Walking around Jericho...

As I walked this morning, I heard Donald Lawrence’s song Giants. There is one particular line in the song that jumped out at me – “just walk around the Jericho wall”. I continued to walk and I heard the Lord say “just keep walking around Jericho.” I just started thanking God because as I remembered the story of Jericho, I knew that was an encouraging word for me. You see if you’ve made it to Jericho, you are close to your victory! Today, I want to encourage you to keep on walking and following instruction because God’s promise is true.

When you think about some of the timelines God has given out in the bible, the weeklong Jericho experience seems pretty short. I wondered why something so important had such a short process but then the Lord reminded me of what led the people to Jericho. So when we find Joshua and the people of Israel in Joshua 5, they have completed their 40 years in the wilderness. All of those that had disobeyed God and been denied the right to enter the Promised Land had died. “So Joshua circumcised their sons—those who had grown up to take their fathers’ places—for they had not been circumcised on the way to the Promised Land. After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed.  Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day. While the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land.  No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.” (Josh 5:7 – 12 NLT) Did this hit any of you like it did me?  If not, look deeper! God brought the people out of the wilderness, renewed covenant with them and redeemed them from the shame of their past! He allowed them to begin eating the fruit of a land that He promised long before that. He prepared them for victory. Sometimes you may wonder why you have to go through so much to get to your breakthrough. You wonder what purpose all of the hurts and trials could possibly serve. But there is a reason and a purpose for everything. Sometimes God has to cut some things out of you in order for newness to develop. He has to get rid of some people and some habits so that you can receive your freedom. Sometimes you cannot walk into victory, if you are still carrying the baggage of your past.

As chapter 5 of Joshua ends, the Lord has sent the Commander of His army to speak to Joshua outside of Jericho. He instructs Joshua to remove his shoes because He is standing on holy ground and Joshua obeys. (Josh 5:13-15) I found these three verses that tell this short story prior to the Jericho chapter very interesting. How many times have we gotten deep into a season of our lives and forgotten the power that we have and the power that goes with us. How can we walk into our promise if we don’t recognize that we have arrived? I saw this section as God’s welcome mat for the Promised Land. I believe God wanted to make sure that Joshua knew where he was and what he was getting ready to walk into. So often we get close to our breakthrough but don’t realize that God has brought us there and we walk in unprepared. In fact, sometimes, we are so unprepared that we miss it. Joshua was representative of the people of Israel. He HAD to recognize that He was on holy and promised ground so that he would proceed with obedience and order.  

So… we’ve seen that there is a process, a journey, if you will to victory. God doesn’t just catapult you past struggle but rather He walks with you through what can be some very hard experiences. The question becomes can you hold on until you get to Jericho, especially when it seems so far away.  Jericho is locked down because the people inside are terrified of the Israelites. They’ve heard the stories of what God has done for and through the Israelites. They even know that there have been spies looking for weaknesses. But the Lord has promised that this land would be Israel’s. “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns.  When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”(Josh. 6:2-5 NLT) They follow God’s instructions to the letter, marching in silence every day for 7 days with the exception of the priest blowing their horns. “When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.” (Josh 6:20 NLT)

God has told you to do some things during this season of your life. It may have been continue to pay your tithes even when you don’t know how you will pay anything else. It may have been to be silent. It may have been to fast. It could have been any number of things but the question is:  are you listening? You are so close to your last lap. I am here to encourage you to continue to press and move. Don’t stop now when your shout is right around the corner! Your victory is attainable and touchable but you cannot give up. There is a breakthrough in your obedience and a reward in your press. Listen to what the Lord has instructed you to do and carry it out. Keep walking around Jericho because if the Lord promised you something, the walls have to come down!

AMEN!