Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Peyton! Love your point about obedience as a discipline that is developed. There are many times that I struggle with what obedience means for me in each situation. Q1. I do not do well in repetitive moments. Nor in ones of change. My usual “go-to” is either control or withdrawal. The part of obedience that is hardest for me is the “no matter what”. Q2. I’m fortunate to have a great CG that walks with me and knows how to give wise and biblically based counsel. They love me enough to dig in when they see the warning signs in my words and actions. Q3. One of the key truths I pursued aggressively post salvation was a much deeper understanding of the Sovereignty, Supremacy and Sufficiency of God.

Hugh Stephenson

What is it about the trumpets? -Trumpets blasts in Exodus 19 to announce that the LORD has arrived to complete Hs covenant and establish His kingdom. -Trumpets at the start of the Sabbatical month that He might grant Sabbath rest -Trumpets to announce the Jubilee But there is another role for trumpets, “But when the Lord comes to found, to build up, and to perfect His kingdom upon earth, He also comes to overthrow and destroy the worldly power which opposes His kingdom.” Announcement of judgement. It seems that the trumpets and the parading was to announce judgement on the people and the city. And even to give the people and the King time to consider and repent, (see also Pharoah). https://www.gotquestions.org/seven-trumpets-Revelation.html And this is where chapter 6 gets very interesting. Thinking back on Jericho. Clearly the entrance into the Promised Land is a huge event. But why wipe out Jericho, (devote it to destruction)? The note indicate that Jericho was among the most heavily fortified cities in the ancient near east. Further, the structure of their defenses was such that it would be among the most challenging and difficult to attack and defeat. Joshua and his leaders had no training against these types of defenses. Moreover they had no armaments or weapons that would be suitable. But isn’t that just the point…as noted in Joshua 6:2, (I have given Jericho into your hand)? And what about the whole parading and what about the trumpets? “The emphasis on the number seven (fourteen times in this chapter [cf. Exodus. 24:16; 2 Kings 3:9; Job 2:11-13; Ezekiel. 3:15]), the use of ceremonial trumpets (made from ram's horns), the presence of priests, and the prominence of the ark all indicate that the conquest of Jericho was more than a military campaign; it was a religious event. Israel must always remember that the land was God's gift to them." “The revelation of the grace and mercy of God to His children, goes ever side by side with the revelation of justice and judgment towards the ungodly who are His foes. If therefore the blast of trumpets was the signal to the congregation of Israel of the gracious arrival of the Lord its God to enter into fellowship with it, no less did it proclaim the advent of judgment to an ungodly world."

Hugh Stephenson

And then there’s this- "In a letter to his missionary friend Rev. Daniel Edwards, the saintly Scottish preacher Robert Murray McCheyne wrote: 'Remember you are God's sword—His instrument—I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.'" I note with interest that it was many centuries before any part of Jericho was rebuilt. “God called the Israelites to announce bad news, and to destroy Jericho, but He has called Christians to announce good news, and to seek and to save the lost.” So what is God’s call to me in this chapter? Joshua represents a foreshadowing of Jesus. He is my model much in the way Jesus is. As I go through the days, weeks, months, and years God is calling me into full and total engagement. Many of my friends and colleagues have moved into retirement, which for many of them is a life of relaxation and leisure. I make no accusation of them or judge them of wrongdoing. All I know is that God calls me to join the battle. "Nothing can more raise a man's reputation, nor make him appear more truly great, than to have the evidence of God's presence with him." "In a letter to his missionary friend Rev. Daniel Edwards, the saintly Scottish preacher Robert Murray McCheyne wrote: 'Remember you are God's sword—His instrument—I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.'"

Michael Sisson

Re: Jos 6:2-5 Jos 6:2 (NASB) >>>The LORD said to Joshua,<<< “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. Presumably, the L-RD in Jos 6:2 is still the Captain of the L-RD’s Host (Christophany) Who was addressing Joshua in Jos 5:15. Re: Jos 6:18 Jos 6:18 (NASB) “But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban, >>>and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it.<<< Notice G-d’s warning the disobedience of the individual would have consequences for the entire nation, as we’ll read in the story of Achan (Jos 7:1).

Shawn Foster

GM and Thank you. In answer to Q3., God has provided for our needs for physical healing, financial hardships, wisdom when perplexed, guidance when confused, encouragement when dismayed. He has never, ever failed us. I owe him my life. Actually it is his life & I am just returning it to him. Amen? HAGWOW

Michael Scaman

The walls fell around Rahab's home but apparently when the walls collapsed enough of the wall around her home did not. A scarlet thread marked it as a 'safe house'. Rahab is related to the word 'proud one' and God defeating Rahab in the sea at the Exodus is sung about in Psalms and Isaiah as if a dragon. God defeats the storms in people's lives. God was already working in Rahab. Everyone heard of the Israelites and what happened the last 40 years with a form of faith but Rahab had a living faith that was more than being afraid. Her living faith was seen in her actions. Note on archeology There is an odd story about Jericho and archeology. There was an archeologist named Kathleen Kenyon who went to Jericho and dug (in the poor section of the city) and didn't find the expensive Phoenecian pottery she expected in that day. And so... she threw out the straightforward Biblical record and came to believe the Exodus was greatly exaggerated and the Jews came upon the ruins of Jericho already fallen, helping deconstructionist views of the Bible to spread. Years later David Bryant who had a PhD in historic pottery of the time dug in the rich section of Jericho and found the Phoenecian pottery and made many arguments favoring the Biblical record.

Amy Lowther

1. Yes, I remain obedient in repetition and change. In repetition and change, I feel obedience can come from what you have already practiced such as attending service on Sunday, reading in the Bible, sharing faith, and volunteering in organized church events. 2. In community, we work together to help each other be successful in doing what God prefers and in being what He created us to be. 3. I have experienced that God is always with us no matter what we do or where we go. I have also experienced that we love because He first loved us.

Sue Bohlin

Thanks, Peyton! Wbat a wonderful story of pure, unadulterated obedience that gives all the glory to God and ends well! There's no natural way that simply shouting will bring down the walls of a crazy-fortified city. What happened was supernatural . . .Yahweh just FLEXING! The latest in a string of jaw-dropping miracles, like Moses stretching out his hand over the Red Sea and God parted it, and Moses striking the rock with his staff and God caused water to flow from it. And let's not forget Moses doing nothing at all and God lavished manna and quail on the people. 30+ years ago, which I see by the dated note in the margin of my Bible, a pastor pointed out three lessons to Joshua at the beginning of his leadership of the Israelites: 1. He was not alone ("I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you," Joshua 1:5) 2. He was not in charge ("As commander of the army I have now come," Joshua 5:14) 3. He had already won ("See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands," Joshua 6:2) Good stuff!