1 Samuel 17:47 - “Everyone gathered here will know the Lord does not need swords or spears to save [deliver] people. The battle belongs to Him [is the Lord’s], and He will hand you over to us [give you into our hands].”
1) Exodus 17:8-16 – The Amalekites Fight Israel
At Rephidim the Amalekites came and fought the Israelites. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some men and go and fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, holding [extending; stretching out] the walking stick [staff] of God in my hands.”
Joshua obeyed Moses and went to fight the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held [raised] his hands up, the Israelites would win the fight [prevail], but when Moses put his hands down, the Amalekites would win [prevailed; the staff represented the presence of God, who fought for Israel]. Later, when Moses’ arms became tired, the men put a large rock under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands – Aaron on one side and Hur on the other. They kept his hands steady until the sun went down. So Joshua defeated the Amalekites in this battle [with the sword].
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write about this battle in a book [or scroll] so people will remember. And be sure to tell Joshua, because I will completely destroy the Amalekites from the earth [under heaven; Deut. 25:17–19].”
Then Moses built an altar and named it The Lord Is My Banner [Yahweh Nissi]. Moses said, “I lifted my hands toward the Lord’s throne. The Lord will fight against the Amalekites forever.”
2) Joshua 6:1-21 – The Fall of Jericho
The people of Jericho were afraid because the Israelites were near. They closed the city gates and guarded them [Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons/ children of Israel]. No one went into the city, and no one came out.
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have given you Jericho [Jericho into your hands], its king, and all its fighting men. March around the city with your army once a day for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets made from horns of male sheep [rams’ horns] and have them march in front of the Ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times and have the priests blow the trumpets as they march. They will make one long blast on the trumpets. When you hear that sound, have all the people give a loud shout. Then the walls of the city will fall [collapse] so the people can go [charge] straight into the city.”
So Joshua son of Nun called the priests together and said to them, “Carry the Ark of the Covenant. Tell seven priests to carry trumpets and march in front of it.” Then Joshua ordered the people, “Now go! March around the city. The soldiers with weapons [armed troops; or royal guard] should march in front of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.”
When Joshua finished speaking to the people, the seven priests began marching before the Lord. They carried the seven trumpets and blew them as they marched. The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord followed them. Soldiers with weapons [Armed troops; or the royal guard] marched in front of the priests, and armed men [the rear guard] walked behind the Ark. The priests were blowing their trumpets. But Joshua had commanded the people not to give a war cry [the shout]. He said, “Don’t shout. Don’t say a word until the day I tell you. Then shout.” So Joshua had the Ark of the Lord carried around the city one time. Then they went back to camp for the night.
Early the next morning Joshua got up, and the priests carried the Ark of the Lord again. The seven priests carried the seven trumpets and marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their trumpets. Soldiers with weapons [Armed troops or the royal guard] marched in front of them, and other soldiers [the rear guard] walked behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their trumpets […while the trumpets kept blowing]. So on the second day they marched around the city one time and then went back to camp. They did this every day for six days.
On the seventh day they got up at dawn and marched around the city, just as they had on the days before. But on that day they marched around the city seven times. The seventh time around the priests blew their trumpets. Then Joshua gave the command: “Now, shout [give the battle cry]! The Lord has given you this city! The city and everything in it are to be destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone in her house should remain alive. They must not be killed, because Rahab hid the two spies we sent out. Don’t take any of the things that are to be destroyed as an offering to the Lord. If you take them and bring them into our camp, you yourselves will be destroyed, and you will bring trouble to all of Israel. All the silver and gold and things made from bronze and iron belong to the Lord and must be saved for Him [go into the treasury of the Lord].”
When the priests blew the trumpets, the people [army] shouted. At the sound of the trumpets and the people’s [army’s] shout, the walls fell, and everyone ran [charged] straight into the city. So the Israelites defeated [captured] that city. They completely destroyed with the sword every living thing in the city—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys.
[Don't miss to read the Part 2 of this message.]
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