Bring Down the Walls: The Wisdom of Moving in Silence

The school bell has rung, class is now in session.

I was reading in the Book of Joshua Chapter 6 about a tribe of people who were facing a very difficult task, overcoming an entire city, in order to get to their Promise Land. Jericho is a city located in the West Bank, Palestine and during the time of Joshua, it was the city they had to walk through in order to make it to the Promise Land.

The city of Canaan, which was referred to as the Promise Land, was the city that God had promised to the Israelites, but in order to get there, they had to conquer Jericho. This seemed nearly impossible because the city of Jericho was surrounded by walls so that no one was able to get inside of, and the walls served as solid protection against attacks. The gates had been locked to keep the Israelites and anyone else out (see Joshua 6:1).

As a believer, this reminds me of things that God may have promised us, but there may be a wall, gate or lock in our way. This time in history reveals how silence can be so vital.

Joshua and the Israelites were trying to figure out what to do, because the journey and opposition seemed nearly impossible to conquer. Imagine how frustrating it was to know God promised a new land, flowing with milk and honey, but in order to get there, they had to go through a city that looked like an impenetrable, mountain of steel.

As one can imagine, it created a mindset of defeat, so Joshua prayed to God for direction.

God did not instruct Joshua and his army to storm the city upon arrival. He had meticulous steps for them to take to achieve the desired outcome of victory. God was very specific and purposeful in how He orchestrated the walls of Jericho falling. If God is that purposeful about helping the Israelites claim the city, we can be confident that God is also that purposeful in each of our lives. The ups and downs of life may feel unexpected and catch us off guard, but God knows what is coming and will make good out of all circumstances for those who love Him (see Romans 8:28). Our lives are meaningful and significant because God is writing each of our stories purposefully. (Bible Study Tools, 2-12,24 citation)

If God ordered their steps so meticulously, I believe He can respond to our seemingly, impossible situations the same way.

Four lessons to remember from this time in history:

1. If a situation arises that is unexpected or seems impossible, seek the Lord in prayer, before making a decision about it.
2. Move in silence, until you are aware of next steps.
3. Expect God to order your steps purposefully. He explained to Joshua and the Israelites to walk around the walls of Jericho 6 times, once a day, and on the 7th day, walk around it 7 times. During the walk, God had them line up with the Ark of the Covenant in front of the Priest, and the Priest in front of the people. The Priest blew their horns daily during the walk, and the people were silent, only shouting during the 7th time on the last day.
4. The path to your promise may take a little time, but if you continue forward in silence and obedience; you will reach your destination, and receive what has been promised.

Joshua 6:16

¹⁶ And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.

The school bell has rung, class dismissed!