At the Sound of the Trumpet

When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall [of Jericho] collapsed; so, every man charged straight in, and they took the city. They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. (Joshua 6:20-21, NIV 1984).

My Musings – With the sound of the trumpet and a shout the walls came tumbling down. I can only imagine, that despite God’s assurances that Jericho would be taken, Joshua must have wondered how he would get his army into that city. What the casualties it would take to do so. And when the Lord told him how, he must still have wondered how.

“The Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.'” (Joshua 6:2-5, NIV 1984).

The people must have wondered too. Of course, by this time they should have known to expect the unconventional. “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.'” (Isaiah 55:8-9, 11, NIV 1984). And it was so. Done in such a way that the people could not gloat “look what we have done.”

My Advice – Expect the unexpected with God. Consider the impossible to be possible with the Lord. When it “goes out from His mouth” expect it to “accomplish [exactly] what [He] desire[s],” and at the exact time He desires it to happen. For one day, and it may be soon, the trumpet will sound once again, and with a mighty shout Christ will return. Just like He said.

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, NIV 1984).

I’m encouraged. Aren’t you?