What’s The Purpose For Those Walls?
Are you trying to hold God in or keep Him out?
Scripture Reference: Joshua 6:1-5 (KJV)
Joshua 6:1-5 1 Now Jericho was straightly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. 4 And seven priest shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priest shall blow with the trumpets. 5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the rams’ horn and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.
Use skit: Have someone come up to use them as a demonstrator. Have the demonstrator make believe that she is building a wall to the front.
Explain that this wall is to keep out all of the family members that keep getting on her nerves.
Turn to the left. Build another wall. Explain that this wall is to keep all of the people from her job from continuing to aggravate her by spreading false rumors and holding ungodly conversation, etc.
Turn to the rear. Build another wall. Explain that this wall is for her friends that always use her name in vain and keep her involved with the wrong crowd.
Turn to the other side. Build another wall. Explain that this wall is to keep out all of the church members. Explain how the person is sick and tired of church members doing her wrong so she just wants to be alone.
After all four walls are complete illustrate that not only did the person successfully keep all of the bad stuff out now her help does not have a way to get to her either.
Highlights
- God used a mighty shout from His believers to bring the wall
down. He did not use force or tools but a shout (Verse 5 And it shall
come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the rams’ horn and when ye hear
the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of
the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before
him.).
Yell-to get someone’s attention using loud voice light arm
movement
Scream-loud voice maybe used to scare someone
Shout-loud voice to get attention using everything legs, arms,
voice, etc.
1.) The group had been in the wilderness wondering for forty
years. They were more like survivors than warriors. Any one
who had even been in a confrontation before had died so there
were no experienced warriors in the group of people. (Numbers
32:13 And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander
in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight
of the LORD, was consumed.)
2.) Nonetheless one thing they knew for sure was how to depend
on God. This group of people had seen God do some of his
most awesome work while they were in the wilderness
(Deuteronomy 2:7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy
hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the
LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.) :
Wilderness:
Tohu, a "desolate" place, a place "waste" or "unoccupied" (Deut. 32:10; Job 12:24; comp. Gen. 1:2, "without form"). The wilderness region in the Sinaitic peninsula through which for forty years the Hebrews wandered is generally styled "the wilderness of the wanderings." This entire region is in the form of a triangle, having its base toward the north and its apex toward the south. Its extent from north to south is about 250 miles, and at its widest point it is about 150 miles broad. Throughout this vast region of some 1,500 square miles there is not a single river. The northern part of this triangular peninsula is properly the "wilderness of the wanderings" (et-Tih). The western portion of it is called the "wilderness of Shur" (Ex. 15:22), and the eastern the "wilderness of Paran.")
Whatever you have in mind as the wilderness it should in no form or fashion resemble a luxurious party. These people were truly in a struggle for their lives. Some of us think that we are having it hard right now but for the most part we are suffering from things that we put ourselves in. God had nothing to do with us getting into the state that we are in except that he tried to warn us not continue in the thing that has us completely bound right now
3.) The city of Jericho was not anything special (Joshua 3:15 And as
they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare
the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks
all the time of harvest,) 16 That the waters which came down from above stood and
rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and
those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and
were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.)
.
Jericho: Jericho - place of fragrance, a fenced city in the midst of a vast grove of palm trees, in the plain of Jordan, over against the place where that river was crossed by the Israelites (Josh. 3:16). Its site was near the ’Ain es-Sultan, Elisha’s Fountain (2 Kings 2:19-22), about 5 miles west of Jordan. It was the most important city in the Jordan valley (Num. 22:1; 34:15), and the strongest fortress in all the land of Canaan. It was the key to Western Palestine.
This city was taken in a very remarkable manner by the Israelites (Josh. 6). God gave it into their hands. The city was "accursed" (Heb. herem, "devoted" to Jehovah), and accordingly (Josh. 6:17; comp. Lev. 27:28, 29; Deut. 13:16) all the inhabitants and all the spoil of the city were to be destroyed, "only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron" were reserved and "put into the treasury of the house of Jehovah" (Josh. 6:24; comp. Num. 31:22, 23, 50-54). Only Rahab "and her father’s household, and all that she had," were preserved from destruction, according to the promise of the spies (Josh. 2:14). In one of the Amarna tablets Adoni-zedec (q.v.) writes to the king of Egypt informing him that the ’Abiri (Hebrews) had prevailed, and had taken the fortress of Jericho, and were plundering "all the king’s lands." It would seem that the Egyptian troops had before this been withdrawn from Palestine.
This city was given to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. 18:21), and it was inhabited in the time of the Judges (Judg. 3:13; 2 Sam. 10:5). It is not again mentioned till the time of David (2 Sam. 10:5). "Children of Jericho" were among the captives who returned under Zerubbabel Ezra 2:34; Neh. 7:36). Hiel (q.v.) the Bethelite attempted to make it once more a fortified city (1 Kings 16:34). Between the beginning and the end of his undertaking all his children were cut off.
In New Testament times Jericho stood some distance to the south-east of the ancient one, and near the opening of the valley of Achor. It was a rich and flourishing town, having a considerable trade, and celebrated for the palm trees which adorned the plain around. It was visited by our Lord on his last journey to Jerusalem. Here he gave sight to two blind men (Matt. 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52), and brought salvation to the house of Zacchaeus the publican (Luke 19:2-10).
The poor hamlet of er-Riha, the representative of modern Jericho, is situated some two miles farther to the east. It is in a ruinous condition, having been destroyed by the Turks in 1840. "The soil of the plain," about the middle of which the ancient city stood, "is unsurpassed in fertility; there is abundance of water for irrigation, and many of the old aqueducts are almost perfect; yet nearly the whole plain is waste and desolate...The climate of Jericho is exceedingly hot and unhealthy. This is accounted for by the depression of the plain, which is about 1,200 feet below the level of the sea."
There were three different Jerichos, on three different sites, the Jericho of Joshua, the Jericho of Herod, and the Jericho of the Crusades. Er-Riha, the modern Jericho, dates from the time of the Crusades. Dr. Bliss has found in a hollow scooped out for some purpose or other near the foot of the biggest mound above the Sultan’s Spring specimens of Amorite or pre-Israelitish pottery precisely identical with what he had discovered on the site of ancient Lachish. He also traced in this place for a short distance a mud brick wall in situ, which he supposes to be the very wall that fell before the trumpets of Joshua. The wall is not far from the foot of the great precipice of Quarantania and its numerous caverns, and the spies of Joshua could easily have fled from the city and been speedily hidden in these fastnesses.
God was only using Jericho to “prepare” Joshua for what was about to happen. There was no significance to this city other than God had chosen it as a place for Joshua to begin his new era with God.
4.) Many archeologist have studied this area and there are no
remains of this great wall. Two things could be the reason for
archeologist not to find any evidence of the great wall.
1. Because there was no great wall to begin with or
2. Because God destroyed the wall in such a way that it could
never be seen or heard from again (Verse 5 And it shall come to pass,
that when they make a long blast with the rams’ horn and when ye hear the
sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall
of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight
before him.).
God wants to do this very thing with some of the walls in our lives that are causing us problems. Only if we will allow Him.
5.) When the great warriors on the inside of the wall saw Joshua
marching around the wall everyday they probably did not give
them a second thought as to be serious. The warriors had
probably fought many enemies in the past but had never
confronted a threat from a group of people with musical
Instruments (Verse 4 And seven priest shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priest shall blow with the trumpets.). They must have been quit surprised to see their mighty wall come tumbling down and find themselves under attack.
CONCLUSION
Many of us have built walls with the intention of the walls being our protection but are we really helping or hurting ourselves.
Are we holding God in or keeping God out?
What’s really going on inside of the walls you have created?
Are you worshipping God or some false idol who you are trying to conceal?
God sees you and he wants you to turn from your wicked and deadly ways and turn completely back to Him.
Let’s Pray
Dear God, my prayer is that you help me to remove the walls that I have placed around me that are stopping you from entering my heart and doing that great work that is necessary for me to fully receive from you that I may be able to do your will for my life. God you know how comfortable the walls are for me that the people can not see what I don’t want them to see but these same walls are being used to keep you out and stop you from have total victory and healing in my life. Lord I pray that you have your way in my life right now and continue to bless me and show me your way. Amen
Thank You. May God continue to keep you and bless you. Amen
Your Friend
Minister Juan D. Lane Sr.
