Post by Woody Williams on Sept 7, 2009 7:31:21 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Joshua 6:1-6, 17
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Now Jericho was shut up inside and out because of the Israelites; no
one came out and no one went in. The Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I
have handed Jericho over to you, along with its king and soldiers.
You shall march around the city, all the warriors circling the city
once. Thus you shall do for six days, with seven priests bearing
seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you
shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the
trumpets. When they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, as soon as
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
all the people shall charge straight ahead.’ So Joshua son of Nun
summoned the priests and said to them, ‘Take up the ark of the
covenant, and have seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns
in front of the ark of the Lord.’ The city and all that is in it
shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the
prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because
she hid the messengers we sent.
Devotional
----------
This drama reads like a liturgy. This is ritual drama through which
God's power is manifested to the people. Jericho is leveled and the
only persons to survive are Rahab and her family. She had helped the
spies of Israel escape. The last verse describes this victory as a
total separation of the city to God from its previous existence. It
is something of a metaphor for the people of Israel.
Prayer
--------------
Lord, help me recognize how you are calling me to a deeper
commitment. Amen
----------
Now Jericho was shut up inside and out because of the Israelites; no
one came out and no one went in. The Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I
have handed Jericho over to you, along with its king and soldiers.
You shall march around the city, all the warriors circling the city
once. Thus you shall do for six days, with seven priests bearing
seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you
shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the
trumpets. When they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, as soon as
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
all the people shall charge straight ahead.’ So Joshua son of Nun
summoned the priests and said to them, ‘Take up the ark of the
covenant, and have seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns
in front of the ark of the Lord.’ The city and all that is in it
shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the
prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because
she hid the messengers we sent.
Devotional
----------
This drama reads like a liturgy. This is ritual drama through which
God's power is manifested to the people. Jericho is leveled and the
only persons to survive are Rahab and her family. She had helped the
spies of Israel escape. The last verse describes this victory as a
total separation of the city to God from its previous existence. It
is something of a metaphor for the people of Israel.
Prayer
--------------
Lord, help me recognize how you are calling me to a deeper
commitment. Amen