with Elder Elico Manenji
The first conquest of the land and the city of Jericho by the trumpet blast and the salvation of Rahab and her family.
The taking of Jericho is the first great victory of the Israelites over the Canaanites. It is a type of the victory of the people of God over their adversaries by the gospel trumpet. What we learn from it is a great act of faith for the people of God. It was no slight exercise of faith to believe that the sounding of the sacred trumpets would suffice to overthrow those massive walls which rose like impregnable ramparts around the city. The Word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, *"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, said the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6).
Faith is not just a mere feeling of trust, it works in obedience to God's Word, it triumphantly bears the Ark of the Covenant in action and working miracle by the stirring sound of trumpets, around the walls of Jericho thus believing that victory is certain. Such trust of God is the faith which overcomes the world.
The Apostle says, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:3-5).
Faith finds its response in the mighty grace of God. For what power is there in the sound of a trumpet to shake the solid foundation of a city wall? Can its shrillest blast make the massive granite tremble to its fall? God will show that the power is His alone and that our confidence must not be in the arm of flesh but in Him only. Religious life is not magic but grand manifestations of Divine sovereignty which we call miracles to bring us into immediate contact with the sovereign power of God from which all blessed influences flow.
The Apostle says, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been compassed about seven days" (Hebrews 11:30).
In the destruction of Jericho we see a type of the strongjolds of iniquity in the world. We see in this event a typical representation of the Divine conquest of the powers of error and evil in the world. It prefigures the assault of the kingdom of light upon the kingdom of darkness as set forth and the triumph of God's grace and truth.
The Apostle says, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4).
The spiritual analogy is plain that people destitute of faith, incapable of discovering the resistless force that lies behind it and fail to see that at first sight the instruments of the kingdom of Christ seem very feeble will be lost. The workers of iniquity walled within their such seemingly formiddable forces find their security but are not secure as they laugh at the weapons of our warfare.
The Apostle says, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but to us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent" (1 Corinthians 1:18-19).
But outward appearances are a very false rule of judgment as the sovereign power can work through meanest and simplest instruments. The efficacy of God's instruments are powerful even when they apparently seem feeble.
The Apostle says, "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We have the treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:5-7)
The salvation of Rahab and her family and their adoption into the family of God shows the work of faith in saving grace to all who believe.
The Apostle says, "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brothers, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yes, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence" (1 Corinthians 1:25-29)
Faith on its watchtower sees the grand procession of events moving on to the end of the days when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God to lay down the last stronghold of Satan in ruins and create the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.
The Apostle says, "Looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ?Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness" (2 Peter 3:12-13).
Appeal
The reasons for mankind's destruction salvation that they were fighting God's grace and salvation. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked, yet surely it shall be well with them that fear God but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days which are as a shadow because they feared neither worshipped God.
The Apostle says, "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes on them, as travail on a woman with child; and they shall not escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Amen!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704)
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