Battle of Jericho
“And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.” And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.” Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days. On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.” - Joshua 6:2-7, 12-16, 20-21 ESV
As I read the description of the battle of Jericho this morning, I wondered why God made them do this elaborate maneuver before causing the walls to crash down? Then I remembered my son.
Our son grew up, like other kids his age wanting something because it was new or popular or whatever. For the most part, the things that he desperately wanted were things we could afford to give him. The question for us became how to give him what he wanted without spoiling him and making him lose his appreciation for the efforts of others.
We came up with a twofold plan. The first part was to never just give in to his desires. We would reply that Christmas or his birthday was coming and, when that didn’t work, that he was more that welcome to spend his own money (which he didn’t have) to buy it. The second part, after exhausting all the possibilities with the first part, was to offer him employment to earn the money to buy the thing (this is where I need to jump in and tell you that we offered a wage that exceeded the minimum wage sometimes by a multiple of 2 or 3). For example, it may have been crawling under a bush and cutting out sapling trees.
He would finish and come in to tell us that he was done and the first question we’d ask him back was whether he had done the best job he could do. I’d guess that half the time, he’d turn around and go back and work on it again. You see, we were trying to teach him to be self-reliant and to work at his potential. I distinctly remember when he turned about 30 and thanked us for teaching him that work ethic.
This brings me to my mother’s favorite Bible verse…
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:11-13
