Faith is the victory

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. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.” 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... So the Lord was with Joshua, and his reputation spread throughout the land. Joshua 6:18-20, 27 NLT

Before the Israelites entered Jericho, God had said to Joshua, “I have given Jericho into your hand” (v. 2). This promise inspired them to continue to march in silence day after day, and not to flee in fear. The amazing thing was that the people believed Joshua and obeyed. They had not heard the Lord issue his orders, for these He had given to Joshua alone. They only had Joshua’s word for it that these instructions were from God. All they knew was that “the Lord was with Joshua” (v. 27). This is what assured the Israelites that what they will be doing is right. So, when they shouted with full of faith and confidence in God they have the full assurance that He would give them the victory. Though they do not know how God would do it for they had no clue, but the mere fact that God had spoken through Joshua that was enough for them to be persuaded. It was not the fierce yell that dislodged the walls and brought them down. Regardless of the defenses put up by the enemy, God performed the miracle. Our flailing and flawed faith once focused to the right object which is God, that faith gets strengthened. “And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4). When faith is exercised, the world can neither enslave us again nor intimidate. Only Rahab was saved. The walls fell in such a way that Rahab’s house was the only one that was spared. She, too, lived by faith. Two things God used that led to the fall of the Jericho: the trumpet and the shout. This event in the life of the Israelites should remind those that placed their faith in Christ of the great event soon to take place, when “The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God’ (1 Thessalonians 4:16). What a day of victory that will be when we rejoice in the mighty shout and the trumpet of God that signal the day of eternal victory in the presence of our God!

Blessings,