Some of the women on staff here at Sagebrush and I were recently recounting moments of spiritual growth in our lives. As we shared about the moments in our lives when we experienced growth, we found a very common theme: many of the moments we shared when we experienced growth happened during times of struggle and challenge. You could probably share a time in your life when you faced a struggle, challenge, or trial and emerged spiritually stronger. The truth is, it is often our hardships and difficulties that grow us because they require us to take steps of faith or to trust God even when we do not understand. These difficulties and hardships provide opportunities for our faith in God to grow as we experience His own strength and peace during difficult times. These moments of faith prepare us for the future so that when more challenges and hardships arise, we will turn to God, trusting Him as we remember His past faithfulness to us. We have seen how Joshua, whom we have been studying and learning from this week, demonstrated strength as he faced challenges and difficulties leading the people of Israel, and perhaps each challenge he faced strengthened and prepared him for the next. He certainly demonstrated spiritual strength as he led the Israelites across the Jordan River to the Promised Land, which must have prepared him for another obstacle he and the Israelites faced that may have seemed even more impossible than crossing a body of water: overtaking an entire town.
Our story of Joshua, a man who loved God with his strength, picks up today in Joshua 6. God made it clear that He was giving Jericho to the Israelites. His instructions to them on how they would overtake the city of Jericho, however, were unconventional. Joshua and the Israelite army were to walk around the town of Jericho once a day for 6 days (verse 3). Then, on the seventh day, they were to march around the town seven times, and on the seventh time, the priests were to blow their horns, and the Israelites were to shout as loudly as they could (verses 4-5). This was not the traditional way to take over a town. Typically, warfare and fighting would be required to take over an entire town. Instead, God simply commanded the Israelite army to walk around the town, and as the horns were blown and the Israelites shouted, the walls would fall (verse 5). Despite the command's unconventional nature, Joshua did not waver. He chose to be strong and courageous. He trusted God and obeyed. Perhaps he looked back on how God led the Israelites across the Jordan River and on God’s provision for them at that river, which would have certainly given him confidence that God would allow them to take Jericho. Joshua and the Israelite army did exactly as God said. They silently obeyed God, marching around Jericho for 6 days. They marched on the 7th day, too, but on that day, they marched around the city 7 times. On the seventh time, they blew trumpets and shouted, and the walls around Jericho collapsed, exactly as God said.
We have an advantage in reading the story in Joshua 6 that Joshua and the Israelites did not: we know how the chapter ends. We know they overtook the city of Jericho in such a way that it was clear God had given them the city. When God gave the command, however, they could not read the end of the chapter because they were living it. What they did have was strength and courage, led by Joshua, which led them to trust and obey.
Much like the Israelites in Joshua 6, we cannot see the end of the chapter we are walking through. We cannot see how God is working as we face challenges and obstacles as we seek to follow Him. We do, however, know the God we serve, who is faithful, loving, and compassionate. The same God who parted the Jordan River and caused the walls of Jericho to collapse is our God. That means that we can always trust Him to be with us and to provide for us. Will you follow the example of Joshua and the Israelites in Joshua 6 and faithfully obey Him even when you cannot see how the chapter you are walking through will end? Will you love Him with your strength?
For a moment, think back on moments where God used a trial and difficulty in your life to produce spiritual growth in you. As you reflect on these moments, thank God for how he uses challenges and difficulties in your life to help you become stronger spiritually. Ask Him to give you the strength and courage to respond faithfully to any of the difficulties, trials, and hardships you may be facing now.
“God, as I remember Your faithfulness to me through my trials and difficulties, I thank You for…”
1 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 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. 5 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.”
6 So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.” 7 Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.”
8 After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant followed behind them. 9 Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. 10 “Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. 14 On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.
15 On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. 16 The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town! 17 Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.
18 “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. 19 Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”
20 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. 21 They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.
22 Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.”
23 The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel.
24 Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25 So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.
26 At that time Joshua invoked this curse:
“May the curse of the Lord fall on anyone
who tries to rebuild the town of Jericho.
At the cost of his firstborn son,
he will lay its foundation.
At the cost of his youngest son,
he will set up its gates.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land.
