"When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city." Joshua 6:20
"A speedy victory is the main object in war. If this is long in coming, weapons are blunted and morale depressed. If troops are attacking cities, their strength will be exhausted." Sunzi, "Art of War" (Chapter 2, Waging War)
"When I say three, jump!" My drill sergeant, Lackland Air Force Base, Summer 1974
Hurry Up and Wait--and Obey I learned the same lessons in the Air Force that the Jews learned in the desert: 1) how to "hurry up and wait," and 2) the benefit to me of obedience.
"This is now your world!" our Sergeant yelled at us terrified new recruits on our first day. "You have no one but me. No family, no friends. Just me--and you will obey me!"
When I say jump up... He paused, glared some more, and said, "When I count to three, jump! One, two, three--Jump!" We jumped, and he angrily told us, "Knock out ten!" (ten push ups, which we had to do after every mistake. Day one, I could barely do 30; by week six I could do 300). Three times we jumped and then did push ups until he finally demanded, "Do you know what you keep doing wrong?"
"Sir, no sir!" we replied, exhausted.
He glared at us as if he now understood why some animals ate their young, and said, "I told you to jump up! I did not say to come down!"
Our sergeant's point--we do only what we are told; no more, no less. But...after we learned to obey, we were gradually given more freedom and flexibility to think on our own. Even the military does not want or need robots. Same with God. He wants us to learn on our own--but first we need to learn to wait, and to obey, until we are no longer children but mature, and can make the right decisions on our own. As Israel learned in its 40 years leading up to Jericho.
Don't Fear God repeatedly told the Israelites "Don't be afraid" because they were constantly afraid, in spite of the miraculous ways in which they had been led. It took 40 years instead of 40 days to get through the Desert because He had to wipe the slate clean and write His will upon a new generation--and even then it was an uphill battle, with complaints and grumblings and longing for the old days in Egypt, the land of leeks and onions; how easily they forgot that had also been the land of making bricks without mortar from sun up to sundown.
Setting the Stage Even the attack of Jericho was calculated to greatest dramatic effect--to teach both the Israelites and the gentiles a lesson. After crossing the Jordan river, God had them set up stones and said, "Remember!" He said this because they were always having to relearn lessons they had forgotten.
School of Hard Knocks I feel that way myself. I have to learn the same things over and over. But I often wish we could take the school of hard knocks courses by correspondence.
Waiting After crossing the Jordan, the Jews learned that the impregnable city of Jericho was shut up tight, the enemy cowering within. So what next? Hammer on the walls and gates while the defenders poured rocks and boiling oil on them?
God drew it out, playing upon the suspense like a violinist drawing out a long note--no doubt freaking out the inhabitants of Jericho, but probably not doing the Israelites a lot of good either.
Sunzi's Art of War teaches there is a right time to attack. Too early and you're not ready; too late and the soldiers have lost their enthusiasm and vigor. Surely 7 days was a bit much! The first day may have been fun--rather like a football pep rally. But by the 4th or 5th day surely it got old. But it did not matter because the victory was not dependent upon the soldiers themselves.
Obedience. I'm sure the Israelis also had ideas of how they could better spend their time--either attacking or retreating, but not just marching around an impregnable fortress blowing trumpets and shouting. What God had them do made no sense at all--but the point was not to make sense but to teach them how to wait, and how to obey, and why it was to their advantage to do so--as I learned in the Air Force.
Faith. By making Israel do something senseless, repeatedly, for 7 days, God was teaching Israel to wait. He was also teaching them faith. It made no sense to them, but they could not see both sides of the playing field, and did not know the end game. But their victory at Jericho taught them, yet again, "Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord."
Of course most had forgot the lesson by Tuesday afternoon the following week, just as we forget a memorable Sunday Sermon by Monday. But the story was written down for future generations to read, and Remember.
Straight Ahead. All may be doubtful, but at the right moment it is clear. When the walls finally fell, each man marched "straight ahead" and took the city. He did not have to wonder which pile of rocks to climb over, or where to attach. When the time was right, all he had to do was march straight ahead and take care of the job at hand. No more waiting, no more wondering.
Today I too must wait, obey, and have faith--until the way straight ahead is clear. It does not mean I do nothing in the meantime. I continue to plow wholeheartedly at the furrow before me.
Remembering When I doubt, I reread stories from the Bible. Better yet, I reread stories from my own life (some from memory, many that I've written down), and comfort myself with the knowledge that our Father is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. What He did yesterday, He will do today--if I let Him, and if I do my part--which is to wait for the right moment, obey, and have faith.
And once I've learned to obey, I am then trust and even expected to do less obeying and more thinking on my own--much like the Air Force after boot camp!
Bill Brown
www.amoymagic.com
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