Hope
Joshua chapter 6 tells the account of the fall of the walls of Jericho.
A new nation was planning to enter the promised land from the one which had left Egypt.
Bar Joshua and Caleb, all males over twenty years old who had left Egypt were now dead. A new group of adults had to fight for the God they had come to know. For many, the crossing of the red sea was a history lesson. A fierce enemy, the Egyptian army had been wiped out via an act of God.
How was God going to fight for his chosen people at this point in their lives? They had witnessed the miracle of crossing into the promised land, when the Jordan river had stopped flowing (Joshua 4), and this must have inspired hope.
God keeps his promises, as they walked around the walls of Jericho their voices silent, only the horns proclaiming God were heard. Finally, at the last moment, the people joined in a massive shout, their faith joining with God's promise to see the walls of the enemy nation come tumbling down.
The hope and expectation before this moment must have been palpable, seven days they had walked this route, and now, after seven times around the city ( tiring as this might have been), they were ready to see God move.
Hope, ready to be expressed in action.
This is the bedrock of our faith, that we hope in the works of the risen Christ. We recount to one another the promises that Jesus made, we recollect to each other the times he has kept those promises, and we encourage one another that he will continue to act according to his character, and keep his promises in our future.
We are people of Hope
A new nation was planning to enter the promised land from the one which had left Egypt.
Bar Joshua and Caleb, all males over twenty years old who had left Egypt were now dead. A new group of adults had to fight for the God they had come to know. For many, the crossing of the red sea was a history lesson. A fierce enemy, the Egyptian army had been wiped out via an act of God.
How was God going to fight for his chosen people at this point in their lives? They had witnessed the miracle of crossing into the promised land, when the Jordan river had stopped flowing (Joshua 4), and this must have inspired hope.
God keeps his promises, as they walked around the walls of Jericho their voices silent, only the horns proclaiming God were heard. Finally, at the last moment, the people joined in a massive shout, their faith joining with God's promise to see the walls of the enemy nation come tumbling down.
The hope and expectation before this moment must have been palpable, seven days they had walked this route, and now, after seven times around the city ( tiring as this might have been), they were ready to see God move.
Hope, ready to be expressed in action.
This is the bedrock of our faith, that we hope in the works of the risen Christ. We recount to one another the promises that Jesus made, we recollect to each other the times he has kept those promises, and we encourage one another that he will continue to act according to his character, and keep his promises in our future.
We are people of Hope
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