Dig Deeper - Sunday 18th January
Sermon Reflection Questions - Strong and Courageous - a Journey through the book of Joshua: Obedience Leads to Victory
Joshua 6:1-27
Dig Deeper notes from Sunday 18th January service:
Before we step into Joshua 6, it helps to remember the journey so far. In Joshua 1, Moses had
died and Joshua faced an overwhelming task. God’s words were simple but powerful: “Be
strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you.” Courage came not from
Joshua’s ability, but from God’s presence.
In Joshua 4, the people crossed the Jordan on dry ground. Twelve stones were set up as a
memorial so future generations would remember what God had done. Faith was strengthened
by remembering God’s faithfulness.
Now, in Joshua 6, Israel faces its first major challenge in the Promised Land: Jericho.
The Problem: An Impossible Obstacle
Jericho was tightly shut up. Thick walls. Locked gates. A fortified city that stood directly in the
way of God’s promises. Humanly speaking, it was unbeatable.
This is often how life feels when we try to move forward with God. Just as we step out in faith,
a “Jericho” appears. It might be a persistent habit, a deep fear, unresolved bitterness, or a
broken relationship. These strongholds rarely appear overnight. They are built slowly, brick by
brick, until they feel impossible to overcome.
Joshua could not solve Jericho with strength or strategy. He needed God. And so do we.
The Plan: God’s Unusual Instructions
Before the battle begins, God says something striking: “See, I have delivered Jericho into your
hands.” The victory is spoken of as already complete.
Then comes the plan. The people are to march around the city once a day for six days. Priests
carry the ark of the covenant, the symbol of God’s presence. Trumpets are blown. The people
remain silent. On the seventh day, they march seven times, shout, and the walls fall.
It sounds strange. There is no military logic here. No visible power. Just obedience.
At the centre of the plan is the ark. This battle will be won not by Israel’s strength, but by God’s
presence. The trumpets are instruments of worship, not weapons of war. Joshua does not
argue or adjust the plan. He trusts God and obeys.
God often works this way with us. His instructions can feel impractical or costly: forgive when
you have been hurt, trust when you feel anxious, give when it feels risky. Faith means trusting
God’s wisdom above our own instincts.
The victory is God’s. But obedience is still required.
The Practice: Faithful Obedience
From verse 8 onward, the question is simple: will they actually do it?
They march. Day one. Day two. Day three. Nothing changes. No cracks in the wall. No
progress to report. Just quiet obedience.
This is where faith is truly tested. Faith is not proven when the walls fall, but in the days of
obedience before they do. When prayers seem unanswered. When obedience feels repetitive
or unnoticed.
On the seventh day, they march seven times. The tension builds. At Joshua’s command, the
people shout. And then it happens: “The wall collapsed.”
They did not win by fighting harder. They won by trusting God and obeying Him.
Hebrews 11:30 reflects on this moment: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell.”
Judgment falls on the city, yet grace shines through. Rahab, an outsider with a broken past, is
spared because she trusted the Lord. Her faith saves her, and she becomes part of God’s
people, even part of the family line of Jesus. No one is beyond God’s mercy.
The message is clear: what God tears down should not be rebuilt. Sin destroys. Wisdom leaves
it behind.
Living It Out
Jericho reminds us that the greatest obstacles in our lives are not overcome by strength or
willpower, but by trusting obedience. There is a Jericho in your life. But in Christ, the ultimate
victory is already won.
Our calling is to keep marching. Quietly. Faithfully. Trusting God with the outcome.
And we look to Jesus, whose perfect obedience led to the greatest victory of all. Through Him,
the walls of sin, guilt, and death have already fallen.
So keep marching. In God’s time, the walls will fall.
Reflection & Bible Study Questions
1. What “Jericho” currently stands in the way of your obedience or growth with God?
2. Why do you think God chose such an unusual plan to defeat Jericho?
3. What does this story teach us about the relationship between God’s sovereignty and our
obedience?
4. Where do you find it hardest to keep obeying God when you see no immediate results?
5. How does Rahab’s story shape your understanding of God’s grace and mercy?
6. What might it look like, practically, for you to “keep marching” in faith this week?
Prayer
Lord God,
You see the walls we are facing and the obstacles that feel impossible. Teach us to trust You
more deeply and to obey You faithfully, even when we do not understand Your ways. Help us to
keep marching in faith and to leave behind what You have torn down. Thank You that the
victory is already won through Jesus Christ.
Amen.
