Going Around Jericho

Philosophy View of Around

A town in Palestine, in the West Bank north of the Dead Sea.

Biblical View of Jericho

And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

Joshua 6:26

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

Hebrews 11:30 KJV

Jericho is mentioned more than one hundred times in the Bible, it is often said to be used as a symbol of peace and wealth. Most famously, Jericho was described in Joshua 6 as an important Canaanite city that the Israelites conquered upon their arrival in the promise land. Jericho is believed to be one of the oldest cities in the world. In the Bible, Jericho is best known as the location of an astonishing miracle God performed.

Jericho’s location was key to its significance. The city was situated in the lower Jordan Valley, just west of the Jordan River and about ten miles northwest of the Dead Sea. It sits in the broadest part of the Jordan plain more than 800 feet below sea level and nearly 3,500 feet below Jerusalem, which was only 17 miles away. This geographical detail explains why Jesus said in His parable that the good Samaritan “went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

Luke 10:30 NIV

The problems in our lives can sometimes look as big as the walls of Jericho. The walls may look disquieting, defying the prayers and petition of many. In my waking moments I find myself going around and around my problems. It is so easy to be dominated by the challenges we face that we can just keep going around and around obsessing with it.

God told Joshua to go around Jericho once every day, then he was to return to the camp and attend to things. This helped me in that I learned to discipline myself to go around my particular Jericho only once.

And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus, shalt thou do six days.

Joshua 6:3 KJV

According to Joshua 6:4,15 it states that there was an appropriate time for Joshua and his men to circumnavigate the city which was seven times and there was an appropriate time for me to make special effort in focused prayer about my difficulty. But I learned to wait for God to direct me into such a time.

And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

Joshua 6:4 KJV

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

Joshua 6:15 KJV

Joshua had company going around Jericho, the whole army. When you are burdened down or struggling with what may look formidable, it is good to march with others. There is strength in the fellowship of believers who have the same focus and goals who is able to give you comfort and encouragement.

The Priests carried the Ark of the Lord containing the two tablets of the stone with the Ten Commandments by the finger of God.

And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.

Joshua 6:6 KJV

The Ark of the Lord represented the presence of Yahweh with his people and His word that must be obeyed. Each day as I journey around my own Jericho, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening, I took the Ark with me reminding myself that God’s presence and his word is a presence and a word that has the power to pull down strongholds.

The walls will crumble one day, and it will all be over. God will get the glory and the hard marches in the heat of the day will be forgotten in the sweet taste of Victory. Until the great day when our particular Jericho falls, God grants perseverance and endurance to go once around Jericho with our God and fellow travellers in the faith believing that however high the walls that fortifies the gates, or strong the enemy, it is only matter of time before they too will come down.

May God continue to strengthen us as we go around our walls daily.