Thirteen laps. One circuit of Jericho per day for six days, and then, on day seven, seven trips around the city. Seven priests. Seven shofar. The city fell, and the Israelites claimed the first piece of their promise.
Have you ever wondered where the Sabbath fit in all of this? Wasn't the seventh day supposed to be a day of rest? Why was the longest hike (seven laps) on the seventh day?
Many scholars feel that the acts of Israel and the writer of Joshua are emphasizing that the promised land was the land of rest for the Israelites. The number seven emphasizes both a completeness on heaven and earth, and it signifies the day of rest as well. Here, that land of rest, that day of rest, follows a lifetime of courageously patient persistence.
And we get mad when we can't change the church to conform to our vision in one week.
1 comment:
Patience is certainly something the church needs to re-vist. Patience, waiting on God, it goes against everything the natural man desires, or at least the American mindset of now, now, now.
Ron, a great couple of posts on patience, and the importance of God's timing vs. or own.
I think of the story in Nehemiah, where he prayed about his beloved homeland, and from the time of his prayer until his visit to the king , there are several months in between. I know there are many stories in Scripture of waiting...
Abram and Sarai for a child...
Jacob waiting for his lovely bride...
Israel waiting for deliverance...
Joshua and Caleb waiting for their inheritance...
Patience is one of the virtues that we (American post-modern, gen x-ers) don't particularly like, but it's a virtue that deserves, no demands all serious followers of Christ to re-vist, and to practice.
As always thank you for your thoughts...
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