It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned. It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.
Hebrews 11:29-30
The writer of Hebrews now uses the people of Israel as examples of faith and once again uses the lead in marker “by faith” more than once. This time he uses it twice, once for the Red Sea crossing and once for when the Israelites marched around Jericho for seven days. I find that interesting because of what the writer has told us about the Israelites rebelling against the Lord for 40 years in the wilderness in chapters 3 and 4. Notice that there is one example from the Israelite’s very first response by faith and one which was effectively their very last response by faith. That is significant.
Here is the account of the first example from Scripture.
As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the LORD, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”
But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the LORD!”
Exodus 14:10-18
Here is the summary of the second event which demonstrates the faith of the Israelites. I am picking it from what Joshua told the people. In the beginning of the chapter God spoke to Joshua who then spoke to the priests. Here now is what the people were told and the result.
Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the LORD.” After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the LORD, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant followed behind them. Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns.
“Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!”
So the Ark of the LORD was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp. Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the LORD. The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the LORD, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the LORD. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days. On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the town! . . .
. . . When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.
Joshua 6:7-16, 20
I wonder if you had the same reaction I did when I went back and read these two accounts again, with the statement of the writer of Hebrews in mind, included above. In each of these two examples, these Israelites, known for their rebellion, grumbling and lack of faith and their unwillingness to take God at His word, did exactly what the writer described. They put their fear aside and just did what the LORD had told them. The act of them marching in obedience to God’s command to both Moses and Joshua was sufficient for their action to be credited to them as an act of faith.
What’s remarkable is that in the prelude to the Jericho faith walk, Joshua told them, “Do not shout; do not even talk. Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” Can you imagine what would have happened if these Israelites had been allowed to talk while walking? I am sure you could make up the dialogue of what would have happened just as well as I can. When they obeyed in simple faith the Word of God recorded their actions, while not talking, as having been done by faith.
I don’t think I have to say anything more. Oh I could say more. There are other interesting things to pick up but because I gave you a deep complicated one in the previous Gem, it’s time for a simple, straight forward one. You may be wondering why I have not added my three choices which demonstrate Moses’ faith. The simple answer is I have only had one comment from my midnight friend. So at this point I only need to share with him my choices for Moses’ high points of faith and discuss with Mike my thoughts on the multiple “by faith” elements. Come on you others, give it a go. Otherwise I will just discuss those things with Mike Clancey in an email.
If you will not run when you feel fear, fear will run because it has seen faith.
Joyce Meyer
Thanking God after he answers a prayer is gratitude. Thanking him in advance is faith.
Rick Warren
One glimpse, one taste, one sampling, and your faith will never be the same . . . God’s touch!
Max Lucado
Prayer is asking for rain. Faith is carrying the umbrella.
Robert C. Savage
I have given you my three examples of Moses’ faith.
Hi there Ian, I was just wondering what you thought about the other possible reason for the silence and then the loud shout around the city being linked to the sound waves being at a certain pitch and distance from the wall as to make the rocks move as has been reported done by the Tibetan monks. I read they were able to move rocks from their position up into the air by a trajectory against a cliff face and sound eith them absolutely silent except for instruments. There is also a man myth the a fifteen ton slab of rock was moved up the mountain by floating it in the air. Is it possible that a similar event was happening at Jericho?
Myan myth or somewhere in south American…. Inca…can’t remember …?
It’s certainly possible Sandra although I haven’t heard of those accounts personally. What I do know is the walls came down just as the account in Joshua stated. I think it had more to do with the faith of the Israelites who dared to make fools of themselves in a manner of speaking for seven days and then circle the city seven times as they were told. I tend to ask questions like:
What would have happened if they had given up on the 6th day or a day earlier? Or what if they had only gone around the city six times on the seventh day and not seven. I believe I know the outcome. I say this on the basis of the number of times God has asked me to do something specific and the outcome has only come when all conditions were completed.
I think the silence had more to do with their own need for being silent and not listening to those grumbling. I think it is telling that the LORD insisted on their silence.