How the Walls Came Down

By Paul Chappell




"And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him."


Joshua 6:3-5


The city of Jericho was the first city the Israelites had to face when they entered the Promised Land. Because the city was built on the site of an oasis and had high interlocking walls, it was considered impossible to conquer. The military technology of the day had no weapons capable of mounting an effective attack against Jericho. To the children of Israel, Jericho represented an insurmountable obstacle.


But to the God of the children of Israel the walls of Jericho did not present any challenge. Notice, however, that He did not just immediately level the enemy city. First the Israelites had to obey His command to march around the city day after day for a week. Then on the last day they circled the city seven times. Only after they had followed His instructions did God miraculously deliver the city into their hands.


Often when we face some difficult challenge, we are tempted to sit back and ask God to take care of it for us. While He is certainly able and sometimes does work in that way, often He expects us to take steps of faith even before He has worked. When we obey, He acts.


Today's Rooted Principle: 
No obstacle you face today is greater than God. Trust Him and obey, and you can see the walls come down.