But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city! ... So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Joshua 6:15–16, 20
Any worthwhile project that we undertake comes with bouts of discouragement. Throughout the Bible we read of men like Jeremiah and Paul, who endured countless assaults on their character and motives in spite of the fact that they labored more selflessly and diligently than any of their critics. There are times, however, when walls crumble and mountains move. There are times when we see “the mystery of godliness” still at work (1 Tim. 3:16) in the hearts of men and even of whole communities. Walls don’t come down because we wish them to, and when they remain standing, we must consider the possibility that they remain only because of our own fears of what might happen after they fall.
When walls crumble, we must realize that it is not by our own power. The walls of Jericho did not fall simply because Israel marched around them and shouted. Both the inner and outer walls of this city were several feet thick. They came down only because the Lord had given them the city (v 16). This is just like the times when God overthrew the Egyptian army at the Red Sea (Ex. 14), when He delivered Israel from the Midianites in the days of Gideon (Jdg. 7), and when He used a young shepherd to bring down a Philistine champion (1 Sam. 17). On each occasion, God went the extra distance in order to leave no doubt that He was the author of His children’s success. When walls come down, let’s give God the glory that is due Him.
When walls crumble, we must realize that our work is not finished yet. When Israel defeated Jericho, they were instructed to move on to Ai (Jsh. 7:2). In like manner, although much was accomplished on Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13–14), he didn’t consider his work as an apostle complete after this successful complain (cf. Php. 3:13–14; 2 Tim. 4:6–8). Instead of glorying in accomplishments of the past―or groaning about failures―we must always look ahead. When walls come down, we must not get too caught up in celebration, because there are still plenty more battles that need to be fought.
When walls crumble, we must build something better in their place. When Jericho was destroyed, God said that it should never be rebuilt (Jsh. 6:26), but it would be replaced with something greater (Ex. 19:6). Likewise, when we toss the devil out of our lives, we need to replace him with the Lord, or else he is very likely to return (Luke 11:24–26). When you elect to forsake the world and its lusts, if you do not fill your life with truth, good works, and the right sort of fellowship (Eph. 4:17–24), you are only dooming yourself to an even worse end (2 Pet. 2:20).
Some of the Israelites may have feared the battle that awaited them on the other side of the wall, and perhaps we are so fearful of what lies beyond the walls that faith can bring down that we dare not so much as to pray for them to fall. As long as we sit and wait for something to happen, nothing will.