得胜的信心
约书亚记六章1至5、20节
1耶利哥的城门因以色列人就关得严紧，无人出入。
2耶和华晓谕约书亚说：看哪，我已经把耶利哥和耶利哥的王，并大能的勇士，都交在你手中。
3你们的一切兵丁要围绕这城，一日围绕一次，六日都要这样行。
4七个祭司要拿七个羊角走在约柜前。到第七日，你们要绕城七次，祭司也要吹角。
5他们吹的角声拖长，你们听见角声，众百姓要大声呼喊，城墙就必塌陷，各人都要往前直上。
20于是百姓呼喊，祭司也吹角。百姓听见角声，便大声呼喊，城墙就塌陷，百姓便上去进城，各人往前直上，将城夺取。
信息分享
以色列人如今来到迦南人的第一个城邑。它有坚固的护城墙、有强悍的士兵把守，里面的居民人口众多，而且物资非常充足。但另一方面，以色列人却从来没有受过军事训练，对作战的策略全无认识；但是神在他们这一方，事情的发展就不同了。
神特别将祂的应许交给他们的领袖约书亚，请读第2节。神先前已应许将迦南全地赐给他们(一3-4)；如今神再对他说：「我会先将耶利哥城交在你的手中。」
接着，众民便要接受信心的考验。约书亚聚集众民，对他们说：「神吩咐我们要这样行，我们就按照祂的指示去做吧！」约书亚不单相信神所赐的话，他更谨守遵从。圣经称这种信心为「顺服的信心」；人若能表现出这种信心，就最能讨神的喜悦了。
不过，即使当他们愿意凭着信心而行，过程之中，还要学习其他的功课。神为甚么要他们绕城行走13次呢？是否真的需要用那么长的时间，才能令他们相信自己是无能为力，只有仰赖神的帮助？
而且，他们绕城的时候还要默不作声。这对他们来说真是一大考验。他们在旷野期间一直连声抱怨。但如今神却吩咐他们：「不可作声，连一句说话也不可出你们的口。你们只要凭着信心，静默地绕城行走，胜利就必属你们。」
当我们心里难过，满怀怒气和满心嫉妒的时候，我们当然会闷不作声。但此刻的以色列人却不是这种心境，反之，他们的内心是充满了期待与兴奋。然而，他们却要保持静默的信心，直至绕城13次之后，在神的命令下，才放声呼喊。一个真正对神有信心的人，会愿意静默地等候神，会愿意等候神所定的时间，因为他知道，当神的时间到了，祂便会立即工作，而祂所成就的工作，会使到一切的等待都变得非常值得。
反思：
以色列人因着信，围绕耶利哥城七日，城墙就倒塌了。(希伯来书十一章30节)
THE VICTORY OF FAITH
Joshua 6: 1-5, 20
1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.
2 And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
Message
Israel was face to face with the first city held by Canaanities. It was a strong walled city with solders to defend it and with plenty of food for the people living inside. On the other hand, the men of Israel were not trained for fighting. But God was on their side and that made all the difference.
Joshua, their leader, had a special word given to him by the Lord. Look at verse 2. God had previously given Joshua the whole of the land (see 1: 3-4). Now God says, 'I have given you the first city, Jericho'.
Then came the test of faith. What would Joshua do? He called the people together and said, 'God has told us what to do. Let's get started.' Joshua not only believed the word God had given, he acted on it. God calls this the 'obedience of faith' and nothing pleases him more than that.
There are lessons to be learned, however, even while walking by faith. Why did God tell them to walk around the city 13 times? Did it take that long to convince them that they could do nothing unless God really helped them?
Then they had to march in silence. That would be hard for these people. All through the wilderness they had murmured and cried out. Now God says, 'Don't say a word. Go in silent faith and the victory will be yours.'
It is easy to be silent if we are unhappy or bitter or jealous. Sometimes when we feel like that, we are anything but silent of course.
However, this was the silence of faith that waited until the 13th time around. Then they shouted when God told them to do so. Faith can wait for God, for his exact moment. It knows that when God's time comes, he will immediately work. What he does then will be worth waiting for.'
A THOUGHT:
BY FAITH, the walls of Jericho fell down. Hebrews 11: 30.