Scripture text for Friday, February 5, 2010: Joshua 5:13-6:27
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In reading the E100 Bible Study thus far, I have been constantly reminded of the Veggie Tales versions of the Old Testament stories because my oldest son watched them incessantly as a toddler. While Joe (Joseph) and Moe (Moses) had full length feature films, Josh and The Big Wall is a shorter episode of talking vegetables. This might lead one to think that the story does not have much practical application to everyday life, but I feel that God has given us this story for a reminder on using our voice.
A commander in the Lord’s Army gave Joshua specific, detailed instructions on how to take over a city that is shut up so tight that “no one went in and no one went out” (Josh. 6:1). The Lord has promised good to the Israelites and in the end delivered the land of Jericho to them. But first, they had to march around the city once each day for six days with seven priests carrying seven trumpets in front of the ark. On the seventh and final day, the Lord told Joshua to march around the city seven times and with a long blast of the trumpets, the people were to shout. This shout alone would take down the city and all the men inside it. I can imagine Israelites saying, “We can not take those guys with our weapons, so how we are taking them with our voices?” Joshua commanded the people to not speak a word until he told them to shout. In the Veggie Tales rendition, as Joshua leads the marching around Jericho the Israelites are being pummeled with slushies and taunted by the people of Jericho saying, “Keep walking, but you won’t knock down our wall. She isn’t gonna fall!” After circling the city the seventh time, the people shouted and the walls came tumbling down. Joshua remembered the oath to Rahab and her family, sparing their lives before burning the city and pronouncing that the man who rebuilds there will be cursed, losing his first born and youngest sons. The Israelites showed their faith in God’s promise to deliver Jericho to them by obeying his commands, even if it meant walking around a city for a week.
While often times we say “sticks and stones will break our bones, but words will never hurt”, this story of Joshua can remind us of what power the promise God gives holds for us. Words and their meaning can hurt and destroy, or they can be used for God’s glory. How are the words that you speak displaying your faith and bringing glory to God?
Devotion prepared by Stephanie Brennan