Last week we talked about the importance of:
V. Adjusting to change, a walk of faith not of sight. Seen or unseen, God is with His people. We can trust Him to lead us to victory.
VI. Getting the needed assurance and power of a divine encounter to further strengthen our faith and galvanize us for the battle.
Having done this we are now ready to receive additional and specific guidance from the Lord. Now we can go forth in a power not our own to wage war against a fortified enemy. But what do you do when the guidance your receive defies human reasoning?
Joshua 6:1-11 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.” 6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.” 7And he ordered the people, “Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD.” 8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD’S covenant followed them. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10 But Joshua had commanded the people, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” 11 So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there.
Having a complete understanding of what God wants to do, how and why He intends to do it is not a prerequisite for obedience. Throughout the scriptures, we read how God challenges His people to demonstrate their faith and acceptance of His word by walking in obedient.
VII. Be willing to receive God’s prefect plan
In the Bible the number, seven often symbolizes perfection, completeness, or full- ness. There were seven priests, 7 trumpets, seven days, seven circuits of the wall on the seventh day. God wanted Joshua and the people to know that while God’s plan of action may seem foolish to us it is always the perfect strategy for winning battles and pulling down strongholds.
Notice the order of the precession: (1) armed guard, (2) priests and rams horns, (3) priests and the Ark of the Covenant, (4) armed guard, (5) the Hebrew people. God wanted Joshua and the people to know that victory in battle would depend upon recog- nizing His presence in the midst of them. When you do it God’s way the evidence of His presence will be in the middle of it all.
2 Samuel 22:31 "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Hosea 14:9 Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will un- derstand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.
Romans 11:33 (NLT) Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods!
VIII. Weapons of warfare not of our own choosing
“The trumpets they used were not those silver trumpets which were appointed to be made for their ordinary service, but trumpets of rams' horns, bored hollow for the purpose, as some think. These trumpets were of the basest matter, dullest sound, and least show, that the excellency of the power might be of God.”
—Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible
2 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV) For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.
Get the entire study of part 3, IX, X, and XI, by clicking this link
No comments:
Post a Comment