By Faith The Walls Of Jericho Fell Down
Hebrews 11:30-31 Christian Standard Bible
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days. The writer of Hebrews under the inspiration and leading of The Holy Spirit has dedicated an entire chapter to people and events who walked and accomplished great things of God by faith. His audience was facing suffering and persecution and many of them were considering abandoning Jesus Christ. Sometimes for us in the west this can be hard to comprehend because few have faced suffering and persecution that is life threatening. Some have faced hardship that has made life extremely uncomfortable. But there are real moments in our walk with Christ in which we feel very overwhelmed and feel like we are outgunned and outmanned. Throwing in the towel is the easy and comfortable option.
But we see here the example of Jericho. It is believed that the walls of Jericho were more than twenty feet high and eight feet thick. Most likely there was a double wall around the outside of the city. So, for the Israelites who were led by Joshua, this seemed like impossible odds. Left to human wisdom and power the Israelites would have never taken the city of Jericho. We must remember that the Israelites were not a well-trained army. They were a collection of people who had come out of bondage of Egypt and were moving toward the promise land. It is a shadow of the Christian journey in that Jesus Christ has led us out of the bondage of sin and it is Him who leads us to the promises of God that stand before us. We claim and accomplish these by faith in Jesus Christ alone.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down as they marched around the city seven days. For the first six days the Israelites were told to march around the city one time each day. But on the seventh day they were told to march around the city seven times and then give a shout. Because of faith the walls of Jericho fell down and the city was taken. It is faith that unlocks the power of God to move in situation and circumstances. When God sends forth His word, we either can respond in obedience or disobedience. If we fail to act in faith we will miss out on the victory and breakthrough that God has for us. We cannot view circumstances through human wisdom and understanding, we must see things as God sees them and understand because of Jesus Christ we have access to the throne of grace. Because of Jesus Christ all things are possible to Him who believes.
By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed. Rahab was a gentile; she was not an Israelite. When the spies came through to spy out the city of Jericho, she could have turned them in. By hiding them she was risking her own life and most likely the lives of her family members. But what led Rahab to make the choice to instead hide the spies was her fear of the God of Israel.
When the bible speaks of the fear of the Lord it is not a terrifying fear in which we are paralyzed, it is a holy reverence for the Living God that moves us to obedience and to choose to act according to His word and His ways. Throughout the ancient world there were many so called gods. But there is only one true God and that is Yahweh who is the God of all creation and the God of Israel.
Rahab had heard of the reports like many in Jericho of what has happened to the nation of Egypt and the Israelites. It wasn’t because of the military power of Israel or the wise leadership of Moses that caused Israel to be free. At every turn the supernatural provision of God was needed. Through every judgement put upon Egypt God demonstrated His superiority over the so-called gods of Egypt. The tenth and final plague would bring forth the death angel who would Passover the homes of the Israelites because of the shed blood of the lamb but killed the first born in Egypt. Pharaoh’s own son was put to death, and this ultimately again showed the supremacy of Yahweh because Pharoah himself was seen as a god.
By faith Rahab acted. Because of her faith in the God of Israel she and her entire family were saved. When Joshua and the Israelites invaded Jericho, it was the scarlet thread placed in her window that saved her and her family. This is ultimately a shadow of the scarlet shed blood of Jesus Christ. For it is the shed blood of Jesus Christ that not only washes us clean, but it saves us from the judgement and wrath of Almighty God.
Over and over, we are told by faith people acted. By faith they accomplished great and mighty things for the Living God. This is still the case for us today. God desires to do great things in our lives and great things in our day. Often, we pray that God would move greatly and His purposes would be accomplished. What we often fail to understand that is in time we will be the answer to those prayers. As we spend time diligently praying and seeking the face of God by faith, it is God who is preparing us to do mighty exploits for Him.
Let us not forget the twelve guys Jesus called were ordinary men. They were not remarkable in themselves by any stretch of the imagination. All of them were overlooked by the rabbis of their day. But in each of them Jesus saw what they would become by His grace and by His power. As they walked with Christ they were eternally changed. When Jesus returned to the Father and the Holy Spirit filled their lives, by faith in Jesus Christ they accomplished great things for the kingdom of God.
May we choose to live by faith. May we understand how precious the faith we have in Jesus Christ is. None of us deserve salvation and only by God’s grace is our eyes open. Only by the grace of God has God made a way for man to be saved. We come to salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone. May we choose to live each day by faith.
Prayer
Father thank you for the journey of faith. Thank you for the examples in your word of those who lived obediently for you and accomplished great things for your kingdom. Thank you that our value is not based on who we are or what we have done. Thank you that our right standing before you is simply by faith alone. Faith in your Son Jesus and what He has accomplished at Calvary. Jesus thank you for saving us. Thank you for taking the wrath and punishment we deserve. Thank you for being our Lord and Savior. Holy Spirit thank you for leading and guiding me. May my every step by established and led by you. Thank you for loving me the way you do. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!
Comments