Jericho’s Walls
I’ve been reading about the conquest of Canaan by Joshua and the Hebrews many centuries past. It’s strange how things that happened so long ago still affect our world. You would think we’d have evolved better.
At least twice, the Scriptures reveal that the walls of Jericho fell down flat. Those walls were mighty thick. People lived in them. Sentries walked around the tops for defense. What does it mean that the walls fell down flat? Did they fall outward? Awkward, I would think. It couldn’t mean they fell inward, too many city obstructions for that. I have read (somewhere) that the walls dropped into the ground like elevators. Sounds spooky.
And then, there is the matter that Rahab’s house, in the walls, stood throughout.
Seismic Activity
I suspect (Theologian, I am NOT) that the archaeologically recorded seismic activity in the area might be a likely explanation. I think God could have used natural means. He would know about such things.
Suppose that the Israelites walked around that city seven days, then seven times the last day, and blew shofars, shouted, and possibly stomped their feet on unstable ground. It’s possible that a resulting earthquake could have caused walls to crumble. The Israelite warriors could run right over the rubble to win the battle of Jericho.
What a way to do a siege! March, blow trumpets and shout!
Walls and Isolation
It’s a Bible story. A true story. But what does it have to do with now?
It took obedience and faith in God to knock down the walls of Jericho. It still takes obedience and faith to knock down the walls around our own hearts. It seems that no matter how persistently we pray and work through our issues—we are presented with more opportunities in daily living to rebuild old walls or build up new ones.
Our current collective situation does not help us. With Covid-19 continuing to threaten us, we are encouraged to isolate. That means to stay away from other people. Be alone. Don’t share.
But we humans are designed to need one another. To love one another. To be in company with one another.
Our psyches are built for companionship. Too much aloneness hurts our brains. Really. It’s scientific. Just ask anybody. And our emotions are not far behind.
Knock Down the Walls
Perhaps if we set aside our rancor and riots to listen for the trumpets, we might begin to hear the rumble as the walls around our hearts begin to crumble.
Even in Covid-19 Isolation, we can reach out to care for others. We have heroic examples all around of people doing so.
Let’s focus our eyes and ears on the good.
Let’s pray. It’s a constructive thing we can do.
God’s ear is always open to us.
“And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: ‘Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!’” (Joshua 6:16 NKJV).
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