What did the Israelites see as they walked around Jericho every day for a week? The city rested on a great mound of earth, encircled at the bottom of the hill with a retaining wall 12-15 feet high. On top of the retaining wall was a mud brick wall six feet thick and at least another 20 feet high. Then, on top of the mound there was another mud brick wall encircling the city itself, an area of about 6 acres. No, with each trip around the city, it became more and more clear that there was absolutely no way they could possibly penetrate those walls.

And to make matters even worse, the people of Jericho could probably have withstood any siege the Israelites decided to lay against them. Even today, there is a spring that provides water to the site. And according to chapter 3, this military operation took place during harvest time, so the people of Jericho would have had lots of food to eat. In fact, some grain has been found in jars by modern archeologists digging at the site, and they estimate that the city could have withstood a siege for years. Oh, and Joshua knew all this, because the spies who had stayed in Rahab’s house back in chapter 2 had brought a full report back to him.

Yes, as the people marched around the city each day, they would have become more and more convinced that they were completely powerless to overcome it. Moreover, as they trudged around it seven times on the seventh day, they would have worn themselves completely out. So, by the time they raised their shout of victory in verse 20, it would have become obvious to everyone that only the Lord could defeat such a strong city. And of course, that’s exactly what He did.

So, think about those problems that face you in your health or finances, your work or relationships. Maybe you’ve been getting a good, long look at them not just for a week, but for years. Maybe you’ve finally reached the point where you know there’s nothing you can do about them, nothing at all.

But is anything too hard for the God Who parted the Red Sea, the God Who dried up the Jordan River, the God Who tore down the walls of Jericho, the God Who raised Christ from the dead? And the longer we wait for Him to deliver us, the greater our gratitude will be, and the clearer His glory will be displayed. So, will we trust Him enough to wait for Him to save us – in His way and in His time?

Joshua 6:12-21 (NASB)

12 Now Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.
13 And the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while they continued to blow the trumpets.
14 Thus the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days.
15 Then it came about on the seventh day that they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times.
16 And it came about at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city.
17 “And the city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.
18 “But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, lest you covet them and take some of the things under the ban, so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it.
19 “But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.”
20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and it came about, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city.
21 And they utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.