OK, we've all heard the story of "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho." Due to the faith the Israelites had, the wall came tumbling down. Archeologists estimate that it was about 12 feet thick and 20-30 feet wide. Their faith was so big and the obstacle they were to overcome seemed impossible in man's eyes. Yet, they obeyed God even when it didn't make sense. And the Lord blessed them.

So, the Israelites moved on. The next battle is in Joshua chapter 7. They are to conquer the city of Ai. This should  be an easy win. It is a much smaller city and not nearly as intimidating, yet they are defeated. Why? Why would God's chosen people lose their second battle in the promised land when God actually wants them to conquer this land? The Israelites are confused and rightly so, because I am too!

What went wrong? It turns out there was one Israelite that disobeyed. Back in Jericho, God asked the Israelites to kill everyone and destroy/burn everything. This includes the good stuff, the stuff that is worth a lot of money. It turns out, a man stole gold, silver, and a coat. Is this a big deal? He did disobey God. He did steal (Commandment #8). He did lie about having it (Commandment # 9).He obviously coveted it (Commandment #10). He could have idolized the gold and silver (Commandment #2). He obviously put money before the one and only God (Commandment #1). There always seems to be a domino effect when we sin. One bad thing leads to another bad thing.

So, was it worth it to take a few things that no one knew about from someone who wouldn't even know they were gone? Maybe his family needed the extra money? Maybe they weren't trusting God to provide? There have been times in my life when I question if God is going to provide. One of those times is actually right now.

What the Israelites didn't understand (or maybe they did) was how evil the people behind the Jericho wall were. (the Canaanites) They were so evil, no good could coexist with them. Deuteronomy describes their practices as wicked and testable. Deut. 12:31 says, "...they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods." Just as you don't want to touch someone who has the flu, strep throat, or leprosy. God didn't want the Isrealietes touching anything that belonged to the Canaanites because their sin was so contagious. How could sin be contagious if the sinner is not even there? It's pretty evident here that this is not just a physical war of who can fight the toughest and who has the best army. Nope! It therefore has to be a spiritual battle between the forces of good and evil.

According to the book, "Conquering the Fear of Failure" by Erwin W. Lutzer, he says this: "Our basic battles in life are spiritual, not physical,emotional, or even psychological. To the casual observer, it would appear as if the battle of Jericho was a conflict between two visible armies. But it was actually a battle between two invisible armies, the hosts of the Lord and the hosts of darkness...Behind our visible Jericho is an invisible foe that can be overcome only by obedience to God and faith in His promises." He goes on to say, "Spiritual forces are often connected with physical events in ways that are beyond our understanding."

When Achan stole the 200 shekels of silver, a bar of gold, and a beautiful mantle (coat) from the battle of Jericho, he not only got in trouble, he and his entire family (and donkeys) were stoned and burned to death. The whole nation of Israel lost the battle against Ai and 36 men were killed as a result. I'm thinking our sin not only affects ourselves, but also has some sort of impact on those around us. What sin are we committing now that could be preventing us from experiencing God's blessings? Do we have a sin that we justify and defend? Is it a simple sin that we overlook? We are sinners. We can't be sinless, but we can be in denial. Ask God what your sins are. He will reveal them to you and begin asking for forgiveness.

Let there be nothing obstructing your gateway to Jesus. Pray that God would help you be aware of the spiritual warfare going on around you. We are called to be obedient to God and have faith in His promises. We are to march around our Jericho walls shouting God's name, singing His praises and claiming His promises. He will fight that spirtiual battle for us. HE will make the walls come tumbling down.