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One more with Joshua and then on to Gideon.

The Israelites had crossed the Jordan and were encamped near the fortified city of Jericho. Joshua sees in front of him a Man standing with a drawn sword. He must have looked imposing, but Joshua walked up to Him and said, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?” The Man said, “Neither. I am here as the Captain of the Army Hosts of the Lord. Take off your sandals, Joshua. You are on holy ground.” Joshua didn’t hesitate. He fell on his face in worship, asking the Lord what he was to do.

Remember the last time someone was asked to take off their sandals because the ground they were standing on was holy? It was Moses as he stood before the burning bush and God was speaking to him from the flaming plant. God’s Presence made the place holy.

No angel ever asked a person to remove their sandals because the ground they stood on was holy. No angel ever allowed a human being to fall down in worship. Only God, Himself, can make a place holy by His Presence. I believe this was a Theophany…an appearing of God, the Eternal Son, before Joshua. The Lord was telling Joshua that He was in charge. What was going to happen, the taking of Jericho and the rest of the Promised Land would depend upon God being with them. God was there, not to take sides, but to accomplish His will and fulfill His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The Lord then told Joshua that he was to march the army around Jericho each day for seven days. The Levites were to lead the march with the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders. On the seventh day, they were to march around seven times and at the end of the seventh time, they were all to shout and blow their ram’s horns. That is not a tactic they teach at West Point. It was not about what they would do! It was about them seeing what God would do IF they were simply obedient. On that seventh day, the fortified walls of Jericho fell outwardly by God’s power and the city was conquered.

This tactic was not repeated anywhere else. God was not setting up a repeatable strategy. He was showing them what He could and would do if they but trusted Him enough to obey and do as He commanded. THAT IS a principle for us. We can stand and watch the salvation of the Lord worked out and lived out among us if we will but take Him at His Word, believe Him and simply do what He has asked us to do. We will see the effect of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ manifested in the Power of the Holy Spirit as the sick are healed, the dead are raised, lepers are cleansed, and demons are cast out…the darkness and repercussions of sin being pushed back.

Will you simply believe His love for you? He is there ready to do far above and beyond anything you could ever ask or imagine by the Power of His Holy Spirit living in you, Christian.



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