The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 166

hesitated and argued about his fitness for the task laid upon him. Jeremiah shrank from facing the children of Israel with his message of wrath. But the apostles of Christ, when sent forth to conquer the world by no other means than the proclama• tion of the truth, never stood appalled by the magnitude of the work, but were filled with a sublime confidence that all should be as God bad said. So when we go forth to besiege some modern J ericbo, let us hear beforehand the voice of God saying, "See, I have given it into thine hand." We have only to ascertain cle!lrly that the duty is laid upon us, that we are not laying a presumptuous hand upon a task which is not meant for us. This done, we may go boldly forward on our way. II. THERE ARE STRONGHOLDS WHICH WILL YIELD TO PRAYER ALO}IE. Jericho was taken by no other means than by the seven days' procession. The rest of the cities of Canaan were taken by storm in the ordinary way. But Jericho was the first of them. Thus it often pleases God, when we enter first upon our warfare, to remove some temptation from us in a striking and wonderful manner in answer to prayer. This is to serve as an encouragement to us, as a proof both of His presence and of His power. Many of God's saints can tell of such encouragements, mercifully vouchsafed to them when co=encing the struggle against sin, that they might know experimentally for themselves, and not by the report of others, that the Lord was indeed the Almighty. When some work is going on for God in which it is impossible for us to join, we may aid it by our prayers. And those prayers may prove mightier than the feeble efforts of those actually engaged in the work. When those in whom we have an interest are wandering far from God, and it is not our place to instruct or rebuke them, we may pray for them ; and many are the souls which have been'converted to God through the might of prayer alone. So when the Church of Christ suffers persecution from worldly men, she is not to use worldly weapons in her defence. Let her be steadfast and diligent in her daily offering of intercession and praise, and the walls of Jericho that frown abo,e her shall fall down flat, and she shall div;ide its spoils. III. EACH HAS HIS APPOINTED SHA.RE IN THE ATTACK ON EVIL. Our attack is to be an united and orderly one. No disorderly rout encompassed Jericho, each "fighting for his own hand." There was a fixed order in the attack, in which each had his proper share. The ark of God was carried by the priest ; that is, the ministers of religion are to lead the way in public and pri,ate intercession for the cause. They blow with tlie horns of jubilee; that is, they sound the note of war against the evil against which they are a1Tayed. They stir God's people up to the fight. And when the time appointed has come that the assault bas to be made, theirprayers, inter- cessions, exhortations are redoubled ; the people respond to their efforts by raising their voices unanimously in the same holy cause; the bulwarks of the stronghold of evil give way; and Israel advances, every man straight before him, to raze it to the ground. The n.ctual fulfilment of God's co=ands now demands our notice. We may observe here : - I. THAT GoD'S PEOPLE ARE SECURE FROM ALL DANGER WHEN rn THE W.\Y OF DUTY. From a military point of view, as has been n.lready observed, these tlisposi- tions were absurd. To compass the city in this manner was to invite n.ttack. Yet it was done because God commanded it, and no evil ensued. So a Christian is ever safe, however much worldly wisdom may condemn him, if be be in the path of duty. "No weapon that is formed ago.inst him shallprospep,'' We must not mintl exposing ourselves to the scoffs and jeers of the profane, the grave remonsti-ances of the worldly-minded, the prophecies of failure on the part of the timid and time- serving. No matter how imprudent our n.ction, according to the world's stn.ndarcl; so long as it be right it will certainly prosper at last. All great movements for good hn.ve been branded at the outset as enthusiastic folly. Yetfaith and persever- a,nce lmve succeeded in the end. The wn.lls of many a spiritual J ericbo have been brought to the ground by a steady persistence in what was known to be 1·ight, however unreasonable it may have seemed to unbelievers. II. WE MUST NOT DE "WEARY IN WELL DOING." For seven long tlays Lli,1 the strange procession encompass Jericho. Not the slightest effect was protluced of any 1J2 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. [en. vt. 1-21.