??The people of Jericho were so puzzled! For six days they had watched from their city walls as the enemy armies of Israel had come once a day and marched quietly around their city, and then left!
??Oh, the first day the people of Jericho were terrified, even their strongest soldiers were very afraid! All the cities in the land of Canaan were hearing about the God of these people called the Israelites, how He had opened the Jordan River and let over 2 million Israelites cross over on dry land. They had heard how this powerful God had enabled His people to conquer the strongest kings on the other side of Jordan. Now Israel was on THEIR side of the Jordan River, marching around the city of Jericho. What would happen？The people of Jericho did not know, but the people of Israel knew!
??Let's slip quietly into the camp of Israel and listen as Commander Joshua instructs the people!" Tomorrow is the 7th day, the day God will give us the victory over Jericho! Let's go over those details once more：We all get up about dawn tomorrow and march around the city 7 times, just as before, only when the priests blow a special long blast on the ram's horn, you will all shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat! Immediately you are to go straight before you to completely destroy the city."
??Perhaps it was then that Joshua spoke to the two young men who had spied out the city：??"You two will go straight to Rahab's house and bring out her family to safety, as you promised her." Then Joshua gave final instructions："Jericho is an accursed city. Do not take anything out of Jericho for yourself. But be sure to bring out all silver, gold, brass, and iron that you find. This we will put in the treasury of the Lord." Joshua was making sure that all of God's instructions were carefully obeyed.
??There are many important reasons for obeying God! Joshua knew obedience to God's Word would be the only reason they would win this battle at Jericho!
??At dawn on the 7th day, the Israeli army assembled again. The priests shouldered the poles that held up the precious ark of the covenant. The 7 priests with trumpets took their place and the last march began. This time the march would be how many times around the city？That's right, 7 times! As before, the army said not a word during the march. As the 7th time around began, they listened intently for a certain signal from the ram's horn.
??Suddenly the priests blew with the trumpets! Immediately the entire army shouted with all their might! And immediately the high thick walls of Jericho fell down. Not in a big pile, no! The walls fell down flat! So flat that the men of Israel were able to quickly obey the next part of God's instructions. Do you remember what those instructions were？They were to rush in and completely destroy the city, all the animals and yes, all the people. What were the two spies to do？They were to go straight to Rahab's house and bring her family to safety. How would they know which house was Rahab's？They had been watching that red cord in the window for 7 days! No doubt Rahab and her family had watched during those 7 days of marching, knowing the army of Israel was going to destroy their city, but not knowing when.
??But Rahab knew the army saw her red cord in the window, and that she would be safe no matter when they came. Wouldn't you like to know that no matter what happens, you could have a place where you know you would be safe？As you see on television news, this world is a place of danger and trouble. Have you ever wondered why there is so much trouble in the world？Even though our perfect Creator God made the world as a perfectly safe and happy place, it did not stay that way. When the first man disobeyed God, sin came into the world. With it came every bad thing, including death. Romans 5：12 says, "as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
??God says you and I and all people in the world are sinners. We all think, say and do things that don't please God. You may never take drugs, or become a terrorist, but God still calls you a sinner. The dreadful thing about sin is that God says it has an everlasting punishment：to be separated from God forever in a terrible place of destruction called hell. But just as Rahab had a place of safety from the destruction that was coming to her city, so God gives YOU a way to be saved from the punishment of sin.
??John 3：l6 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" God sent His perfect Son Jesus down from Heaven to earth to take your punishment for sin. When Jesus quietly allowed wicked men to curse Him and spit on Him, to beat Him and then nail Him to a cross, was He taking punishment for His sin？No, for He never sinned. When Jesus gave His precious blood and life on that cross, it was for YOUR sin. On the first Easter morning, Jesus rose from the dead and 40 days later went back to Heaven to His special place there. When you believe in the Lord Jesus, you are saved from that everlasting punishment of sin. No matter what happens to you in this life, you can be secure in knowing you have a home in Heaven when you die. Heaven is a place of everlasting safety and happiness! Rahab had the security of knowing she and her family had a place of safety no matter when the army of Israel invaded their city.
??And sure enough as soon as the great shout went up, and the walls of Jericho fell, the two young Israeli spies rushed to Rahab and her family. Perhaps they grabbed some of them by the hand as they hurried them outside the city to a place near the camp of Israel. Rahab looked around？yes, all the family was there, the oldest to the youngest. Perhaps it was then that she saw the smoke begin to go up. Yes, boys and girls, God had commanded that the people of Jericho would be destroyed and the city would burned with fire. God's judgment upon Jericho's sin had come. No doubt Rahab's heart ached to see the destruction of her city, but how thankful she was that God had given her safety!
??Joshua and the people of Israel were greatly encouraged as they saw the miracle of the Jericho walls! Joshua realized again that obedience to the Lord was so important! Because Joshua had carefully obeyed the Lord, the Lord had given the victory over Jericho!
??耶利哥城所有的人都觉得莫名其妙。已经六天了, 他们在城墙上观看以色列军队。见他们每一天静悄悄的绕着耶利哥城墙游行, 然后就回到自己的营地。第一天, 耶利哥城的人都吓坏了, 甚至他们中最强壮的人也害怕了。因为迦南地所有的居民都听说以色列人的神, 使约旦河水份开, 让200万以色列人踩着干地过了约旦河。他们也听说这位大能的神使以色列人征服了约旦河那边最强大的国王。现在, 以色列人又来到了约旦河的这一边, 绕着耶利哥城墙游行。耶利哥城的人不知道会发生什么事, 但以色列人知道。
??来听听约书亚是怎么吩咐百姓的。"明天是第七天, 神要把耶利哥城给我们。让我们再过一遍细节：明天一早, 我们要绕城七次, 当祭司吹角的时候, 你们要大声呼喊, 耶利哥城就会倒塌。然后你们要马上冲进城去, 将城攻取。"也许, 就在那时候, 约书亚对那两个曾经进立时, 城做探子的人说："你们要去喇合的家里, 把她家里人安全地带出来, 按照你们向她保证的那样。然后, 约书亚说, 耶利哥是一个受诅咒的地方。不要从那里取任何的东西留给自己。但要把金银铜铁的器皿那出来, 这些东西要归神为圣, 要放入神的库中。约书亚要确定神的吩咐都被遵守了。
??遵守神的吩咐有很重要的原因。约书亚知道他们攻下耶利哥城的唯一武器就是遵守神的话。
??第七日清早, 以色列军队聚在一起, 祭司扛着约柜。七个吹角的祭司走在前面, 开始最后一天的游行。你还记得他们要绕城几次吗？七次!象以前一样, 没有人说话。当第七圈开始的时候, 每个人都竖起耳朵, 等待着那祭司的角声。
??突然, 祭司吹起了羊角!一听见角声, 以色列人就使出最大的劲呼喊起来。立时, 耶利哥那厚厚的城墙倒塌了。倒塌下来的城墙不是堆在一起的, 而是平摊在地上。所以, 以色列军队马上按照神的吩咐进行。你还记得那些吩咐吗？他们要马上冲进城去, 完全毁灭这城, 所有的牲畜, 是的, 还有所有的人。那两个探子要做什么呢？他们要去喇合的家里, 把她家里人安全地带出来。他们怎么知道哪个房子是喇合的家呢？七天以来, 他们一直注意着那根从喇合窗口垂下来的红线绳。喇合和她家里人也在观看以色列人的游行, 他们知道耶利哥城将被毁灭, 但不知道是什么时候。
??喇合知道以色列人看见了她从窗口垂下来的红线绳, 她也知道不管以色列人什么时候进来, 她是安全的。那你是不是也想找到一个安全地方？从电视上播出的新闻, 我们知道这个世界充满了危险和麻烦。你有没有想过这是为什么呢？虽然神起初造世界的时候, 把它造成一个又安全, 又快乐的地方。但当第一个人没有听神的话, 违背了神的时候, 罪就进入了世界。当罪来的时候, 各种坏的东西也跟着进来了, 包括死。罗马书5章12节说："这就如罪是从一人入了世界, 死又是从罪来的，于是死就临到众人，因为众人都犯了罪。"
??你, 还有世上所有的人都是罪人。我们所想的, 所说的, 所作的, 都不讨神的喜悦。你可能从来不用毒品, 或者不会成为一个恐怖分子？?咫斯M说你是一个罪人。罪的可怕之处是神说罪有一个永远的惩罚：就是一个地狱, 那是一个永远与神隔离的痛苦之地。但是, 就象喇合一样, 神也为我们预备了一条路, 使你可以被从罪的惩罚中拯救出来。
??约翰福音3章16节说："神爱世人, 甚至将他的独生子赐给他们..."神让他完美的儿子耶稣基督从天上来到地上, 为你承担了对罪的惩罚。耶稣默默地承受人一切的羞辱, 谩骂, 鞭打, 最后被钉上十字架, 他是不是为你承担了对罪的惩罚？他自己从来没有犯过罪, 耶稣在十字架上流出宝血, 舍去生命, 是因为你的罪。在第一个复活节的早上, 耶稣从死里复活, 40天后, 他回到天上。当你相信主耶稣, 你就从罪的惩罚中被拯救出来。不管任何的事情发生, 你都有一个确据：当你离开这个世界的时候, 你在天上有一个家。那里充满了喜乐和平安。喇合的心里有这个确据, 不管以色列人什么时候攻破耶利哥城, 她和她家里人是安全的。
??当以色列人大声呼喊的时候, 耶利哥的城墙一下子倒塌了。两个年轻的以色列探子直奔喇合的家。也许他们还牵着他们的手, 赶紧把他们带出了城。喇合四下里看看, 没错, 从老到小, 都在哪。也许, 就在那个时候, 她看见城里开始冒烟。是的, 神吩咐耶利哥城的人都要死去, 整个的城都要被火烧毁。因着耶利哥人的罪, 神的审判已经临到这座城。无疑, 喇合的心中非常难过, 她也非常感谢将平安赐给她。
??当约书亚和以色列人看到耶利哥城倒塌的神绩, 他们深受鼓舞。约书亚也再次看见顺服神是多么的重要。因着约书亚的顺服, 神把耶利哥城的胜利赐给他们。 |