37 lines
4.5 KiB
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37 lines
4.5 KiB
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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Day By Day By Grace
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Bob Hoekstra
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November 6
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<h1>Israel Seeing Jericho's Walls Fall Down, by Faith</h1>
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<div class="block"><i>By <b>faith</b> the <b>walls</b> of Jericho <b>fell down</b> after they were encircled for seven days.</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Hbr', 11, '30-30');">Hebrews 11:30</a>)</div>
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<p>The children of Israel are now poised on the edge of the land that God had promised to give them. By <b>faith</b>, they had kept the Passover and were spared the judgment of the firstborn that befell the unbelieving Egyptians. By <b>faith</b>, they had been delivered from bondage in Egypt. By <b>faith</b>, they had passed through the Red Sea. Now, they would begin to possess the promised blessings of God, <b>seeing Jericho's walls fall down</b>, <b>by faith</b>.</p>
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<p>The first great challenge that Israel faced in the land was the fortress city of Jericho. Previously, the doubting spies had discouraged the people by speaking of these impenetrable cities. <i>"The <b>cities</b> are <b>great</b> and <b>fortified</b> up to <b>heaven</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Deu', 1, '28-28');">Deuteronomy 1:28</a>). Now, the Lord gives words of encouragement. <i>"And the <b>LORD</b> said to Joshua: 'See! <b>I have given Jericho</b> into <b>your</b> hand'"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jos', 6, '2-2');">Joshua 6:2</a>). Although these words must have stirred hope, the battle plan may have brought some perplexity. <i>"You shall <b>march around the city</b>, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city <b>once</b>. This you shall do <b>six days</b>…But the <b>seventh day</b> you shall march around the city <b>seven times</b>, and the priests shall <b>blow</b> the <b>trumpets</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jos', 6, '3-4');">Joshua 6:3-4</a>). The natural question would have been, "How can a fortified city be taken by marching in circles and blowing trumpets?" Yet, these unusual battle instructions were accompanied by a divine promise. <i>"When they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; <b>then the wall</b> of the city <b>will fall down flat</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jos', 6, '5-5');">Joshua 6:5</a>). If the people would trust in the Lord, march around the city as told, and add a victory shout at the end of the seventh day, then the walls would fall down. <i>"And he said to the people, '<b>Proceed</b>, and <b>march around</b> the city'"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jos', 6, '7-7');">Joshua 6:7</a>).</p>
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<p>Day after day, they marched on silently. On the seventh day, they marched repeatedly. Many times they may have been tempted to forsake the process as foolish and futile. Yet, patiently and obediently, they pressed on, by <b>faith</b>. Finally, the seventh march was completed on the seventh day. <i>"When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout…<b>the wall fell down flat</b>. Then the people went up into the city… and they took the city"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Jos', 6, '20-20');">Joshua 6:20</a>). How could this be? It was the result of <b>faith</b> in <b>God</b>. <i>"<b>By faith</b> the <b>walls</b> of Jericho <b>fell down</b>."</i></p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Lord God of the impossible, many times I have been as helpless as Israel was before the impregnable fortress of Jericho. When I tried to knock down the circumstances by my own power or thought, I was defeated. When I trusted in You prayerfully, I was victorious. Please help me to patiently and persistently face such battles in prayer, awaiting Your work, by Your mighty grace, Amen.</div>
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