The Hall of Faith | The Siege on Walls – Hebrews 11:30-31
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. (Hebrews 11:30-31, ESV)
After the death of Moses, Joshua led the people into the promised land. It would make sense that the author of Hebrews would quickly skip over the events after the Exodus as they largely involved the people of God abandoning their faith to doubt God’s goodness and ability. But, after a significant amount of time, God opened the way for the people to enter into the promised land. Entry into the promised land would not be without its challenges nor would it be just a quick walk into the land. The people of God needed to refine their faith in God to trust Him for their every need. As the people of God approached the promised land, their first challenge would be to conquer the city of Jericho, noted for its fortified walls. Furthermore, since the Israelites had essentially been parked just beyond Jericho, their presence was known and Jericho had ample time to prepare.
Joshua dispatched spies to Jericho to determine the readiness of the city and develop the best strategy. During this time, the spies had been found out and hid among the Rahab, one of the few women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The Israelites found themselves in a precarious situation standing on the outskirts of the promised land being inhabited by the enemy, finding refuge in a prostitute, and needing to trust the hand of God to topple the walls and secure their victory. Faith goes beyond the limitations we see and uses people we would easily pass by. Faith trusts God despite the things of this world that hinder us and breaks down the walls between us and Him.
The Fall of the Wall of Jericho
Jericho’s fortified walls presented a huge trial to the people of Israel. Although they had not been small in number, the people of God did not have the full backing to destruct the wall of Jericho. In the flesh, the task appeared daunting and insurmountable. “And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” (Joshua 6:1-5, ESV) This strategy, from a military perspective, would have left the people wondering how this plan would possibly work. Announcing their presence and simply walking around the walls would not do anything to the structure in front of them. Yet, in faith, the people demonstrated their obedience to God. In faith, the people marched around the city and the walls fell by the power of God and for His glory.
Many times, the things God calls us to will look ridiculous or silly in our own eyes. We may fear that we will fail what God has called us to do or not see the way God intends to accomplish His goal. Walking in faith involves trusting God through whatever we are called to and whatever we are called to accomplish. Ultimately, the responsibility of completing the things that God calls us to falls on God. We submit to the will and call of God in faith, knowing that His ability exceeds our understanding. A great societal myth is that we need to validate or agree with God’s ways and thoughts in order to be faithful. This could not be further from the truth. God’s trustworthiness does not require our mental assent. Rather, we move in faith, acting on our faith knowing that God calls us to act. Faith trusts that God will accomplish His will according to His ways for His glory and we not need to understand but to trust Him.
Rahab The Spy Within The Walls
As the spies entered Jericho, they were confronted with the authorities knowing that spies had entered, looking to determine the weaknesses of the city. The people sought refuge in the house of Rahab, the known local prostitute. She would have been an outcast of the city, not welcome in civilized life while simultaneously being very well known. Knowing who the people were and which people were after them, Rahab hid the spies in her home and helped get them to safety later in the day. Her home, a frequent travel spot for people coming in and out would not have attracted much attention during the process. Rahab’s testimony looked beyond her actions and her profession to her faith in the story of God and His faithfulness to the people of God. “Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.” (Joshua 2:8-10 ESV) Rahab saw the power of God in the lives of the people of God and choose to defy the false gods of her culture and strive to be in the favor of the One, True God. Her past did not matter and her faith placed her in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
Too often, we make excuses for not being able to be used by God either in others or in ourselves. We find our own inadequacies and inabilities and remain content to stay in the status quo of a sinful life, bowing down to the idols of this world. The act of faith comes in the rejection of our past identity and turning to the Lord, just as Rahab did. She knew her life and the emptiness that prostitution brought, but more importantly she had heard the testimony of the work of God in people, knowing that the God of the people of Israel reigned sovereign. Our past and our inability should never hinder our faith to step out into the purpose that God calls us to. There is no one too sinful that God cannot reach and there is no one too inept that God cannot demonstrate His glorious omnipotence. Our life, stepping out of our sinful life and bowing before the Lord in faith will demonstrate the glory of God regardless of what we have done and where we have been. In Him, we have strength because His strength is greater than our own. He tears down the walls and barriers between Himself and us and sets us on the foundation of righteousness and holiness in Him.
About The Author
Daniel Burton is the founder of The Gospel Outpost. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To find out more about him, check out his Author Page.
