Foolish Hope
But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” Joshua 6:2-5 NLT
Insight
In Joshua 6, God commands the Israelites to march around the city of Jericho. A little aside here: notice that God declares that He has already given Jericho to the Israelites. Translation: God’s perfect plan was not dependent on the obedience of the Israelites, but on the goodness of God.
God, in His mercy, gave the Israelites an opportunity to exercise their faith. He challenged them to place their trust in Him, even when it seemed that their enemies had the upper hand. God knew that when they obeyed him, their understanding of His power and goodness would grow. He wanted to give them that gift.
The Israelites must’ve felt embarrassed, vulnerable, and exhausted while marching around the city. Their enemies probably scoffed at them; after all, who fights a battle by walking around in circles? They were blowing ram’s horns and bringing a lot of attention to themselves. This made them totally vulnerable to their enemies. How easy would it have been for the army of Jericho to attack the Israelites while they were busy tooting ancient kazoos? Additionally, the Israelites were probably pretty tired. They were carrying the Ark of the Covenant, which wasn’t exactly feather-light. Most of us get exhausted walking a half mile in the Southern heat. Imagine walking that much in the Middle East (with no sunscreen)!
When we place our trust in God, especially when we feel we are fighting a losing battle, we often feel similar emotions. We feel embarrassed. Vulnerable. Exhausted. Doubtful that God will come through. But God’s power is released in us as we trust in Him, especially in the face of our difficult emotions. We are to remain assured of His presence and promise, even when the outlook is grim.
When we place our hope in the Lord, we will look foolish in the eyes of the world. As Jesus followers, our hope rests not in our circumstances, but in the unchanging goodness of our King. This is opposite of how worldly “hope” operates.
In His power, we can remain steadfast as we trust in Him. God knows how difficult it is to remain confident that He is accomplishing His good purposes through all of our struggles (Romans 8:28). He has patience with us when we doubt that He is present in our trials. Yet, God can empower us to obey even when our hearts aren’t fully in it. He will grant us the patience and grit to march around our proverbial cities and (eventually) see a demonstration of His great power.
Our enduring hope is confusing to those who have never experienced the power of God’s promise. When we lean into this hope in the face of our trials, we put God’s glory on display. We shock those around us who affix their hope and joy to their wealth and health. With God’s mighty help, we can show them that there is a stronger foundation on which to build one’s life (Matthew 7:24-27).
Reflection
Have you ever witnessed someone remain hopeful, even in the face of sickness or tragedy? How did it change the way you view God?
What does it look like for you to embody “foolish hope” in your current circumstances?
Prayer
Abba, thank You for always giving me a reason to hope, even when it seems foolish to do so. Thank You for empowering me to trust in You, even when my emotions tell me You aren’t trustworthy. Lord, help me to endure in hope. Give me confidence that Your love will never fail me. Remind my soul that You are always dependable and always present. Let me walk around the fortified walls in my life, praising You until they crumble to the ground. In Your name, Father. Amen.
Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.