JOSHUAÂ’S COMMANDER [Joshua 6 :1-21]
The God of Israel has always worked wonders among His chosen people. Feeding multitudes with manna, providing out of rocks, constructing a makeshift 'expressway' through the parted waters of the Red sea and once again in River Jordan. Of enabling young David to kill giant Goliath with simply a few smooth stones, of speaking to Balaam using a donkey and so on.
From the above experiences with God, we see a trend running through them. A heart of obedience. To collect just enough manna for the day, to get water from rocks, to walk on dry lands at His command are some examples that require obedience.
Joshua 6 tells yet another 'out-of-this-world' example of conquering a city. The men were armed but never use them to demolish walls, the priests were carrying shofars for the first six days but were not told to blow them. As if the marching is not tiring enough, why bother to carry these bulky instruments when they do not even have the chance to use them? March round Jericho once a day for six days and seven rounds on the seventh day and expect walls to tumble to many of us is foolishness. The Israelites obeyed GodÂ’s command and God delivered their enemies into their hands. The carrying of weapons but not using it to conquer perhaps is God's message to us that we cannot expect things to happen just because we force our way through, to carry arms and not employing them is a sure sign of obedience to the Chief Commander-God Himself.
It is not the weight of the marching crowd that loosen the foundations of the wall of Jericho but the victory that accompanies their obedience to God. If you think human abilitites can do wonders, take a look at the God of wonders in the Scriptures. Obedience to GodÂ’s command have proved victorious results throughout history, dare to try that again?
Obedience itself is an act of worship
neontetra