Day 1

Theme: Seeking God for Direction

(Based on Joshua and the Battle of Jericho)

Monday, January 25 – Day 1    

HEART TO RECEIVE: Josh 5:13-15 – (Session 1)

The “attack” on Jericho was designed by God. One day shortly after the first Passover in 40 years, Joshua was out on the western perimeter of the camp, looking at Jericho’s high thick walls. He may have been trying to come up with a scheme to bring those walls down, but while doing so his eyes caught sight of a Stranger. “A man stood opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand.” Without the least bit of fear, Joshua stepped toward him asking, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”

The Stranger replied, “No.” “But as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the ground and worshiped, saying to the Stranger “What does my Lord say to his servant? This is what is required of us as we set out on this path to seek the Lord for direction.

The Captain of the Lord’s army, a typification of the Son of God, gave to Joshua His will to bring down the walls of Jericho. It involved everyone in the camp of Israel. Four priests were to carry the Ark of the Covenant covered by its heavy protective tapestries. Seven additional priests were to blow trumpets made out of ram’s horns. The armies of Israel were to precede the priests, probably marching in proper rank and file according to their tribes. And at the rear were all the rest of Israel from the old men, to the ladies and children. The group at the rear were probably not in any order, and they stretched away from the city many hundreds of yards.

Joshua was told that every day for six days, the nation was to circle the city.  He may have asked, or the Lord may have told him it would be all right to rotate the priests

every day. That ark with all its gold was probably extremely heavy. He was told that the people were to be totally silent; they were not to chat, to gossip, to slander the Canaanites, or even sing the songs of Zion. Victory was assured but before it could manifest before their eyes, they needed to obey the Lord’s directions given through His anointed servant and their leader.

THIS was Jehovah’s plan of attack, and Joshua was wise enough to follow it to the letter. We seek God’s face this week for His direction on the way forward for CCEM. He has already declared this to be the Year of New Beginnings & Explosive Growth. We must seek Him for direction on how we get from here to there.

PROGRESSIVE REVELATION: Josh. 6:1-11 (Session 2)

Our Lord showed Joshua His will regarding Jericho. He didn’t call for a war council, inviting the High Priest and the leaders of the twelve tribes. God gave to Joshua a vision of a great victory; He didn’t give it to anyone else. Certainly, others in Israel had hopes and even expectations about the fall of Jericho. But no one knew HOW it would be accomplished.

Perhaps he told his good friend Caleb, and maybe the High Priest knew, but it is questionable whether they, or anyone else were told about the seven days and the disintegration of the mighty walls of Jericho. The only hint to the people that the victory might not fall on the first day slipped from Joshua’s lips in the initial instructions in verse 10. “Neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout.”

Assuming the nation didn’t know the particulars, on day 1 the people took their places, and upon command the soldiers stepped out, followed by the priests, until everyone was participating. There may have been Israelites expecting the two armies to meet in battle along the wall, but it didn’t happen. There may have been others who imagined cracks forming in the wall, then spreading apart until their warriors could go rushing in. There may have others who pictured the city gates opening to reveal Canaanites under a white flag of truce, seeking peace. Maybe some calculating mind decided that all the stomping of Hebrew feet would topple the walls. But there was nothing of the kind. There was nothing at all on that first day.

On the second day Joshua again ordered the High Priest to arrange his priests and the generals to arrange their troops. And again, Israel obeyed the Lord through Joshua, but again by the end of the day the walls did not fall. The same took place on days 3, 4, 5, and 6. God had ordained a plan which he shared with the pastor of Israel, but to no other. It took time; it took a week, for the will of God to become obvious to the rest of the congregation, and many didn’t get it at all until it was done.

This is the way God usually works – God initially makes His will known to one man. The vision of Israel’s captivity in Egypt was given only to Joseph – not to his father, his mother, or his older brothers. And not one of them believed Joseph’s report – at least not initially. It took a lifetime of spiritual growth in those brothers before they would admit to the revelation of God.

This is still God’s method. He may lay a burden, a vision, a plan upon the Joshua of His church, telling him to get started. The Lord doesn’t call a business meeting or send a group vision like some magical text to all the members, sharing the details of the Lord’s special will. He meets His chosen leader and gives to that man His will, telling him to put it into motion. It was not until six days had passed before Israel saw the plan, but Joshua had done so from the beginning. Those were seven days of progressive revelation.

We are on Day 1 of a 7-day Fast but that does not mean God will show us the path forward in 7 days. It may take 7 weeks, 7 months or longer but one thing is certain if we seek the Lord, He will reveal His plan in His time. We too will have progressive revelation. This is not only applicable for CCEM as a church but for each of us as individuals. Can God trust us to rely on Him and to follow His plan to the letter when it is revealed?