Sermon: WALLS THAT FALLS 4-18-10 Pastor Sharla

TV Reporter:

Welcome to another edition of Old Testament Wonders where today we are investigating a story about a man named Joshua. Joshua, son of Nun is said to be the divinely appointed successor to Moses. The story begins outside the walls of Jericho across the valley from Jerusalem, where Joshua and his fellow Israelites have been camping out.  Supposedly God gave Joshua a plan to take over the city of Jericho. Facing the impossible, Joshua did what the Lord commanded and marched around the city each day, without talking if you can believe it? We are told that rams horns such as these were heard blaring along with thousands of marching men.  Then on the seventh day at just the right time, there was a long blast from the horn and Joshua commanded the Israelites to shout…. word has it that in an unbelievable fashion, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down and the Israelites were victorious. Join us next time when we will personally interview a woman named Rahab who was spared from the destruction of this city. (End of Reporting)

Can you imagine the media coverage such an event as the Battle of Jericho would get today?  All too sadly yes, we probably can, as we know our world to be war torn in many places. All we have to do is watch the Nightly News to see the real life affects of war in our world.  The Battle of Jericho is one of those biblical occurrences that has been acted out, sung about by choirs and Elvis, and there is even a heavy metal rock group by that name. 

A story is told of a new minister who was asked to teach a boys class in the absence of their regular Sunday School teacher. He decided to see what they knew, so he asked who knocked down the walls of Jericho. All the boys denied having done it, and the preacher was appalled at their ignorance. At the next board meeting he told about the experience. “Not one of them knows who knocked down the walls of Jericho.” he lamented. The group was silent until one seasoned veteran of spoke up saying. “Preacher, this appears to be bothering you a lot. But I’ve known all those boys since they were born and they’re good boys. If they said they didn’t know, I believe them. Let’s just take some money out of the repair and maintenance fund, fix the walls and let it go at that.”

We may have to use our imagination but let’s try and visualize Jericho and possibly how Joshua and the Israelites saw it from their camp.  The city itself is said to be about 3football fields in circumference, made up of an inner wall that was 12 feet thick and an outer wall that was 6 feet thick and 30 feet high.  Supposedly there was about a 15 ft. wide inner walk way between these 2 walls and that was how the people of Jericho safely moved about.  These walls were spacious enough to make up some of the homes for the people. 

After Joshua receives specific directions from the Lord as to how to conquer what he thought to be a looming fortress, the march began.  As we heard in the reading of the scripture, for 6 of the seven days the army was to march around just once, with the priests blowing their horns, while those carrying the Ark of the Covenant closely following. With strict orders not to talk or shout until they were told on the seventh day, this had to be one of the first times in history that a group that large not only did what they were told, but did it quietly. 

Fast forward to the seventh day and like they were instructed, after seven times around the city, a long trumpet blast, and a mighty shout, down came the walls of Jericho, allowing Joshua and his army to conquer the city, leaving only his informant and her family spared from death. 

So what can this story of conquest with such a climactic conclusion have to teach or encourage us as 21^st century followers of the Son of God?   As pastors we are asked sometimes why God would allow such horrendous acts of death and destruction?  While our Old Testament reasoning may include the judgement of those who were disobedient and evil, even as witnesses of the Good News, we have our own questions as to why sickness and war, hunger and abuse continues in the world around us today. As humans we may question why such things have to happen. As children of God even such horrible occurrences, ancient or current can influence us on whatever part of our faith journey we find ourselves now.      

I do not mean to minimalize or trivialize anyone’s pain or circumstances, but as a minister of the gospel I am called to help others find hope even in midst of the battles that they may find themselves in.  Because of our own choices, or even circumstances beyond our control, we honestly each face walls of opposition and challenge.  While we know of many blessings…. We also know of illness, addiction, broken relationships, financial obstacles, and hardened hearts. These are just a few of the walls that many of us have or will come up against.  Fear of the unknown, unpreparedness and lack of faith all seem to work against us when the going gets tough.

Our battles may seem very different from what Joshua faced but we can apply some of the same principles to our wall conquering as he did.  While marching in circles quietly may not seem like the most productive strategy, God was teaching Joshua to trust, instead of relying on his own might.  We could learn the same for ourselves.  While the outcome for the battle belonged to the Lord, we too are asked to entrust the outcome for our problems and challenges to the Lord as well.  And finally, Joshua had to carry on in faith, even when he didn’t feel capable of overcoming the obstacle he found before him. 

Without sounding simplistic what is the Jericho in our lives?  Whatever it is, we are asked to keep pressing on putting our trust in God’s direction, plans and wisdom like that of Joshua.  Those Israelites marched around and around without even seeing a pebble fall from that wall until just the right time.  And then at last, with a blaring blast and a screaming shout, those walls fell.  Not due to the might of the army but by the might of the Lord.  Marching around that city, would have been like waiting for a baby to arrive.  At just the right time…..not any sooner than it is suppose to happen, those walls were to fall.  As they marched did they question the plan that they had been given? Probably…. Do we question God as we try and make sense out of the obstacles that find their way into our paths and lives?  Probably…..

The plans don’t make sense, we are often tired, what if we fail or worse, what if the outcome is different than we planned? Am I crazy to believe that God will take care of me?  Do my doubts and questions show weakness on my part?  I desire peace in a way that others think is pure foolishness. 

As people of the Good News, may we be reminded that in the New Testament book of 1Corinthians 1:18 Paul writes; “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

In 2 Cor. 12, Paul talks about how he appealed to the Lord to remove the thorn of weakness that he had, but the Lord replied to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

In 1529 Martin Luther wrote his most popular hymn,
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. Tradition states that
King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden had it played as his
forces went to battle in the Thirty Years' War. 
The words reinforce to us as Christian people that
there is no battle to large or too small for God. I
would like to read verses 2 and 4 of this hymn.  

 Did we in our own strength confide,

our striving would be losing,

were not the right man on our side,

the man of God’s own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be? 

Christ Jesus, it is he;

Lord Sabaoth, his name,

from age to age the same,

and he must win the battle.

That word above all earthly powers,

no thanks to them, abideth;

the Spirit and the gifts are ours,

thru him who with us sideth. 

Let goods and kindred go,

this mortal life also;

the body they may kill;

God's truth abideth still;

his kingdom is forever.

 

Walls, thorns….the obstacles and challenges, whatever we identify them as that have or will come our way.  Whatever our Jericho, no matter how high the walls may seem, we must remember that the walls of Jericho didn’t come down because of any personal supernatural strategy of wisdom, but because of God’s sufficient power that was unexplainable, yet evident.

Let us pray: Empower us oh God to face each day with courage.  Strengthen us and others in our weakness, sustain us in our journey.  May we grow in our faith as we seek to serve you with our lives, putting our trust in you for today and for the days to come.  Amen. 

Benediction:  May we go forth one day at a time with these words from another song as our encouragement:  When your enemy presses in hard, do not fear, The battle belongs to the Lord, Take courage my friend, your redemption is near, The battle belongs to the Lord.