Articles
Grace, Faith & Salvation at Jericho
When the Israelites entered Canaan, the first city they would conquer was Jericho. It was the first of many cities they would conquer, and their victories would ensure the promise God made to Abraham — long they entered the land — would be fulfilled. God had said to Abraham while he stood in Canaan, “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are — northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever” (Gen. 13:14, 15).
But the city of Jericho would be a unique case — one where the victory was achieved by what most people would say was, at the very least, unconventional means. In that conquest, we see a parallel to something much more relevant to those who would be saved today. Let's look…
God's Grace At Jericho. The victory at Jericho, we must admit, was by God's power and grace. Remember, God told Joshua even before they started marching around the city, “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor” (Josh. 6:2). Without the Israelites doing anything to earn the victory, God assured them the city was theirs. Now, knowing this, did God's gracious gift of the city mean the Israelites were to do nothing? Would one argue that God's assurance, as just noted, meant if the Israelites did anything, it would be called a "works" victory and would take away from the glory of God?
No, no one would make such an argument. Just because God's grace determined that Jericho would fall to the Israelites, that did not mean the Israelites could sit in their tents and wait for God to do all the work. They had a part.
Faith At Jericho. The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days” (Heb. 11:30). To understand faith's part in the fall of Jericho, we have to consider who had the faith and how it was demonstrated.
Who had the faith? Logic and common sense tell us it was the Israelites who had the faith, and it was faith in God and what He had already promised to them [i.e., Jericho was given into their hand]. Now how was that faith demonstrated? Was it demonstrated by them sitting in their tents, doing nothing? Of course, we know they did not do that. You see, their faith was in God, that when they did what He commanded, He would do what He promised. Again, His grace did not mean they had nothing to do.
Because God had commanded, “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. 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” (Josh 6:3, 4), that is what they did (Josh. 6:12-20). No one thought for a second that they were taking away God's glory by obeying His commands; quite the contrary! They were honoring God by obeying His commands! No one thought for a second that they 'earned' a victory here because of their marching; no one thought for a second that the marching in and of itself or blowing the trumpets in and of itself, or the combination of the two acts in itself would have brought them victory. Their faith moved them to obey, and trust that what God said He would do would come to pass when they did.
Salvation and Victory at Jericho. And what was the end result? We all know the story: When the people completed their final march on the seventh day, and the trumpets blew and the people shouted, “the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city” (Josh. 6:20, 21).
The questions that must be asked are this: What caused the walls to fall? Who was responsible for the victory at Jericho? If you said God made the victory possible, you would be correct; if you said the people had a part in the victory, you would also be correct. You see, this is how God planned it all along; He would assure them victory over Jericho, but they had to do something, too. They could not just sit in their tents and wait for God to do all the work, because that is not how He planned it. If they had marched, without Him ever commanding it, and if they had blown trumpets and shouted, without Him ever commanding it, there would have been no victory by those means; but because that is what God commanded, that is what had to be done. With God's grace establishing an assured victory, and with the Israelites obeying His directives, victory was achieved.
Now, why are we talking about Jericho and the Israelites? Consider that wonderful story and the lessons learned, and let us now talk about something much more relevant to us: our salvation.
God's Grace In Our Salvation. The victory over sin, we must admit, is by God's power and grace. Let us remember, Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). Without any man doing anything to earn salvation, God assured us forgiveness of sins and salvation was possible. In fact, we are told God ordained by “His own purpose and grace” Christ to be our Savior “before time began” (2 Tim. 1:8, 9). Now, knowing this, did God's gracious gift of forgiveness and salvation mean man was to do nothing? Would one argue that God's grace and promise of forgiveness, as just noted, meant if man did anything, it would be called "works" salvation and would take away from the glory of God?
No, no one would make such an argument. Just because God's grace determined that forgiveness would come to man, that did not mean man could sit back and wait for God to do all the work. We have a part.
Faith In Our Salvation. Without question, we are “justified by faith” (Rom. 5:1), and “by grace you have been saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8). Some will now argue that Paul went on to say “and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8, 9), and conclude man can do nothing in regards to his salvation; but is that what Paul meant? Go back to Jericho; did they achieve victory by God's grace? [Yes.] Did they have a part? [Yes.] Just as God's grace determined victory when they did what He commanded, God's grace determined we will be saved when we believe and are baptized; it is not belief alone, baptism alone, or the combination of the two without God's grace that saves us!
Forgiveness and Salvation Achieved. The beauty of God's plan is that when we do what He commanded — with faith — He will do what He promised. [Just like with the Israelites and Jericho!] In fact, Paul put it this way to the Christians in Colossæ, reminding them when they were “buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead…you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses” (Col. 2:11-13). Please tell me: Who did the work, according to Paul? God did — when we have faith in His working and are baptized!
God has promised forgiveness and salvation to you; don't sit back, waiting for God to do it all. His plan was established before time; now it's up to you. —— Steven Harper
