Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid,
neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee
whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9
And the time was fully come…
for Israel to take possession …
of the promised land…
And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. Joshua 2:1
And the woman took the two men, and hid them…
But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
and she said unto the men…
I know that the LORD hath given you the land,
and that your terror is fallen upon us,
and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites,that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og,
whom ye utterly destroyed.
And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt,
neither did there remain any more courage in any man,
because of you: for the LORD your God,
he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
Joshua 2:4,6,9-11
So Rahab conspired with the spies from Israel…
to the saving of her household.
Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. Joshua 2:12-14
And the spies returned to Joshua…
with an exceptional report…
So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them: And they said unto Joshua…
Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land;
for even all the inhabitants of the country
do faint because of us.
Joshua 2:23-24
The stage is set!
The time had come to take the city…
just as God commanded.
Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. Joshua 6:1
Impenetrable. Unyielding. Secure.
stood the massive walls of Jericho…
a veritable fortress.
Joshua was undeterred.
Israel would press forward in FAITH…
expecting a tremendous VICTORY!
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:13-15
The heavenly messenger continued…
And the LORD said unto Joshua,
See, I have given into thine hand Jericho,
and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war,
and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets
of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass
the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up
every man straight before him.
Joshua 6:2-5
And Joshua rose early in the morning…
and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. Joshua 6:13
And the second day they compassed the city once,
and returned into the camp:
so they did six days.
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
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.
Joshua 6:12-16
So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Joshua 6:20
Facing impossible odds…
Is NO problem for the Living God!
He has a divinely inspired…
Exceptional battle plan…
to fit EVERY situation!
Nothing is impossible with God.
NOTHING!
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh:
is there any thing too hard for me?
Jeremiah 32:27
Nothing!
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