Joshua fit the battle of Jericho. Jericho Jericho, oh oh oh Joshua fit the battle of Jericho. And the walls occame would tumble and down.
Now you know why they don't ask me to sing. But we continue now in Hebrews chapter 11, and we come to verse 30. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. Joshua indeed fit the Battle of Jericho. It was an exciting event.
Not only for children, it is a favorite children's Bible story, but also for adults. And a lot for us to learn here. It is a unique event. It happened in history one time, but as far as I know, nothing like this has ever happened again. It is and was a miraculous event.
Critics Don't like to talk about miracles, don't like to acknowledge miracles, but in fact, this is another of the many, many, many, many miracles that are recorded in the Bible. And those who believe in the God of the Bible and believe in the Bible that God has given us don't have difficulty with these miracles, but.
Some do. I thought about The words of 2 Timothy 3.5. Which says having a form of godliness, but denying. It's power. and from such people turn away.
This is at least in part what that verse is talking about. People who want to think of themselves as Christians want others to think of them as Christians, but Don't acknowledge the supernatural power that Christianity. involves and must involve because of the power of Almighty God. They deny The miraculous power that caused the walls of Jericho to come a tumbling down. They deny other areas of God's power.
They have reduced Christianity to just a system of morality and have ignored the power necessary to save sinners from their sins. The walls of Jericho falling flat. R, an exciting event, a unique event, a miraculous event, a memorable event. And the memory of it is recorded for us in the New Testament scriptures. Which drives us back, of course, to the Old Testament account, but nevertheless keeps our memory focused upon this great event.
And it is finally the next event, the one that comes after. Verse 29 of Hebrews chapter 11, the last 10. Text we examined. About the faith that enabled the children of Israel to cross the Red Sea on dry ground. And now, the next recorded example of faith in Hebrews 11 is the walls of Jericho coming down.
40 years in between. The crossing of the Red Sea took place under the leadership of Moses, a great man of God who believed God implicitly and. Inspired by his faith, no doubt, the children of Israel to believe God is well in the crossing of the Red Sea. And yet, though Moses led them through the wilderness to the very threshold of the promised land of Canaan, he was not allowed to go into that land. He died before they entered Canaan.
Joshua, God's next appointed leader, took them into the promised land. But the sad thing is that between the crossing of the Red Sea and the entrance into Canaan 40 years later, it's difficult to find a single other example of memorable faith. In the wilderness Doubt. Complaining. Unbelief.
As a matter of fact, All of the adults, ages 20 and older, who came out of Egypt. Witnessing such miraculous power of God, Those ten miraculous plagues, and then finally the unbelievable Crossing of that body of water. They witnessed all of that and yet failed to trust God to the extent that God said, all of you are going to die in the wilderness except for Joshua and Caleb. I cannot bring you into the promised land. That promise was made to those who believe, those who claim that promise by faith.
You are. Missing that faith. That faith is absent from your lives. And therefore, a whole generation perished in the wilderness. and the new generation entered in.
What do we find in our text today? I'm going to follow a similar. and familiar outline as we examine this today. Number one, the Old Testament narrative. Number two, the New Testament text.
And number three, some points to ponder.
some lessons and applications from this passage of Scripture. This text drives us back. to the Old Testament. Back we could have gone clear to Joshua chapter 5, where Joshua met The pre-incarnate Christ, the great warrior that went before them in their conquest of Canaan. and gave to him assurances that he would be with them in that battle, those series of battles.
But Joshua chapter 6 is the portion we read today. And in that we find that as the children of Israel came to the threshold of Canaan and crossed the Jordan River in a way of similar miracle to crossing the Red Sea, the first thing they encountered was the city of Jericho. Situated at the most likely place for armies to cross or peoples to cross. The Jordan River into the land of Canaan because There were marauding people on the east side of the Jordan who would love to come into Canaan and help themselves to what was found there. And therefore, this citadel, this fortress city of Jericho was located in that spot to deter people from doing exactly that.
Jericho was a walled city. Archaeologists who have done a lot of excavating on that site tell us. That in the days of Joshua, the walls of Jericho were about five five feet thick. That's a pretty, pretty strong wall. It really wasn't a very large city.
As I read the dimensions and looked at it, it was more. Oblong from north to south than it was wide, but I tried to imagine now just how much territory did this city take up. And this would be approximate, not exact, but if you would think about this location of the church building where you are sitting now. And think about the dimensions of it if we would start out at the road. And run a wall.
Not immediately next to the church building, but say maybe 50 or 75 feet beyond that side of the church building, all the way to the back of our property and a little bit further into the property next door, and then circle that wall around and take it along about alongside the bank that you see over on the other side of the field behind the fellowship hall. and encircle this property with a wall five feet thick and we don't know how tall, that would approximate the city of Jericho. It really was more of a fort. As we would think of it. than a city, but people lived in the city.
And the idea was to have forces in the city.
Soldiers prepared for battle. And to have a place of safety for the people who lived in the environs of the city so that they could run to the city and find safety if. armies should approach their land. And this was considered to be an impenetrable fortress. one that could not be conquered.
And that's the obstacle that Joshua and the people of Israel faced. You remember the ten spies who issued the unfavorable report after they went into the land of Canaan, said, Those are strong people over there. Those are big people over there. There are strong walled cities over there. There's no way that we can conquer that land.
And their report was accurate. The problem was they were failing. To believe the promises of God. They were failing to believe the power of God. And only Joshua and Caleb came back from seeing all the same things and said, in effect, yes, everything you said is true, but our God is greater, our God is stronger, our God is able, and He has promised to give us this land.
Most of the people chose to believe the doubting, pessimistic report rather than the believing report, and so. Forty years went by And now They come up against One of those huge walled cities filled with well-trained, well-armed soldiers ready to stop anyone who wants to pass that location and come into the land of Canaan. You shall not pass. We are here to prevent it. And here come the children.
of Israel. to that location. Yeah, no Joshua chapter 6, the Lord first speaks to Joshua. And he says, in effect, Joshua. Jericho has been conquered.
That's the exact language. Have given this city to you. Not I will, I have. You often find that in the Bible. Things future are spoken of as if they've already occurred.
So certain are the promises of God.
So sure is the power of God. Nothing can stop him. And so he can speak of things future as if they have already happened. I have given to you the city of Jericho, and yet notice, in this occasion, as on so many others, I have given it to you, but this is what you must do to obtain the The promise that I have made to you. And he gave them instructions for that.
Here are your instructions, here are your marching orders. Figuratively, but literally, we talk about marching orders being what you are to do.
Well, here their marching orders were to march. This is what you all should do. Follow these instructions. Day one. Take the Ark of the Covenant.
the symbol of the presence of God himself, And have the four priests designated to carry that ark carry out their responsibility, and have seven other priests who will blow the ram's horns, as it turns out, continually.
Now, I can't tell you. Everything about a ram's horn, but what little I I learned this week is that ram's horns Would not be considered a musical instrument. This is not a marching band. This is not a Salvation Army band. This is not the beautiful trumpet and clarinet that we heard here this morning.
This is. I don't know what to describe it like. It's a noise. And have those priests blow the ram's horns. Continually and have soldiers march in front of them and soldiers come up behind them and march around this city.
It won't take very long. I already described the size of the city. March around the city one time and then go home. The next day, get up and do it again. The next day, get up and do it again.
The next day, get up and do it again. Six days in a row, you are going to march around the city silently. Don't speak a single word. Just let the ram's horns blow and let the marching feet be heard as you march around the city. I cannot imagine.
What the people inside the city were thinking when all of this is going on. What? What? Next day, what?
Next day, what is going on? What are they doing? And around they go, around they go. And God said, do that. And then on the seventh day, you'll start a little earlier, get up early in the morning, because because you're going to do this again, but this time seven times around the city.
With the seven priests blowing the seven rams' horns just as before, but When they have completed that final circuit, then Joshua, you tell them to shout, and they will shout, and the walls will fall down. And that's what God said to Joshua. He heard the word of God. But Joshua faithfully transmitted those words of God to the people. This pattern, we see it over and over again.
God spoke to Moses. Moses spoke to the people. God spoke to Joshua. Joshua transmitted the revelation of God to the people. And so he spoke to the priests and he spoke to the soldiers and to the people.
And most of Joshua chapter 6 is a record of what they did, following the orders of God exactly as I've already described them. The priests did what they were told to do on day one. The soldiers did what they were told to do on day one. The priests and the soldiers did what they were told to do on day two, three, four, five, and six. And finally, on day seven, they all obey the Lord.
But on the seventh day, Joshua has a few more instructions to add to the ones that have already been given. You'll find this in verses 17 through 19 of chapter 6. And here are the additional instructions. When the city is given to you, Everything must be destroyed except. Rahab and her family.
Of course, this presumes that you know the story of Rahab, the prostitute, who hid the spies that were sent out from the land of Israel, and she, in essence, took sides with Jehovah, Yahweh, and with the people of Israel, and hid the spies, and deceived her own people, her own soldiers, looking for them, and by that, The only request she had was, spare my life and those of my family. And so it was, she demonstrated faith in the God of Israel. And God honored her faith, and her family, who. Exercised no faith at all, but they benefited by her faith. They were all in the house on the wall, which tells me that when we read that the wall fell down flat, there must have been one section of the wall that stood up.
Didn't fall down flat because if it had, it would be hard to imagine how Rahab and her family could have been spared death. But one section of the wall stayed standing. And Rahab and her family were saved out of the destruction that everyone else experienced. And Joshua said, Everything must be destroyed except Rahab and her family. Abstain from the accursed thing.
Everything in the city is cursed by God because of their exceeding sinfulness. And God had been merciful to them and extended opportunity for repentance and forgiveness for many, many years until finally the cup of the iniquity of the Canaanites became full. But there was one thing, one category of things that were to be spared from the destruction. Gold. Silver.
Metal, brass, and iron vessels, all of those will be spared, and all of those will be given to the Lord. In other words, the children of Israel were going to get. No. Booty. Benefit materially from this conquest.
The only thing that is spared is going to be given to God. Why? Because there's a principle here and a promise as well. The principle is the first fruits principle. God gets the first.
God comes first. God gets first place in our giving. It's a principle, but it's also a promise. Along with that is the promise that if you will, in faith, give God the first, then God will give you a greater harvest to follow. And indeed, that's exactly what happened.
As the children of Israel went on into the conquest of Canaan, they conquered city after city after city after city after city, and they were allowed to take all that spoil for themselves. They came out of that conquest not only. Victorious, but wealthy. But the first fruits given to God. There's a lesson there for us, isn't there?
I don't know how many times over the years I've Counseled somebody who was having difficulty financially. I just can't seem to get things together.
Well, are you giving to God? No, I can't afford it. Do it. I can't afford it. Do it anyway.
First fruits. Trust him and trust God to meet your needs. And those who have. Done that by faith, have always come out of their financial difficulties. And those who have not, Talk to them five years later, ten years later, guess what?
Still having financial difficulties, still can't make ends meet. Are you giving to God? No, I can't afford to. And you never will if you don't start by putting Him first. Good principle.
But that's the Old Testament account.
Now, what do we have in Hebrews chapter 11, the New Testament text? And what does that focus on? And the text is short. Hebrews 11.30. The walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.
The New Testament text focuses on three things. Number one, the accomplishments of faith. Number two, the testing of faith, and number three, the exercise of faith. The accomplishments of faith. What did it accomplish?
By faith. The walls of Jericho fell down. Short statement. But wow, what does that represent? an amazing Event.
and historical Event. The walls of Jericho fell down by divine Action.
Now it has been Noted by archaeologists and others who study the The conditions of that area, that actually Jericho is in a place that is subject to earthquakes. And maybe it wasn't such a big miracle after all. Maybe it just happened, just happened. That at this particular time, lo and behold, an earthquake. Arose, an earthquake.
was initiated. and it took the walls of Jericho down.
Well, I would say to that, I don't know what means God used to bring the walls of Jericho down.
Sometimes he uses natural means to accomplish supernatural purposes. It may have been that an earthquake happened at that exact moment, though I don't think so, and I'll tell you why in a moment. That may have happened, but if it did, how in the world do you explain this exact timing? Day one. Nothing.
Day two, nothing. Day three, nothing. Day seven, Around once, around twice, around three times, around four times, five times, six times, seven times. Joshua says, shout. And that shouting was so great, it just made the earth tremble, and an earthquake happened.
Or Because it seems to me that if that's what took the walls down, they wouldn't have fallen down flat. When earthquakes happen, you've seen pictures of the rubble where great earthquakes have occurred. And what you see is all kinds of piles of rock and rubble. You don't see anything that I've noticed that just sort of falls down flat. It just sort of shakes down into pieces.
In fact, pieces that are so. What should I say?
So much of an obstacle that it's even hard to get over them to go anyplace. It's just a big pile of rubble that's hard to even travel or to walk through. But here we're told the walls fell down flat and the soldiers of Israel went forward into the city without impediment. I don't think it was an earthquake, but if it was, it was a divinely ordered earthquake at the exact perfect time. It was still a miracle, to be sure.
And other things have been su suggested by those who don't like to acknowledge miracles. You see, those people shouted so much that it just caused these walls to vibrate and fall down. Yes, these five-foot-thick stone walls. And you shouted long enough, loud enough to bring them down. Come on now.
It's easier to believe. That God Did it? by his power than it is to believe something like that. It's just like I've told you a number of times. When it comes to the So-called findings of science in the area of evolution, I'm convinced it takes more.
I don't have enough faith to believe evolution. When you start looking at all the things that have to happen, Just sort of Miraculously. to make it work. It's a whole lot easier to just believe God did it. Really it is.
I was reading again this week about in the Wall Street Journal. I I love that newspaper. I wish I had time to read more of it. It's an amazing. Publication.
And one of the things I like is the articles on the book reports. Every day they have an article in there about a book report.
So, I don't have time to read all these books, but I can read the reports about the books and get some idea of what they say. And this week there was a report of a book on the Big Bang theory. And um that has been the Scientific explanation for the Origin of the universe for about a hundred years now. Except Nobody believes it anymore. The scientists.
At least they don't believe it the way it was propounded and was believed by science for many years, but there are just too many problems, too many obstacles, too many things that don't fit science.
So, it can't have happened that way.
So, now what we have, according to this book, We have, I I know, several dozen New theories Most of them that are kind of loosely related to the original Big Bang theory, but trying to address all the problems that that the Big Bang theory can't explain. And um None of nobody seems no two scientists seem to believe the same. New theory. And so here we go again. And I'm saying.
Why? Don't you just believe? The Bible. Why don't you just believe? In God, but of course that's unthinkable.
We can't accept that explanation.
So here we go, trying to find another one. We can't accept the explanation that when God said, or when Joshua said shout, the people shouted, and God said, Woof. And down the walls fell. That's how it happened, and that's the best explanation. And that was the accomplishment of faith.
Faith in the Word of God was The means that God Honored. to bring the walls down and to fulfill his promise. But I want you to notice not only the accomplishments of faith, but the testings of faith. And when you think about this, This is really a test of their faith. The statement that we find in our text in Hebrews 11:30 is just matter of fact.
By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down. That's what happened. That's the history. That's the statement of what happened. But As we know, that Statement, that explanation of how the walls.
were breached. Defies logic. It looks and feels ridiculous. How do you think those people felt when they're marching around the city? This is ridiculous.
I'm sure they're thinking as they, how in the world is this going to conquer this strong walled city. Of Jericho. It doesn't. Feel Appropriate. This is not.
This is not the The widely embraced and understood way to conquer cities, you understand. The way you conquer cities is to marshal a big army and to. March against the city, and if they don't Yield, then you build ramparts up and you breach the walls, you siege the city and keep it from being able to receive supplies, food, and so forth, and you wear them down over a series of months, and that's the way cities are conquered. Everybody knows that. Why, all you have to do is just read the history of military conquest, and you'll know that that's the way cities are conquered.
Nobody in the history of the world has ever conquered a city by marching around it on seven days and shouting on the seventh day. That's never been done before. It defies logic, it defies history, it defies the principles of warfare. Yes, all of those things. But God said, do it.
And they did it. They did it. By faith. By faith. By believing the word of God, the walls of Jericho fell down.
By faith. They May have looked ridiculous or felt like they did to the people on the inside of the wall looking out at them and saying, What in the world do you think you're doing? And how do you think this is going to accomplish anything? And you can't get inside these thick walls in this manner. They may have felt like they looked foolish to others.
They may have felt very foolish themselves in what they were doing. But the point is that they. Did what God said. They added nothing to his instructions. They omitted nothing from his instructions.
The account in Joshua is very clear about that. And it's very different from so many of the accounts we read about during the wilderness wanderings, where Moses would say, God says, do this, and the people start. Questioning and complaining and raising their objections. Nothing like that is recorded here. God said it.
They did it. And the walls came down. It was a testing of their faith, but they Pass the test. And that brings us, therefore, to the exercise of faith. All of this was accomplished, we are told, by faith.
Faith believes the revelation of God. Faith acts according to. The revelation that God has given. And faith perseveres until the promise is fulfilled. If it takes seven days, then it takes seven days.
If it takes seven times on the seventh day, that's what God said, so that's what it will take. And faith perseveres believingly in accordance with what God has said. And now we have One, two, three, four, five, six points to ponder. Let's cover them quickly. All of them have to do with faith.
There are a lot of lessons about faith in this chapter. Let me first speak of what I have called inspired faith. And what I mean by that is using the word inspired not in the sense of divinely inspired, but in the sense that we normally use it, that I have been inspired by someone or something else. How was it that the children of Israel believed God, in regard to crossing the Red Sea. They clearly were not particularly faith-believing people.
But Moses was. And it would seem that on that occasion, Moses' strong faith inspired. Adequate faith. In the hearts and lives of the children of Israel, and because Moses believed God and they'd seen what. what God had done through Moses during the ten plagues.
They believed God because Moses believed God and if Moses believes it, then I'll believe it. And sure enough, they went through the Red Sea. Pity they didn't continue to follow the faith of Moses in that way in the wilderness.
Now once again, I think we see the same thing with Joshua. The people of Israel did not see that commander of the Lord's army that appeared to Joshua in chapter 5. They didn't see him. They didn't hear him. But Joshua did.
Joshua reported that. Joshua told them what God had said to him. And Joshua's faith, at least in some respect to some degree, inspired their faith.
Now what am I saying about this?
Well, I'm saying the same thing happens to all of us. We don't always realize this is what God is doing. But many times God will use the faith of a strong. Bible-believing pastor to inspire faith. and the people of his congregation.
Many times God will use the faith of parents to inspire faith in the lives of their children. Many times God will use the faith of missionaries. One reason I. I love to have missionaries. I love to have the kind of missionary program where we don't send our money to a denominational headquarters to support missionaries that we never see or meet.
We have them come. And we hear them, we meet them, we hear their testimonies, we hear their sacrifices. And what does that do? Among other things, I think, I know what it does for me, it inspires faith in me. Look at the faith of these people, how they have trusted God completely.
They've trusted God to be able to live in another country, they've trusted God to be able to supply the resources necessary in this assignment. They've trusted God again and again, and their faith stirs up my faith and makes me want to trust God more. And your faith may be used of God to be able to use it. To inspire the faith of others.
Now we know that ultimately God has to create faith in hearts, right? But isn't there some indication by these examples that God uses the faith of believing? people, believing leaders. Believing laymen? To cause us to.
To believe God as God works in our hearts inspired faith. That seems to be present in this account. Secondly, we should talk about implicit faith, and by that I mean to believe God Not partially, not half-heartedly, not part of what God said. I'll believe the part that makes sense to me and I'll hold off on the part I don't. Believe God implicitly in everything that He says.
Exactly as he instructed them. That's what we see in this account. And God honored that. And the walls of Jericho fell. Their part in this conquest we could say was Purely Symbolic.
Nobody struck another Soldier with a sword. Nobody Shot an arrow. Nobody. pierced another soldier with their spear, What did they do? marched around the city.
As if to say, God has given us this city, marched around the city again, God has given us this city, marched around the city again. God has given us this city. It was purely symbolic. But God had told them to do it, whether they understood the reason for it or not. They believed Him implicitly because God said it.
And They were rewarded for their obedience. What does that remind me of? A lot of things. What about believers' baptism? It's symbolic.
I don't need that to get to heaven. No, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone for salvation will get you to heaven. But if God said to do it, what difference does it make whether it's symbolic or more? Um more involved in its It's a purpose. If God said to do it, that's enough.
God demands implicit faith. God says, if you have trusted Christ and you believe that by faith you have been saved in the Lord Jesus Christ, then I want you to. exercise this symbolic act.
Well, I don't understand the reason for that. I don't see why this symbolism is important. Just keep trusting God. Implicitly. That honors God.
Implicit faith. Number three, persevering faith. God required them to keep at it until. until the whole thing was done. They didn't conquer the city on day one.
Or day two, or three, or four, or five, or six, or seven, or even by the sixth time around on day seven. In fact, it wasn't even till the end of the seventh time around on day seven. It reminded me of Naaman. God said, if you want your. Leprosy cleansed, go.
And God used, of course, a human messenger to tell Naaman this. But go. Dip yourself seven times in the River Jordan.
Well, what for? We've got cleaner. Rivers in my country than Jordan. Why should I do that? And one of the servants of Naaman said, Well, Why don't you at least give it a try?
It won't hurt anything, for goodness sake. How much is it going to hurt you to dip yourself seven times in the River Jordan?
Well, I'll probably feel foolish doing it.
Well, just feel foolish, give it a try, and see what God will do. And not? The first dip, or the second, or the third, or the fourth. Keep it up, Naaman. This is ridiculous.
I'm getting out of this water. No, no, no, keep it up, Naaman. Six times, seven times, and The leprosy's gone. Persevering faith. How many times do we fail to obtain because we quit praying too quickly?
You know what Jesus said, ask and you shall receive. And you probably know that the verb form of that is something like, ask and keep on asking and you shall receive. Knock and keep on knocking and you shall obtain. Ask and knock and what was the other one. and you seek and keep on seeking.
and you shall receive. Too many times we say, Well, God didn't answer my prayer. I asked him once or twice, and he didn't answer my prayer. It doesn't do any good. Uh uh uh uh God Requires us to demonstrate our faith many times by persevering in our.
Faith in our obedience, in our use of the means that God gives to us.
So that He can give us What he has promised to give us and delights to give us, but he will test our faith. to make us learn to exercise persevering faith. What else? Number four. Foolish faith.
What's that? The faith of Christians looks pretty foolish to the unbeliever, doesn't it? Why do you spend all that time going to church? You could be enjoying yourself. That seems foolish to me.
Doesn't seem like it. accomplishes anything.
Well, we know a lot of good things that it accomplishes. We know that by experience if we know God's. If we're God's children. But even if it didn't, if God says to do it, that's enough, isn't it? It may look foolish.
A lot of things that God instructs Christians to do look foolish to the unbeliever. The question is: are you going to obey God? Even if it makes you look foolish to the world? Or are you going to be so sensitive to what other people think that you would rather? Honor them.
Than God. Please them. Than God. God required the children of Israel to swallow their pride and look foolish if they were going to. Receive this great victory, and they did.
Number five, what I've called exceeding faith. What is that?
Well, as we know, faith cannot be transmitted from us to others. We can be an example to faith, but God has to work. We can teach the Word of God. We can exemplify our faith in God's Word. We can pray for God to use that in the lives of others, in the lives of our children.
And children may learn these things from their parents, and God may open their hearts to make those efforts successful. But here's what's remarkable in this case. Who were the parents of these people who conquered Jericho? The ones who died in the wilderness in unbelief.
Well, how did their children have more faith than they did? Because they had, now you understand why I called this exceeding faith. By the grace of God. Children's faith may and the workings of God exceed the faith of their parents. That should encourage us.
If we're honest, every one of us will say, I'm not sure if I can do it. all of the Christian I ought to be. I'm not all of the father or mother or grandfather or grandmother that I ought to be. I know how weak and frail I am and how many times I have failed. Take heart.
God's able to use all that in the lives of your children and grandchildren to keep praying that He shall do that. But take heart. God's able to make your children stronger Christians than you are. God's able to make your grandchildren stronger Christians than you are. How many times have we seen someone who had just amazing faith in God and we look at their parents?
And their parents are Christians, but nothing that we see that's very remarkable about them. And they say, Where did that come from?
Well, that didn't come from man, that came from God. And God does this on occasions, and God did that on this occasion. And these believing Israelites had unbelieving parents, but they were believing people by the grace of God working in their lives. Take heart, be faithful. Keep doing What you know you ought to do the best you can, and acknowledging and confessing your sins and failures, but trust God.
who may very well give Exceeding faith. to your children. and grandchildren, as he did here. And finally, what I will call God-honoring faith. God uses small and unlikely means to accomplish His purposes, that honors Him.
If God had given them supernatural strength like Samson. All of their warriors were like Samson, and they went in there and they overcame the armies of Jericho by their might and power. Then, who do you think we'd be talking about today, God or these mighty warriors? But God said March around. Blow those obnoxious ram horns.
Ram's horns. Shout. You say how does that accomplish anything. Wait and see. Bang.
the walls fall down. Who did that? God did. God did. God-honoring faith.
There's something in our nature that wants a part of the credit.
Well, we'll give God Most of the credit, but I want part of it. I did this. I did that. Yeah, you did. You marched around the city seven times.
Big deal. I think all the glory must go to God, right? God requires unshared glory. We want part of the credit, but when we Insist on that, that's a false claim. We really don't deserve part of the credit.
Without me, said Jesus, you can do nothing. That's true. There's nothing within us that can do anything good in the spiritual realm. Anything good is owing to God. Give him all the glory.
When God requires unshared glory, that's a true claim. It really did all come from him, and all the glory deserves to go to him. That's true in salvation. Salvation is of the Lord. Yeah, but I did this or that.
You did, no doubt. Believe. But why did you believe? That wasn't in your heart. That wasn't in your nature, your fallen adamic nature.
No, I'll tell you what was in your nature. Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. That was you. That was your heart. If you came to repentance and faith, that wasn't because you were smart enough to do it.
That was because God was gracious enough to do it within you. Acknowledge that. Give Him the glory, all of the glory. Salvation is of the Lord. And all the other good things in life are of the Lord.
Glory in your weakness. And give God. The glory. for all the greatness. Let's pray.
Father, teach us these things about faith, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Uh
