“On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, ‘Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!’” – Joshua 6: 15-16
The passage is the story of the Israelites’ fight with the castle of Jericho. As the book, Joshua, ends with the eventual victory of Joshua’s army, which is the conclusion of the book, it reveals the full picture of the secret of how God’s people can overcome the battles in life.
“Impossible possibility,” would be the best word to describe the battle of Joshua’s army, God’s warriors.
Throughout the book of Joshua, we see that the miracle did not happen just at once. Rather, the realistic situation was hopeless, the biggest and most powerful city of Canaan against them, no way for the Israelites to break down the castle.
The fortification of Jericho’s castle featured a dual-layered structure, consisting of an outer and inner layer. For the Israelites to just break down the wall, would require a lot of resources and time, which must have been much difficult for them as they’d been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
What is the way that God fights? In the previous chapter, 5, He commands them to conduct circumcision all over Israel. First organizing the spiritual standards. There are countless signs and promises of victory that God allows us to witness. And we obtain this by first reestablishing our spiritual standard, obeying the Word of God.
The event that preceded this was the crossing of the Jordan River in Joshua chapter 3. When the kings and nations of the Canaan region caught wind of this tale, they were already deeply shaken. Even the opponents recognized that God was on the side of the Israelites.
However, God did not immediately lead them into battle, which might not seem conventional and could be perceived as a disadvantage since it provided their opponents with time to prepare. Yet, during this interval, God emphasized the importance of the Israelites fortifying their spirituality—an instruction Joshua wholeheartedly followed.
There are two kinds of fights: upper fight and lower fight. We must do both well, having full comprehension of the details of both. Only with this understanding, we will be able to participate in the battle with prayer to gain spiritual power, the source of breakthrough.
“Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout.” The first 6 days are not the right time for us to speak out. During this period, the One who’s fighting is God and we must focus on Him and listen to what He says to us. Just building the standard for God to work through, in, for us.
“On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak….” However, on the last day, at the right time that God allows us, we must get up in the early morning and be ready. And those who have been silent should now shout for God with all their might. And that voice is what tears this wall down. Indeed, it is God who brings victory to man, still this shout of man is necessary, the shout of faith and the shout of prayer. By this faith, they gained victory.
On the last day, it’s 7 times busier than the other days. When the time that God prepared comes, it will get harder and busier. But it is because the day of victory is closer. It is the sign of drawing near to the end.
