Marching in a Circle

Ever wonder what the people inside of Jericho were thinking when they heard the Israelites marching around their city walls? At first they were probably thinking that the people marching were crazy and had lost their minds to think they would capture the beautiful, treasured city. The people of Jericho were afraid of the Israelites. They marched around one time a day for six days. Each time they marched, people looked on in mystery. What were the Israelites trying to accomplish by marching around the city only one time. On the seventh day, the Israelites marched around the city walls seven times. At the end of the seventh march, they all shouted to the heavens and the priests blast their trumpets and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.

Simple story you would think… but there is much more to it. Here are more details about it. There was a chest that was carried by priests and seven priests were ordered to march ahead of it carrying trumpets. There would be a few Israelites that went with the chest to guard it… but the majority were to follow the chest. The first day when they finished their march around the city, the soldiers would return to camp with the chest for the night. Early the next morning, Joshua and everyone else started marching around Jericho in the same pattern they had done the day before. A group of soldiers in the front followed by the seven priests that had trumpets and the priests who carried the chest. The rest of the army followed in suit. As each march happened, the trumpets were blown by the priests. No other shouting was happening at the moment. Then on the seventh day when the trumpets were being blown, Joshua yelled for everyone to be ready to shout. On the final blow of the trumpet, Joshua and all of the Israelites shouted and the walls of Jericho fell.

Joshua 6:1-20

So what do you get from this story? What people do not know is that Jericho at the time was a fierce city. The walls were heavily fortified and although the people of Jericho were afraid of the Israelites, the Israelites themselves had doubt in the beginning. It took a leader who trusted God and would follow God’s orders to lead the people to victory. Sometimes in life, we are faced with walls that are heavily fortified. Many people will stand before you and doubt you and even do things to prohibit your progression. People will always find fault and shame into someone who is being successful and lives their life with meaning. Most of the time those people are jealous of what you have and the covet your financial status, public status, or even just the fact that you may live a normal life.

I tell you these things for this reason. God will never make you feel that way. He has been faithful and loving since the beginning and will be even to the end. No matter how many times God tells you to do something, follow with faith and endure the tests that you may be faced with. For on the seventh march of the struggle, you can shout to the heavens and declare that Jesus is Lord and your success will mean so much more because you chose God over man. Remember… the shout of a man’s heart is louder than the vocal chords of a man’s throat.

— Steve