Overview:
Every now and then, life delivers unexpected obstacles that feel far too large to overcome. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll describes one of those moments in Jewish history … and he draws life-lessons from their experience. Chuck titled today’s message WATCHING THOSE WALLS TUMBLE DOWN.
Message Summary:
In this message focusing on the dramatic conquest of Jericho in Joshua 6, Chuck Swindoll addresses those who are facing a “big fight”—whether a broken relationship, a legal battle, or a personal addiction—where the odds are overwhelmingly against them [11–12]. Swindoll argues that while human nature teaches us to match strength with strength and intellect with intellect, God’s strategy is entirely different. He posits that God specializes in “impossibilities,” often using the most unusual methods to dismantle the fortresses in our lives so that He alone gets the glory [14–15].
The sermon traces the victory at Jericho back to a private encounter in Joshua 5, where Joshua meets the “Captain of the Lord’s host.” Here, the commander learns that the battle belongs to the Lord, and his only role is to make himself available to God’s plan—a plan that would make any modern military academy laugh [27–30, 33]. Instead of siege ramps and battering rams, God commands a silent march, the blowing of rams’ horns, and a final shout.
Swindoll concludes by identifying three timeless principles for fighting God’s way: the battle feels difficult not because of its size but because it feels impossible; the plan is a struggle not because it is complicated but because it seems strange; and the victory is secured not by smarts but because it is “so of God” [61–65]. Ultimately, God uses these impossible scenarios to shift our faith from the horizontal (trusting in people) to the vertical (trusting in Him).
Message Key Facts:
- The Secret Strategy Session: Swindoll highlights that the victory in chapter 6 was actually determined in Joshua 5:13–15, when Joshua met the “Captain of the Lord’s host” (likely a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ). It was here, barefoot on holy ground, that Joshua learned the battle was not his to fight, but the Lord’s [27–31].
- Flesh vs. Spirit: Drawing from 2 Corinthians 10, Swindoll explains that “we walk in the flesh” (naturally), but we must not “war according to the flesh.” If we fight spiritual battles with human anger, litigation, or manipulation, we will lose, even if we think we have won [17–19].
- The Absurdity of Obedience: The strategy to march around a city silently for six days and shout on the seventh is described as “absolutely absurd” to the human mind. Swindoll notes that doing things God’s way often invites ridicule from the culture, which expects a more aggressive or logical defense.
- The “Double Wall” Challenge: Archaeologists suggest Jericho possessed a formidable double wall, wide enough for two chariots to ride abreast. This emphasizes that Joshua was facing a massive, impossible structure, not a minor hurdle.
- The Fame Paradox: Swindoll points out a fascinating detail in Joshua 6:27: “The Lord was with Joshua and his fame was in all the land.” Even though God did all the work (dropping the walls), His servant got the fame. This illustrates that when we do things God’s way, He handles the outcome and often elevates His servant in the process [66–68].
- Faith Shift: The ultimate purpose of God using unusual methods for impossible battles is to move the believer’s trust from the horizontal (people, courts, strategies) to the vertical (God alone).
- Leading Without Power: Swindoll references Max De Pree’s book, Leading Without Power, to illustrate the temptation leaders face to rely on their own strength rather than resting in the Lord’s provision.
Message References:
- Joshua 6:1–27: The primary narrative of the fall of Jericho, including the commands to march, the blowing of the trumpets, and the collapse of the walls [1–5].
- Joshua 5:13–15: Joshua’s encounter with the “Captain of the host of the Lord” prior to the battle [27–30].
- 2 Corinthians 10:3–4: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh…” [16–18].
- Isaiah 55:8–9: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord”.
- Hebrews 11:30: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days”.
- 1 Samuel 17: Referenced as a parallel “impossible battle” where David defeated Goliath not by odds or armor, but in the name of the Lord [22–23].
