http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%205-8&version=NIV
The Gospel of the Old Testament
Conquering through God’s power and promises
The battle of Jericho is a celebrated battle in Bible history. I sure we’ve heard the song, “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down, down, down.”
What is the significance of the battle of Jericho? First, because it was on the outer edge of the Promised Land, it was a key city for the Israelites to conquer if they were to posses Canaan. In the way the Lord delivered the city into the hands of the Israelites, a strong message is sent. That message – believe that I will do as I have promised, obey me in faith, and I will go before you and fight for the battle in your stead.
This message to the Israelites is the same for us today. We are to walk every day in the belief that:
-God is the God that he says he isGod is a God who keeps his promises
-He will do what he has said He will do
-God goes before us
-When we walk in faithful obedience he is faithful to fight for us
-He will deliver us
We can live our lives and fight our battles like the Israelites fought for Jericho and watch walls fall. People of faith throughout the ages have watched the walls of their own Jericho fall over and over again – conquering through the Lord’s power and promise.
Sin and consequences
As today’s reading continues, I believe chapter 7 represents God’s wisdom in dealing with his people. In Jericho, He first establishes his power and his faithfulness when they walk in obedience in. And then he makes it clear that we must continue to walk in obedience so that we continue to live under his hand of protection. The battle of Ai doesn’t go according to plan, prompting Joshua to cry out to the Lord in great anguish – how could God bring the people so far only to allow them to lose this battle. Imagine the doubt that Joshua must have felt at the loss of this battle as he looked at how many more cities they must conquer to take the land of Canaan.
But, in his wisdom he does not stop believing. Rather, he falls face-down in front of the Lord and cries out for understanding. God reveals that there was a specific reason the battle was lost – the sin of the people in the community. Achan let his flesh and greed take precedence over God as he kept some of the devoted things of Jericho that where to be left for the Lord for himself.
As I read, I thought to myself, “thank goodness my own sin doesn’t affect the whole community around me” (although we must also realize that sometimes it can and does). But this leads to the question of why the whole community experienced consequences of Achan’s sin. I believe that it was so that God could make clear to the whole community the consequences of disobedience. The sin was dealt with as an illustration of God’s holiness and Israel’s responsibility. The lessons we learn:
-Beware of allowing fleshly desires to allow you to step outside of God’s commands
-God’s hand of protection is removed when we walk in disobedience
-Because protection is removed, their will be consequences for our sin
-There are times when the consequences of our choices are far-reaching
-Walking in disobedience can affect us and those around us
-We should also fall face-down before God and seek understanding
Repentance, Restoration, Deliverance
Before our reading ends for today, we receive a picture of the grace and restoration of God – the gospel message in the Old Testament. In chapter eight we see the renewal of the conquest as the sin of Achan has been dealt with. With the removal of sin the people again have victory. The message – there will be times when we faith to fulfill our responsibility towards God. But in unfailing love and faithfulness, when we come to God with repentant hearts, God will always restore us to our former position where we live under His power and protection.
We are conquerors in the land - Praise God for his Love and Faithfulness!
Anyone care to share a story of when God went before them and brought walls down or when God restored them and again brought victory in their lives? We’d love to hear your story.
Today's post was submitted by Carol Bartels
You all are posting some good stuff, thanks. Yes I would like to share but I would like to share on the Ai of my life. Walking with God, enjoying His leading and seeing His power working through my life as I was a missionary in Beirut, Lebanon. I was seeing first hand the ancient walled strongholds in people’s minds coming down. Glorious victory over the city of Jericho as a new church was planted among the Druze Muslims. Something unheard of. But the glorious experienced was followed up by utter defeat at the city of Ai. This is what Ai means, “Utter ruins” Marriage falls apart, I leave Lebanon for marriage counseling only to see it get worse and worse until my marriage ends up in utter ruins. Yes, I’m quite familiar with the city of Ai. But thank God, like your message points out today. God didn’t stop His work or plan for my life after my defeat at Ai. Like Joshua, it was time to get on my face and seek God. Confessing my sin to Him, asking for help to get through this and the God of the 2nd chance said, time to go back to Ai but this time its time to get the victory! Lesson learned and the Lord even brought into my life a beautiful Christian lady. Thank God for His grace and my resolve is to never return to Ai ever again.
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