Jos 6:11 | KingComments | STEP | While going only the trumpets ‘speak’. This is the speaking of the priests to God and to the people. The people themselves may not say a word and must remain silent (cf. ). There is no own contribution to this fight. Each own contribution is a proof of unbelief and a denial of the fact that God has given the only right strategy with the certain result of victory. This is also Peter’s fault when he rebukes the Lord Jesus after He has spoken of His suffering and rejection as the way of God ( ). All the actions of the first day are represented in this one word: “So he had the ark of the LORD taken around the city, circling [it] once” ( ). It is not about the people, but about the ark. All the strength of the people can only be found with the ark. Without the ark, as a picture of the Lord Jesus, the people are totally powerless and everything would end in a drama for the people. The right base camp for the people is Gilgal, to which they return to spend the night. They return to that place every day. There the circumcision took place. Returning to that place every time means that after every time they set out, they must always become aware that the victory is not the result of any strength in themselves. It means in our life of faith that we always realize that in us, that is in our flesh, there is no power, but that all power comes only from the Lord Jesus.

‏ Joshua 6:11

The First Day Around Jericho

While going only the trumpets ‘speak’. This is the speaking of the priests to God and to the people. The people themselves may not say a word and must remain silent (cf. Exo 14:14). There is no own contribution to this fight. Each own contribution is a proof of unbelief and a denial of the fact that God has given the only right strategy with the certain result of victory. This is also Peter’s fault when he rebukes the Lord Jesus after He has spoken of His suffering and rejection as the way of God (Mt 16:21-23).

All the actions of the first day are represented in this one word: “So he had the ark of the LORD taken around the city, circling [it] once” (Jos 6:11a). It is not about the people, but about the ark. All the strength of the people can only be found with the ark. Without the ark, as a picture of the Lord Jesus, the people are totally powerless and everything would end in a drama for the people.

The right base camp for the people is Gilgal, to which they return to spend the night. They return to that place every day. There the circumcision took place. Returning to that place every time means that after every time they set out, they must always become aware that the victory is not the result of any strength in themselves. It means in our life of faith that we always realize that in us, that is in our flesh, there is no power, but that all power comes only from the Lord Jesus.