The Jericho plan: calling on God’s help

“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.” Joshua 6: 20 was the Bible verse Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider used for the divine service in Bahía Blanca in Argentina on 4 April 2016.

Blocked: the way to salvation

First he explained the biblical context. When the people of Israel wanted to enter the Promised Land, their way was blocked by the city of Jericho, a walled city. It seemed impossible to conquer the city, since Israel had no experience in capturing a fortified city. But God told His servant Joshua what he should do.

“This story is a nice image for our salvation,” the Chief Apostle said. “We want to enter the kingdom of God, but for that we have to overcome the evil one. But that is not possible. Nobody can do that. Only God can save us. But we have to do our part so that God can save us.”

Cleared: the way to help

So what do we have to do? The Chief Apostle listed four points.

• Live according to the law of God every day. The Israelites had been told to march around the city—with the ark of the covenant that contained the tablets with the law. “Living according to the gospel of Christ, that is our law.” And that also means that we do not solve problems by committing a sin.
• Follow the servants of God. God spoke to the people of Israel through Joshua. And today? “It is not enough to read the Bible and know the gospel. God wants us to listen to His will today.” That is why “we have to follow the teaching of the apostolate”. “We believe that listening to the sermon and acting according to what is preached will help us.”
• Maintain unity among one another. The Israelites marched around Jericho together. “God does not want to save a number of people. He wants to save a united people, souls, who are one.” Therefore “remain in the fellowship of the children of God, even if everything goes wrong in your life”.
• Persevere to the end. The first six days that the people marched around Jericho absolutely nothing happened. “Let us wait, knowing that God loves us; we trust Him.” Sometimes He removes the obstacles, but only if they prevent us from being saved. In other cases, when the obstacle is not that great and we can be saved despite the difficulties, He will help us in a different manner.

The Chief Apostle concluded that God grants help and salvation to those who conform to His law, who listen to His word and do what they are told, who strive for unity and remain in the fellowship of God’s children, and who persevere to the end. “That is my wish for you and me. That is my promise for you and me.”