A Crippled Army Against the Canaanites
God uses the weak and foolish to confound the strong and bring true victory and power.
George Warnock preaches about the unconventional ways in which God worked through the second generation of Israel after the Exodus. Despite being unskilled in war, God commanded all the young men to be circumcised, leaving the armies of Israel incapacitated and exposed. This act of obedience led to the terror of the Lord gripping the inhabitants of Jericho. Additionally, their unconventional war tactics of priests in white robes, carrying a little box covered with gold, and blowing trumpets, resulted in the walls of Jericho falling flat, showcasing how God uses weakness and foolishness to display His power.
Text
Consider the second generation of Israel, after the Exodus. God would take a people, unskilled in the art of war, into a land that was inhabited with powerful enemies, and drive them out. But weak as Israel was, God would weaken the nation still further: not while they were on the Eastern side of Jordan in relative safety, but after they had crossed over and had encamped right opposite Jericho, God commanded that all the young men in the nation were to be circumcised. And all at one time. Thus all the armies of Israel, weak as they were, were for a time completely incapacitated and left totally exposed to the enemies in the land. With what result?
The terror of the Lord gripped the inhabitants of Jericho, and they locked and barred the gates in fear of the miracle-working God of Israel.
Again, consider their war tactics. Priests in white robes and carrying a little box covered with gold, and blowing trumpets... marching about Jericho every day... and on the seventh day going about seven times. Foolishness? But God used this kind of foolishness and weakness to terrify the enemy and to cause the walls of Jericho to fall flat.
Sermon Outline
- God's Plan for Victory
- The Importance of Humility
- The Power of God's Presence
- The terror of the Lord gripped the inhabitants of Jericho
- God's presence is what brings true victory and power
Key Quotes
“God used this kind of foolishness and weakness to terrify the enemy and to cause the walls of Jericho to fall flat.” — George Warnock
“The terror of the Lord gripped the inhabitants of Jericho,” — George Warnock
Application Points
- We must be willing to be weak and dependent on God in order to experience His power and strength.
- God's methods may seem foolish to us, but He uses them to bring victory and power.
- We must trust in God's presence and power, rather than our own strength and abilities.