Forward, March!

GETTING STARTED

The Art of War is a definitive work on military strategy and tactics. The book is attributed to Sun Tzu, a high-ranking Chinese military general, and each of its thirteen chapters feature an aspect of warfare. The genius theme of the text is the tactic of fighting a war without actually having to do battle, but strategically positioning the army with an advantage to win.

Joshua had been chosen by God to be the new leader of Israel and, in chapter 6, God gives him a plan to conquer the city of Jericho. Victory is inevitable as God strategically positions Joshua and the people of Israel for the advantage.

READ THE WORD: JOSHUA 6:1-14 (ESV)

^6:1Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. ²And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. ³You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. ⁴Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ⁵And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” ⁶So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.” ⁷And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.”

⁸And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them. ⁹The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. ¹⁰But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” ¹¹So he caused the ark of the Lord to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.

¹²Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. ¹³And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. ¹⁴And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days.

DIGGING DEEPER

RESPOND TO GOD

Jericho was an obstacle that stood in the path of the Israelites’ possession of the Promised Land. Joshua had a militia ready to fight, and the strategy God gave him to defeat Jericho was a silent “Forward, march!” around the city walls. How foolish and harmless they must have looked to the king and people of the city! But Joshua obediently followed God’s plan, confident that the battle was already won before one sword was drawn. The presence of the Lord was the only relevant weapon he had and needed.

We all have “Jerichos”—spiritual and physical obstacles that impede our progress toward our spiritual possessions in Christ. Regardless of the battle, victory always comes through God’s plan of deliverance, never our own.