As I prayed about Pastor James’ latest trip to South Africa, Joshua and Jericho came to mind. The reference to a condemned city is not to cast any judgment on South Africa or its people, since I know next to nothing about either. Instead, my focus is on Joshua’s mission.He had been wandering in the desert for 40 years with the other Israelites and then thrust into a position of huge responsibility. He was visited with a message from God, and given a ridiculously impossible mission in the first step to claim the promised land; to take Jericho. He was directed to march around it on successive days and finally take the city, burning and pillaging and killing and saving in accordance with a very strict procedure that involved little more than the protected ark of the covenant, marching men, seven trumpets and an odd sequence of marching and noise making.

Imagine how Joshua must have felt leading his people into that mission. I can just hear him.

Right.

And yet today there are archeological discoveries that support this story. And of course, we have God’s written account of the event in the bible.

Pastor James has taken on a mission to do what most people view as impossible, in a land with impenetrable walls and where much of the world feels there is no-one inside worth saving.

My prayer for James and the SAME Team is that they have listened for and heard one of God’s angels in discerning their purpose for each trip they make to South Africa, and for the greater mission they have taken on. I also pray that SAME will find faithful followers who will march with them, and that they will persevere no matter how strange the task or steps to arrive at the final outcome desired by God in their mission.

6:1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

6:2 And Jehovah said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thy hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.

6:3 And ye shall compass the city, all the men of war, going about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

6:4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.

6:5 And it shall be, that, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him.

6:6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Jehovah.

6:7 And they said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let the armed men pass on before the ark of Jehovah.

6:8 And it was so, that, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before Jehovah passed on, and blew the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah followed them.

6:9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew the trumpets, and the rearward went after the ark, `the priests' blowing the trumpets as they went.

6:10 And Joshua commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

6:11 So he caused the ark of Jehovah to compass the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.

6:12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of Jehovah.

6:13 And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of Jehovah went on continually, and blew the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; and the rearward came after the ark of Jehovah, `the priests' blowing the trumpets as they went.

6:14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

6:15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early at the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on the day they compassed the city seven times.

6:16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for Jehovah hath given you the city.

6:17 And the city shall be devoted, even it and all that is therein, to Jehovah: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

6:18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the devoted thing, lest when ye have devoted it, ye take of the devoted thing; so would ye make the camp of Israel accursed, and trouble it.

6:19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are holy unto Jehovah: they shall come into the treasury of Jehovah.

6:20 So the people shouted, and `the priests' blew the trumpets; and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

6:21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

6:22 And Joshua said unto the two men that had spied out the land, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.

6:23 And the young men the spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; all her kindred also they brought out; and they set them without the camp of Israel.

6:24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein; only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of Jehovah.

6:25 But Rahab the harlot, and her father's household, and all that she had, did Joshua save alive; and she dwelt in the midst of Israel unto this day, because she hid the messengers, whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

6:26 And Joshua charged them with an oath at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before Jehovah, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: with the loss of his first-born shall he lay the foundation thereof, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

6:27 So Jehovah was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.