Some random observations…
In Joshua 5, the Bible talks about how Joshua made sharp knives and circumcised all the Children of Israel. I have no idea how many men this was, but the Bible states he did so at the hill of foreskins – which seems to indicate quite a few. What struck me about this mass circumcision was not the shear numbers involved in this act, but the fact that there were so many uncircumcised. The very act God had used to seal His covenant between Himself and Abraham… the very act demonstrating God’s promise to Abraham’s descendents… the very act that embodied a specific covenant had been ignored and neglected for over 40 years!
What a sad picture of where the Israelites were in their relationship with their God and the One who had established His covenant with them, who had brought them out of slavery, who had performed so many miracles for them, etc… Astonishing!
I had forgotten, but the day after the Israelites entered into the Promised Land, the manna stopped… yet one more proof of God’s miraculous intervention in the Israelite’s affairs and in their preservation as a nation. After entering the Promised Land, never again would they eat of this miraculous food – spoken of by God as “angel’s meat.”
I’ve heard that the harmonic vibrations and frequencies of a group of people marching in step can cause structural damage and for this reason, troops of soldiers break step when crossing bridges and such – to keep from causing whatever structure from being destroyed by the power of their combined rhythm.
It seems to me God created this amazing coordination of frequencies and vibrations because He did command the Israelites to march around the walls of Jericho for seven days, the seventh day consisting of encircling the city seven times and then shouting together along with the simultaneous blowing of trumpets.
Can you imagine the vibrations caused by over a million people marching in step without speaking a single word to detract from this impact? Can you imagine the stress to the walls caused on the seventh day as they did it seven times?! Can you imagine the ferocity and fervor in over a million voices as they gave utterance after six days of silence?! Wow!! I have to wonder if it was indeed the vibrations which weakened the wall and the impact of the sound waves which ultimately destroyed the city of Jericho. Granted, I do know this city was delivered into the hands of the Israelites by God and only through Him it was that they triumphed… but wouldn’t it be just like God to use some beautiful concoction of His creation to bring glory to His name? I think so.
I find it fascinating that Joshua’s curse, delivered in Chapter 6, verse 26, random though it seems at this point in history, would eventually come true. Not only that it came true, but that the Bible saw fit to document this curse from its inception and delivery to its actualization. Later on, the Bible describes how, indeed, the foundation of rebuilt Jericho was laid on the firstborn of the man who built it and how the gates were set up in his youngest (can’t recall the actual place, but do remember reading it).
