By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

It was said of the American playwright Lillian Hellman that she was one of the most powerful people of her day.  Without feeling the need to go into detail on what prompted that observation about her (thank God), I think it is enough to say that power in this world is typically understood as the ability to have your own way.  Along with that kind of coercion comes accomplishment, respect (or at least notoriety), rewards, autonomy; we know what characterizes the lifestyles of the rich and famous.  But the term “poetic justice” is not carnal in its origin.  God has a way of bringing things around to their place of origin, and we may rest assured that the little foxes have now been caught and duly dealt with.  Ms. Hellman’s power did not last.

This gives rise to an interesting thought.  It seems as though you can have power in one of two ways: a way that enjoys some measure of dominance over others in the short term, usually for the benefit of oneself, and is eminently noticeable in the exercise of that dominance; or a way that is come across almost by accident while just following orders, and which while it may go long without even being recognizable as power, will finally be unveiled in a demonstration of true and lasting supremacy that may not be denied.  The first is the mark of the few men of the world who have climbed to the top over the bodies of their competitors to lay hold of their fleeting moment in the spotlight.  The second, as we will see, is the birthright of every believer.

The people of Israel, in the story of the conquest of Jericho, found out the first step in the pursuit of godly power: to accept that the outcome is already decided.  God said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.”  He did not tell Joshua to go lay his plans for taking the city, or to make sure the soldiers were prepared for the battle.  God gave him the victory before the first blow was struck.

It is important to realize this because of what is at stake for us.  As followers of Jesus we do not go to war for lands or title.  It is souls that hang in the balance of our struggles.  If I believed that my actions would determine whether or not the forces of evil would ultimately triumph, I would probably capitulate right now.  I am only a man, and on my best day my heart is foolish and untrustworthy.  But if I see Heaven opened, and a white horse approaching the arena in which we contend, and One sitting on it who is called Faithful and True who in righteousness will make war; then I can take heart, for he has overcome the world.  Not is overcoming, not will overcome, but has overcome.

But the vision of the conqueror in Revelation was not only of Christ Jesus.  John also recounts how the armies of Heaven followed him to war, also on white horses.  Though the final outcome of the battle is assured, our part in it is not.  Nowhere did God tell Joshua, “See, I have given you a free pass that will get you through every difficulty in your life.  Don’t worry about a thing, because as a leader your success is assured.”  Joshua well knew that he had to make the choice whom he and his household would serve.  He knew that if the first step of faith is to recognize that God has accomplished the victory, the second step is just that – a step.  And he knew that the direction that step goes is the difference between life and death.

The third step is even harder.  I’m fine with the idea that Christ has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.  I’m even OK with the realization that I need to follow him as he leads me into the fray.  Bring it on.  But the real problem comes when I see the way he goes about waging his war.  March around a city once carrying the ark and tooting rams’ horns, not for one day, or for two, but for six days?  and march around it seven times on the seventh day and then we all start hollering at the top of our lungs?  To be honest I cannot think of a better way to look a perfect fool.  That is not the way you are supposed to fight a battle and intimidate the enemy.  It looks for all the world like some kind of weird fanaticism.

And that’s probably what bugs me the most about it, if I am honest with myself.  It’s not the unprofessionalism or the disorganization that truly shames me.  It is at heart the idea that for this to work I might just have to be completely committed, to the point where I am not only going to look like a fool if it doesn’t work, but I am probably going to die.  That thought stretches my faith near the breaking point, as most certainly it did for the saints of old.  Christianity is fine with me as long as I can use it to hedge my bet on eternal life and influence the way other people think about me.  But God spurns such a notion.  He says if you are ashamed of following his instructions to the letter, consider Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Joshua, Naaman.  These all demonstrated their faith in God through their obedience.  And consider Jesus!  He did everything required by the righteous standard of the Law and by the will of his Father in Heaven, and by his obedience there is salvation for us.  When we would follow Jesus there is nothing more required of us than to know our need of him; but there is nothing less, either.  I need Jesus more than anything else in life, and I ought to be willing to act like it.  And it is here that we find true power: in a gym taking a morsel of bread and a sip of wine, like our lives depended on it.

This is a power that saved the lives of the eight people on the Ark, foreshadowing the atoning work of Christ.  It is a power that multiplied an old man and his barren wife into the greatest nation in history as the covenant people of God.  It catapulted a young man from obscurity into a mighty calling as the savior of a nation, and more importantly, of his people.  It toppled the walls of a great city through the foolishness of obedience.  It is able to make the foulest clean.  And it is a power that brought our Lord through a life of sorrow, hardship, deprivation and failure to set up a Church against which Hell itself would not prevail.  It is for every person who puts their faith in Christ, and no one may gainsay it.  At the cost of his firstborn shall anyone lay the foundation of his enmity against the power of God, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.

Let us think about how to rest our faith in the power of God, and not in the wisdom of man, for this has been decreed before the ages for our glory.

Author: Jeremy Vogan

My name is Jeremy Vogan. I live in Staunton, VA with my wife and four kids. I love to write, and seek to honestly explore the intellectual and emotional implications of following Jesus as a deeply broken person in a twisted, cruel world that is full of veiled beauty and meaning. Writing is part of how I faithfully look for Jesus Christ to someday make all things new. I'd enjoy hearing your feedback! JV