If you’ve grown up in church culture or ever spent a summer in a VBS you may have heard of Joshua, he’s the guy who never had a mother or a father, scripture tells us he was the son of Nun. (That was my poor attempt at inserting an old church joke, lame maybe but go easy it’s been a long night I’m still working on my coffee). Anyway, Joshua was the guy who stepped up into Moses’ position to lead the Israelites once they had reached the promise land and God told Moses He wasn’t allowed to go in (it seems unfair but I’ll save that story for another day).

After Joshua enters Canaan, the promised land, there is a little something preventing them from claiming what God just gave them. That little something was a large impenetrable walled city called Jericho. (To read more on the actual fortitude https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/the-walls-of-jericho/)

Now come with me on a little journey for a little bit of background on these people. After leaving Egypt the Israelites have been wandering around in the desert for 40 yrs. this was no little band of people, this was a nation. In the Numbers 1:45-46 the men fit for battle (not including women, children and elderly) were counted at 603,550. That’s a lot of guys...Let that sink in for a minute. Ok, so they are excited and finally getting out of the desert after wandering for 40 yrs around due to a lack of faith. Now the time had come and they were going to be entering this luscious green fertile land where milk and honey flow and grapes are so large it takes two men to carry them. (Numbers 13) Then all of a sudden...this city called Jericho?? .... but this land is supposed to be ours and there’s people already here?!?!? Uhhh God did you not see this 6 acre ancient Ft Knox? (You know out of that many people there had to be a few wondering what the heck??)

Now Joshua, being the man he was (I highly recommend studying his life) inquired of the Lord concerning this obstacle in their way. The Lord gave him specific instructions. (Joshua ch 6) http://biblehub.com/niv/joshua/6.htm On how they are to handle this situation. They are to march around the walled city behind the ark of the covenant one time for six days then on the seventh day they are to march seven times around, blow trumpets and shout. Now there is an often overlooked miracle within this chapter. It’s found in verse 10. It says “But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!”

Soooooo....did it hit you like it did me? We are not given an actual count of the men that were marching that week around those walls. From several different historians the numbers range from 8000 to 40,000 depending on how the word “eleph” was translated. (Remember scripture tells us that at least 600,000 were fit for war within the Israelites when they entered the desert) but even if we use the smallest number of 8000 it’s still a miracle. So what is the overlooked miracle??? For seven days the men were in total silence! They didn’t speak a word until the time came for the victory shout. To me, keeping a minimum of 8000 people silent for seven days..... is nothing short of a miracle!

I got to thinking about this and why silence was commanded. I thought about the power of words. What would’ve happened if while marching around the walls ol’ Jedidiah would’ve leaned over to Aphek and said “this is about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of, what is walking around in circles gonna accomplish?” Or maybe Abe punched Eli and said “who does Joshua think he is? He’s no leader! I’m ready to fight!!! If I would’ve done it my way we’d already been inside .......”

There’s a reason, a good reason Joshua told the men he didn’t want any spoken word, because there is so much power in what comes out of our mouths! Joshua had walked with these men for 40 yrs. I’m sure he knew the alphas, the hot heads, the complainers and the negative Nimrod’s. He knew what they were capable of but he also understood that they had to do it God’s way. He understood words and their effect. Had they had conversations back where Joshua couldn’t of heard, do you think the walls would’ve still fell? Would they have been so busy complaining and grumbling that they would’ve missed when the order came to shout? Would they have been more focused on their own conversations than the task at hand? I for one believe what scripture tells me and that was no one spoke a word until the trumpets sounded and the men shouted on the seventh day. To me, God performed another miracle within those men. A silent miracle. I can’t help but wonder if in their minds they were reflecting on what they had seen God do for them in the wilderness with each footstep they took around Jericho. Perhaps they looked down at their feet and saw the same shoes that walked out of Egypt and crossed the dry floorbed of the Red Sea. Perhaps those that were born in the wilderness were reflecting on the day at hand, the day that their fathers and grandfather had told them would come. I don’t know what thoughts would’ve been in those men’s minds but I know they were obedient in their silence. I imagine some of the most heartfelt prayers were said from their hearts those 7 days. They did what God commanded and they won.

Thousands of years later there are many lessons we can take from their story but the one that has stood out to me most the past few weeks is the power of words. If you are in the midst of a battle listen closely to what is coming out of your mouth. If what your hearing is not positive, uplifting and encouraging be silent. Good or bad the tongue has a way of steering our lives (James 3)

I'm laying on the bed cuddled up with my stuffed sloth, the lights are off and my master is not yet home. My phone flickers on when I see my masters text. "One last chance kitten, I'm down the street". I laugh and turn off my phone. I start to think he would never punish me for being disobedient, especially after what happened today. My eyes get tired and I fall into a deep sleep.