“Preach the gospel of Jesus Christ”
SCRIPTURE
Joshua 6:13. The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time, the priests were blowing their horns.
OBSERVATION
Summary
In obedience to Joshua’s instructions, the priests blew the ram’s horns, followed by the ark of the covenant, and the people marched for six days around the Jericho wall without saying a word.
Who is God
• God conquers the impossible like Jericho wall.
• God wants us to preach the gospel like blowing the ram’s horns
• God doesn’t want us to say unnecessary words.
• God wants us to be patient and obedient to the end.
APPLICATION
In the course of the conquest of Jericho, today, I would like to meditate on God’s command to blow the ram’s horns. The priests had to blow ram’s horns every day for six days. On the seventh day, they had to blow longer. In the Bible, a ram’s horn symbolizes God’s presence. The first ram’s horn was made when Abraham was going to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. At that time, God prepared a ram that portrayed Jesus Christ. Therefore, blowing the ram’s horns means preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. The sound of the ram’s horns must have meant a warning of upcoming judgment to Jericho residents who did not believe in God. They had to be warned every day. However, for the people of God, the sound of ram’s horns must be a message of comfort and courage. We should also listen to the message of Jesus Christ every day to gain daily comfort and courage.
In front of Jericho, which was still tightly closed, the priests had to blow ram’s horns every day. In the presence of unbelievers who are firmly closing their hearts, we must proclaim and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in season or out of season. The people of Jericho had to hear the message that the Canaanite king does not rule the world. They had to listen to the truth that there is one God who creates and governs this world and that the whole world is moved in His hand. God might have wanted Jericho’s residents to repent and surrender to Israel before it is destroyed like Rajab. God must have desired to save one more soul from the destruction of Jericho.
When the seventh blow of the ram’s horns, Jericho was supposed to collapse. In Rev. 10:7, “When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets.” I think it may mean the returning of the Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom. We must proclaim the message of judgment and the Messiah’s returning diligently as the end is coming nearer. As the end approaches, the trumpets of the gospel should be blown longer and louder. Bible said that the Lord would come back when the gospel is preached to the end of the world. We must blow the trumpet of the gospel to the end of the world. God is looking for a church that preaches the gospel diligently every day. He is looking for a church that does its best to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.
- Sin to avoid: I regret that I did not preach harder.
- Promise to hold: Only those who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ will be saved from judgment.
- Action to take place: Boldly proclaim the gospel.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, like the priests who blow the ram’s horns every day faithfully, we want to preach the gospel and do evangelism every day faithfully. Let more saints in our church understand your heart to save one more soul from the upcoming eternal destruction and obey the Last Commission’s call. Please send us more workers for the harvest! Amen.
Pastor Sharon Lee's QT 