Joshua 6:1-5 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.”
The Lord's people were commanded to take the land. In order to find spiritual/physical freedom, in order to receive deliverance, and in order to move forward in His Grace moving from Glory to Glory as HE changes us, we must follow all and precise instructions from the Lord. God continues to remind us in many parts of the bible to obey all of His commands and it will be well with us. God told Joshua that HE had already given him Jericho into his hands.
Yes, we are already saved as far as the spiritual realm is concerned but you are also being saved as far as this realm is concerned. We must finish and endure this race to the end. Jesus has made the way. But even though Jericho was already given, God's people must still continue to obey God's instructions to prosper and take the promise land. Many people had physically died or were killed before taking the promise land. There are always casualties in this spiritual war. Many are tested in their faith. Many did not make it to heaven as they complained, grumbled, and disobeyed. Today is no different. There are many casualties as many are spiritually walking dead.
Yes, we are already saved as far as the spiritual realm is concerned but you are also being saved as far as this realm is concerned. We must finish and endure this race to the end. Jesus has made the way. But even though Jericho was already given, God's people must still continue to obey God's instructions to prosper and take the promise land. Many people had physically died or were killed before taking the promise land. There are always casualties in this spiritual war. Many are tested in their faith. Many did not make it to heaven as they complained, grumbled, and disobeyed. Today is no different. There are many casualties as many are spiritually walking dead.
What is the promise land? The promise land can represent your heart. God is promising to free us from our idols, bondage, addictions, deception, troubles, and restore us if we continue to obey and move forward with HIM. Salvation is a journey. God's people were saved out of Egypt. Egypt represents the world. It represents bondage and imprisonment by a system and lures of the world. Egypt represents everything that hinders or blocks the Will of God in your life.
The bible has many promises. The bible says by His stripes we are healed. The bible says God will supply all our needs. The bible says if we ask in His Name, HE will answer us. The bible says God has a good plan for us. But then why are so many Christians walking around defeated? Why are so many sick and dying in their sins? Why are so many lacking? Why are so many the tail and not the head? Why are so many the footstool of Satan when the devil should be our footstool? It may be because we are out of order with God.
Joshua1:5-9 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
In order to succeed and obtain the promises of God, we must be strong and courageous through HIM, OBEY ALL OF HIS COMMANDS, and not quit or run! We must know the Word! The Word must fill us inside and outside. Many of us today offer HIM our blemished sacrifices of our works. We are doing our own works in HIS Name but not according to HIS Will. We must listen to His precise instructions to succeed. Yes, the bible says go preach the gospel and make disciples. But Jesus also said in Acts 1, to stay in Jerusalem, pray, and wait for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon and in them. Jerusalem is home to the temple of God. We are spiritual Jerusalem. We must first learn to obey by praying and wait for HIM. We must first know the Word and be filled with new wine (Spirit). We must become prayer warriors. We must become worshipers who worship in the Spirit.
Joshua 6:6-9 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.
Joshua was told by God to take seven priests with a ram's horn and walk in front of the Ark. Some armed men marched in front of the priests, some behind the Ark in the presence of the Lord, and the people marched around Jericho once for each of the six days and then seven times on the seventh day. The priests blew their horns as they marched around Jericho. They were given precise instructions not to even talk until commanded. On the seventh day, the shout would come with the long blow of the horns by the seven priests once they had marched seven times around Jericho and the walls came tumbling down. Seven means completion. We must pray until our prayers are accumulated and completed to receive our answer.
Joshua had an army. He had armed men ready to fight to push down the walls of Jericho. What does Jericho represent? Jericho had high walls. These walls can represent the walls within your hearts. They can be high walls protecting your hurt, abuse, rejections, addictions, bondage, family troubles, finances, diseases, unforgiveness, stubbornness, and etc. God was showing them if they had pushed with their own strength even though they had armed mighty men of war, they would not have succeeded without the lead of the Spirit. But God required them to do something that probably made the people of Jericho laugh as they marched around the town. In the eyes of the world, marching around the town when they had the resources to attack the walls seemed silly and it didn't make sense. But if God is going to get the Glory, it will not make sense in the physical logical sense.Physically attacking the walls represented walking by sight and moving by sight rather than by faith. God required them to move by faith by obeying to HIS instructions. HE told them to blow horns and march. People in general are impatient. They want to go to war and fight. They want to see results from the works of their hands. They want to do things that makes them feel good. Marching and blowing horns is not the first option of mighty men of war.
The blowing of horns represents us praying. The number of times to march around the town represents God's time and sovereignty for us to obey. We must pray and be patient. It may look as though nothing is being accomplished but we must learn patience and obedience to succeed. When God's time came, the walls of Jericho was destroyed by the Spirit of God. It is not by might, power, but the Spirit of God that frees us. As the walls are destroyed, we are set free to take the land and give all our hearts back to HIM. The first spoils belong to HIM. God ordered that the spoils of Jericho belonged to God. The first fruits of our harvest belong to God. All tithes belong to God. The second spoils HE gives to Joshua and the people. We must follow His commandments and order. We must properly tithe giving our first fruits to HIM so that we may continue to succeed, prosper, and to stay in the blessing. We must follow precise instructions from God.
Gideon and his 300 in the book of Judges was given precise instructions. When the word came, they blew their horns, shouted, and broke the jars that were hiding the light. When the walls in our hearts come tumbling down and when the jars are broken, the light of God will shine and we will achieve VICTORY! The jars are you and I. We are the vessels of God but the walls of our hurt, abuse, self preservation, jealousy, addictions, impatience, bondage, lack of trust, and etc must first come down. We must be a broken vessel. We must be contrite spirits. But to achieve this, we must pray and wait for His time. We must march around Jericho seven times. This number of times to march around the town may be different for all of us but we must all learn patience and to wait for HIM. We must pray and wait for the next move. We must be led by the Spirit of God. When we wait for HIM as we pray, read, and worship drawing closer to HIM. We are then acknowledging HIS sovereignty.
The church must return to prayer as they obey HIS Word.
Fire of God Church
Fremont, California USA
Pastor Steve Yong Kim
The church must return to prayer as they obey HIS Word.
Fire of God Church
Fremont, California USA
Pastor Steve Yong Kim
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