, are they going to huff and puff and just blow the place down!
TBS. on the 7th day, they found out, exactly what God and His People were capable of!
Joshua 6:15 MSG.
15-17. When the seventh day came, they got up early and marched around the city this same way but seven times yes, this day they circled the city seven times. On the seventh time around the priests blew the trumpets and Joshua signaled the people, "Shout! God has given you the city! The city and everything in it is under a holy curse and offered up to God.
"Except for Rahab the harlot she is to live, she and everyone in her house with her, because she hid the agents we sent.
20. The priests blew the trumpets.
When the people heard the blast of the trumpets, they gave a thunderclap shout. The wall fell at once. The people rushed straight into the city and took it.
21. They put everything in the city under the holy curse, killing man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey.
22-24. Joshua ordered the two men who had spied out the land, "Enter the house of the harlot and rescue the woman and everyone connected with her, just as you promised her." So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, and brothers everyone connected with her. They got the whole family out and gave them a place outside the camp of Israel. But they burned down the city and everything in it, except for the gold and silver and the bronze and iron vessels all that they put in the treasury of God’s house.
At the sound of the trumpet, that was it, for the city of Jericho.
The warning bells had been clanging loudly for a long time, to the point to where they made no more noise,
because the people were immune to the sound that they made!
Its the same way with the world, Christians march on parade for the cause of Christ,
knowing that the one who is going to blow the trumpet, for Christ soon return for His Church, is about to get the cue.
For all we know, we may already be on the 7th day, on the 7th lap, just waiting to shout.
For the people of Jericho, they ran out of time. But for anyone who will listen to the Life Changing Message of Jesus,
There is still time for more names to be added and written down, in the Lambs Book Of Life!
Time is so short, we need to be busy doing all we can do, to take as many with us to Heaven as we can!
Matthew 24:35-37 MSG.
32-35."Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer’s just around the corner. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you’ll know he’s at the door. Don’t take this lightly. I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.
36."But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.
37-39."The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing until the flood hit and swept everything away.
We still have before us, the most amazing opportunity, we will ever encounter!
To tell someone about the story of Jesus,
Its time to get involved, to come down off the fence of indecision of should I, or shouldn’t I.
Its time to get involved and behind the Cause of Christ 100% and realize the enormity of the impact we can still make,
Right here, in our town and the world, for all that matters!
Jesus needs all of us to stand up and be counted for the cause of Christ,
The accuser would have you think that your voice is insignificant in the battle against darkness,
that’s because he’s a liar and he knows just how much one voice is capable of, for furthering the reach of the Gospel!
(song, People Need The Lord)
Jesus has commissioned us all, to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, until the whole world knows.
12 men changed the world, with the commitment that they made!
How much more can we affect the outcome, before Christ Returns, by doing the same?
Lets pray!
