Joshua 6:1-16. So the guys are all healed.  They have received the mark identifying them as part of the group God has chosen to use to show the world what he could do.  Jericho was before them.  They  had spent the last forty years wandering in the wilderness eating manna.  It appears that they were also given quail to eat but the quail may not have been and everyday thing.   In fact they may have been a specific answer to a specific prayer (Exodus 16:3,13.  Psalms 105:40.  Numbers 11:4-6, 18-20,31-33). The people started receiving the manna about a month and a half after leaving Egypt (Exodus 16:1-32). The manna was given because the people had run out of food that they had brought with them and wanted to go back to Egypt (Exodus 16:1-3).  God used the manna as a way to see if the people would be humble and faithful to Him (Deuteronomy 8:16).  Manna is described as bread (Psalms 105:40).  It was flaky and had to be ground up and cooked and tasted like good cake (Exodus 16:14, Numbers 11:8).  It tasted like a cookie with honey inside (Exodus 16:31). After about two years of eating manna they wanted to go back to Egypt again (Numbers 10:11, 11:5-6)  God literally dumped quail in them this time and they ate it until they hated it (Numbers 11:18-20).  Now the people were in the promised land, the manna had stopped, and they had had a taste of the produce of the land. I’m sure they were ready to take over.

But remember the Israelites were supposed to show the world what God could do not what they could do.  God had not forgotten and He was going to use Jericho to show the world and the Israelites what He could do.  So Joshua gave the soldiers and the people their orders.  They were to march around the city with the Ark of promise in the middle of the parade.  The priests were to blow trumpets as they marched.  Once around each day for six days.  On the seventh day they were to march around seven times and then blow a long blast on the trumpet.  At which time the walls would cave in and the Israelites could enter the city from all sides and destroy it.

Not a very manly way to fight a war.  Notice the Israelites had a reputation and Jericho was locked down because of it (Joshua 6:1).  Also notice that there were valiant warriors in it.  The word valiant is an intensified version of a word that means stronger.  It’s like say the warriors inside were the strongest, they were super strong.  Now the Israelites were marching around Jericho in a parade.  And they couldn’t even talk.  I wonder if after a day or two of this the warriors inside were up on the walls trash talking the Israelites (See 2 Kings 18:26).  How hard would that be to hold your tongue?

Finally the seventh day came.  Seven times around the city (The city wall was about ½ mile all the way around but they would have marched around some distance away so a total of about 1½ miles per trip or 10 miles total.).  Then the priests blew the long blast on the trumpets and Joshua had the people shout.  God was giving them the victory.  Break to commercial.  Not really but the action does break.  Tomorrow we will see why and what happens next.

I think it would have been hard, all of the waiting.  They had been in the wilderness so long.  Now they were finally in the promised land.  But they had to wait.  Be circumcised and wait.  March around the city and wait.  March and wait.  March and wait.  March and wait.  March and wait. March and wait. March and march and march and …….. Get the idea?  Get on with it right?  If you think this is bad wait until tomorrow’s part of the story.  We just finished a series on the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians :22-23).  One thing the Holy Spirit helps us with is patience.  That word in Galatians is “long to boil”.  I wonder if the Israelite were starting to boil over.  James tells us to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19).  The reason is that man’ anger does not produce the kind of life that pleases God (James 1:20).  I’m pretty sure the fierce warriors inside Jericho were shouting out from the wall, Canaanites were not particularly restrained people.  And the Israelites had to just take it and trust God.  Jesus was insulted the night before he was crucified, and beaten.  But he remained silent.  I think that is example enough for me.  God help me be quiet, especially when I am being made fun of.  Let me be faithful to follow the path you have given me.  Let me speak when it is right to do so and give you the honor that is due to you.  Let my word build people up by helping them see what you are doing in our world, in my life, and in theirs (Ephesians 4:29, Colossians 4:6).  Let me be a light.  Let me trust you.