Jericho - Sevens
In our passage for today, the number seven abounds: Seven priests, each carrying a ram's horn, who lead the walk around the city for seven days and on the seventh day they walk around seven times.In the Old Testament (also in Revelation in the New Testament) the number seven is significant. It would be safe to say that seven is pretty much God's number in the symbolism of Israel. It points to the week of creation and to the Sabbath - a day of rest - not so much for God to rest, but for people to find their rest in Him.
To a great degree this week was a new start - a new creation for Israel. (Although the text doesn't say that the seventh day was a Sabbath, there is no reason to imagine it wasn't.) As they reflected on what they had done, the Israelites would recognise that on the six days of "work" they marched around the city, but on the Seventh Day, the day of rest, all they had to do was walk a bit more and give a mighty shout, and God's power did the rest.
The NIV Study Bible points out that the ram's horn was not a musical instrument but a signal that was used in war and also to summon people to the Sabbath (sounding at dusk on a Friday night to call Israelites to the Shabbat meal.) When an Israelite heard the ram's horn on a Friday evening he/she knew that this was the start of the Lord's day. This is an important aspect to the conquest of the Promised Land. This was not the Israelite's day, but God's, this was not their victory, but His.
The NT book Hebrews describes the victory Jesus obtained by His death and resurrection as the "Sabbath Day Rest" that remains for God's people. The Cross and Grave are the Jericho that Jesus defeated so that we have access to the ultimate Promised Land. We must recognise that He is the One who accomplished this.
But more than that, when we face "Jericho-obstacles" in our lives, we will have to learn to walk with God on our "work days". We might need to be quiet, enduring the doubts that assail us and the mockery of others. But the time will come, when the trumpets will blow and we will see God's victory.
| 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." (Joshua6:2-5) |
