Seeing That the Account of Joshua & the Battle of Jericho Shows the Principle of God's Move with Man

     Even kids know the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho.  It's a classic.  More than just an incredible account of God's power, this account shows the principle that God moves with man's cooperation.  After God spoke with Joshua, he realized that in order to take the land of Canaan they had to enter into full cooperation with God.  This principal is seen in this verse:

October walk with my grandkids

Every place on which the sole of your foot treads I have given to you, as I promised Moses.  Joshua 1: 3

    God couldn't defeat Jericho alone--He chose to use the army of the Israelites to march around the city walls.  I appreciated Witness Lee's explanation on page 8 of chapter 2 of Life-Study of Joshua, Judges & Ruth: about how important their cooperation was to God accomplishing His intention on earth:  

   "One day, as the people were ready and waiting for God's instruction, God came in to call Joshua and to tell him to take the lead so that he and the children of Israel could enter into the good land and possess it.  Joshua took the word from Jehovah and charged the children of Israel to perform God's commission (vv. 1-15). The land-takers had to prepare themselves to move with God in His move.  In order to take the good land, they had to enter into a full coordination with God in His move.  If the children of Israel had looked at themselves, they would have said that there was no possibility. But their possibility was the unique God, who needed His elect to cooperate with Him in His move to carry out His economy, in His desire to move in His economy as the great wheel" [as seen in Ezekiel 1:15-21] (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Joshua, Judges & Ruth. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1993, Print).

     God didn't leave anything up to Joshua. He gave Joshua instructions for all seven days, down to even how they were to be organized. If Joshua would have changed any of these directions, I don't really think the walls of Jericho would have collapsed, do you?

     This principle of God needing man's cooperation has really helped me to understand the Bible better. Now I can see it in many other places like with Noah building the ark and Moses getting the instructions for building the tabernacle. It  amazes me that  the omnipotent God who called not being as being in Genesis 1 chooses to let man cooperate with Him to accomplish His purpose!

 You can listen to excerpts of Witness Lee's speaking the Life-Studies of Joshua, Judges, & Ruth on Life Study of the Bible  with Witness Lee.   You can also read the online Life-Studies of Joshua, Judges & Ruth and check out other resources available to enhance your study of the Bible on Living Stream Ministry's website.

Other Posts on Joshua, Judges, & Ruth:

What's the Background of the Book of Joshua?
Seeing that the Account of the Battle of Joshua & the Battle of Jericho
  Shows God's Move with Man
What Happened in the Book of Judges?
What's the Spiritual Picture Seen in the Book of Ruth?