I am studying the fall of Jericho to teach my Jr. Highers. I always ask God, what does that mean to us today. Or what is the "big picture" you are trying to show us. Since the Old Testament is a picture of what we go through spiritually, there is always lessons and stratgies we can learn from studying it. At first I thought this was going to be another lesson on how to fight our enemies (which it is), but looking closer I saw a much bigger picture.
God tells Joshua to send these men of war out first, then priests bearing trumpets, then the ark of God. They are to march around this city that God has given them for 7 days, only on the 7th day they are to march around this city 7 times with 7 priests blowing 7 trumpets. On the 7th time they are to shout, the walls will fall down and they are to take the city; burn everything that can be burnt and kill everything that can be killed. The only ones that may live are Rahab, the harlot and her family that she has gathered in her house.
God speaks of a day as being 1,000 years (2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.) On the 7th day he will come and take his bride and there will be : the wedding, the coronation of the king, the opening of the books, the honeymoon and eventually the millenium (7th day). God rested on the 7th day to signify millenium. When Jesus returns it will be with a shout of the arch angel and the sounding of the trumpet of God. Then the manmade walls of false protection will fall and Jesus will be proclaimed the King.
The people of Jericho shouted a shout, the priests blew the trumpet and the walls of Jericho came down. Jericho means "fragrance". God says that our fragrance goes up to heaven and either we are a pleasing fragrance or a stench in his nostrils. Apparantly, the people of Jericho were a stench in His nostrils so he destroyed them. Rahab means "to enlarge". She enlarged her boundaries to believe in and fear God and He saved her and her household.
Jesus will come back on a feast of Roshashana which is the feast of Trumpets. This feast signifies an enlarging or establishing of our personal borders to encompass more of the Lord. It is also the beginning of harvest days. The trumpet is to awaken us to God.
Rahab hung the scarlet thread out her window to signified where she lived so she would be saved. We bear the scarlet thread of the blood of Jesus to signify whose we are. The blood of Jesus will save us on the day that God returns. It is our blood on the doorpost of out hearts.
Lord, awaken us to the days of harvest that we are living in. Prepare us for your coming so that we can bring many with us and be prepared ourselves to receive you.
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