My Jericho

"When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us or for our adversaries?’ And he said, ‘No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.’ And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, ‘What does my lord say to his servant?’ And the commander of the LORD’S army said to Joshua, ‘take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.”        Joshua 5:13-15

Why was Joshua “by Jericho”?  I can imagine him alone, praying, away from the hubbub of the feasting that followed the Passover. Much of Joshua’s training for battle was spent in the presence of the Lord. Now I can imagine him thinking back over all the manna God provided for the Israelites as they wandered and how good this first meal of produce from the land tasted, then marveling at a God who provides and keeps all His promises.  Chapter 6 proceeds to tell us that Jericho was a great fortress, “shut up inside and outside. None went out, and none came in.”  They knew that God was with the Israelites and they feared them. One translation says that there was “no longer any spirit in them” (vs1) as they watched God Almighty work wonders for Israel.
I love the next part of the passage when the “commander of the army of the LORD” arrived with his sword drawn in his hand.. Why?  Was it to intimidate Joshua? NO! Ever since Joshua was called to lead the Israelites, he had been told to be strong and courageous, for God was on His side. I believe it was the Lord’s way of saying, ”I’m fighting with you and for you! I can and will deliver Jericho into your hands!” Before getting down to business after Joshua asks what the command is,  He tells Joshua to take off his sandals for the ground where he’s standing is holy ground!  Sound familiar?  When in the presence of the Lord and His command there is an element of Holy fear.

Where am I going with all this, you ask?  I have been borrowing a roommate’s bicycle a lot lately and cycling a big loop in our neighborhood. The other day, with lots on my mind and wrestling in my spirit, I started out to “clear my head” as I often do.  It soon turned into an amazing time with the Lord as He met with me. Recognizing the battle, Joshua 1:9 came to mind. I began counting 7 loops (which turned out to be like 12 miles) and my legs seemed to be increasingly fueled as I discovered many parallels to the Israelite’s march that day.  The first several laps were just fine. I started out with fresh vigor and an excitement to see what the Lord would reveal to me.  As the 5th lap came around, I was getting tired, slowing down on the hills and becoming really sick of the clicking noise it made every time I pedaled. (I can only imagine how sick of those trumpet blasts they got by the 5th day, not to mention the 5th time around on the 7th day!)  By the time I was completing the 6th lap I wondered what they were thinking as armed warrior men, nearing the completion of their march. I can hear them now… “We’re supposed to just shout? Why would God command us to march for so long before we take Jericho?! All our strength is gone!? Something tells me that Joshua marched with peace in his heart. Assured that the Lord would fight for them once again. In the same way, the Lord calls us to be strong and courageous. We do not fight alone. He is on our side and the battle belongs to Him. I pray that you and I will rest in this amazing truth as we enter a new year. Let us not forget the faithfulness of God in 2012 but step into the new year remembering that the Lord our God is with us wherever we go! §