Jericho - The Plan
It seems like just yesterday when I wrote an EmmDev on my son Caleb's first day of grade 1. (Interestingly, I wrote on Joshua chapter 1 in a series called "Starting Orders") Now, eleven and a half years later, he begins his final term of teaching which is only a few weeks and then Prelims begin and then it is the Final Exams. Then, in the background, are all the deliberations, applications and registrations for next year. For him, and many other matrics, this is Jericho.For many folk the start of the third term marks the end of the winter hibernation and the helter-skelter of July-August-September before the year end chaos of October, November and December. This, for many of us, is Jericho too.
Behind the Israelites is the Wilderness, a time of dryness, subsistence and drudgery. Ahead of them is the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey. Between the Wilderness and the Promised Land is Jericho - a fortified city with walls so thick that chariots rode on top. As nation coming out of years of wilderness wandering Israel didn't have siege ladders or catapults. They seemed hardly equipped for this imposing obstacle.
Many of us are trapped between the Wilderness and the Promised Land with imposing Jericho-obstacles in our way. We might face unemployment, relationship failure, a tough medical diagnosis, a time of testing, insecurity, and the bullies of doubt, depression, cynicism and death (physical, spiritual, emotional).
God has a plan for Joshua. It is unorthodox and requires, above all things, trust. Joshua will have to prepare and pray. He will have to reflect and wait. He will have to grow in trust. He will have to face his doubts and persevere.
We can dissect the plan God gave Joshua. We can look at the seven days. We can reflect on the priestly worship team in front. We can consider the reaction of the people of Jericho: Apprehensive on day one, arrogant and derisive on day six. All these things (and many more) are interesting and worth looking into. But for today, just these thoughts:
- God has a plan for Joshua, and, as we face our Jericho obstacles, He has a plan for us.
- God often has us doing things differently - His ways are not always what everyone else will do.
- Part of overcoming obstacles is learning to trust God.
| Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in." (Joshua6:1-5) |
