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Seven Times Around

Joshua 6:1-5 – “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
            There is a large sign outside the ruins of the ancient city of Jericho that reads, “The oldest city of the world.”  It is also considered to be the city with the oldest known protective wall in the world.  This ancient stronghold was the first city the Israelites encountered when they crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land.  Verse 1 reads, “Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.”  
            This city was well fortified and protected. Yet, in verse 2 God gave Joshua a powerful promise, “I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.”  Like the children of Israel, we are a people of promise. II Peter 1:4 says, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
            Jericho was a place of conflict.  It was a place of opposition. To possess their promise the children of Israel had to take this walled city.  At your greatest door of opportunity there will always be opposition.  1 Corinthians 16:9 says, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” The enemy comes to oppose us.  How do we overcome the enemy opposing our promise? We must seek God for the strategy to evict the enemy.  
In Joshua 6:3-5 we learn of the strategy the Lord gave to Joshua, “You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
The Lord did not command Joshua to mobilize his army, or to attack and siege the city.  He simply commanded him to march around the city for seven days.  Seven is the number of divine completion.  God was sending a message to the inhabitants of the land.  This was a supernatural victory.  When the priests blew the trumpets, and the people gave a shout, the walls miraculously fell down flat.
How do we overcome the opposition of the enemy?  We must ask God to give us a strategy.  The children of Israel marched seven times around and God gave the city into their hands.  When we follow God’s instructions we will experience our promised victory. 

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