The journey from the Jordan to Bethlehem might well have taken Joseph and Mary through the city of Jericho. How well they would knew the story of Jericho's destruction as given in Joshua 5:13-6:20. They knew how impossible it would be to occupy the Promised Land if they could not conquer Jericho. They could relate about how impossible the task seemed to be. They would remember the strange commands given about marching around the city for six days and on the seventh day, march around it seven times. Then, when they were commanded to shout-shout-and the walls would come tumbling down. Amazing! It might well have left Joseph and Mary with chills running down their spines.
They would have lifted up the name of Joshua, who became so well respected and honored because of how the Lord blessed the Israelites through him. They knew the Israelites saw Joshua as a "savior." He led the people of Israel as they occupied the Promised Land. They knew their Son would bear a name that came from the same root. They knew the expectations for Him would be no less.
But they did not know how it would happen. They did not know that while the taking down of Jericho's walls was unusual, the taking down of sin, death, and the power of the devil would be even more unusual. It did not take an army to defeat Jericho, and it would not take an army to destroy the power of the evil forces. It would take the innocent suffering and death of one solitary individual-their Son. It would result in the walls our sins cause between us and God to come tumbling down and thus giving us access to the eternal Promised Land!
THE PRAYER: Bless us Advent Lord, as we praise You for our glorious and astonishing preparation for entering the Promised Land! Amen.
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