(From last time) The men escaped down the rope, and Rahab went to gather all her family and bring them to the safety of her house. While she was gone, the Professor, Shane and Shelly came out from under the bed. Shelly said, “ I know where we are! We have landed in another Bible story! We are in the city of Jericho! Those two men were the spies sent by Joshua just before the nation of Israel attacked Jericho.” The Professor asked, “Did you say that this city will be attacked? Let’s get back to the bicycle and get out of here!” They went running out of the house to get the bicycle, but they couldn’t get to the bicycle because there was a squad of soldiers on the wall keeping watch. Shane said, …….
“Professor! Don’t say anything, keep quiet!” But just as Shane said that, the professor bumped into the nearest soldier and knocked him over! Of course the Professor said, …… “Ooops!” The whole squad of soldiers grabbed their swords to kill the Professor, Shane and Shelly. Shelly yelled, “Quick, jump off the wall, we know there is that pile of sand down there that the professor landed on before!” So they jumped! Shane and Shelly landed safely on the sand pile, of course the Professor missed! With a scream of, “Ooops” he landed in a bush next to the sand pile. Of course the bush had a lot of thorns, so the Professor was scratched up a bit. As the soldiers on top of the wall reached for their spears, the Professor, Shane and Shelly began to run as fast as they could away from the City of Jericho.
They didn’t quit running until suddenly they came into a campground. This wasn’t just any ordinary campground, it was huge! Shane said, “There must be at least a million people here!” Shelly answered, “This is the whole nation of Israel! They are going to attack Jericho!” The Professor asked, “Are you saying that we are still caught in the middle of this battle that is going to take place?” Shelly answered, “Yes we are, but we are safe here, the nation of Israel wins! All of Jericho will be destroyed except for the house of Rahab!” Shane asked, “How will Israel get over those huge walls, it looks impossible!” Shelly answered, “Just wait and see”. The Professor said, “Ooops, I just had a thought, our bicycle/time machine is still on top of the wall, without that bicycle we will never be able to escape from here and get home!” None of them could think of a way to get back to the bicycle/time machine.
Early the next morning, all the people in the nation of Israel got up and headed for Jericho. They were all in a long, long line. The leaders blew their trumpets, but the people didn’t make any other sound. The Professor, Shane and Shelly walked with the nation of Israel. All day long there was no sound except the blowing of the trumpets and the sound of feet walking on the dry, sandy ground. They walked slowly all day and after they had walked all the way around the City of Jericho, they silently went back to their camp and went to sleep.
Early the next morning, all the people in the nation of Israel got up and headed for Jericho. They were all in a long, long line. The trumpets blew, but the people didn’t make any other sound. The Professor, Shane and Shelly walked with the nation of Israel. But today there were many sounds! The soldiers and the people of Jericho laughed and made fun of all the people of Israel. The people of Israel continued to walk slowly all day and after they had walked all the way around the City of Jericho, they silently went back to their camp and went to sleep.
For six days the people of Israel did the same thing every day. They walked around the City of Jericho while the trumpets were blowing. They did not understand why they had to do this, but their leader, Joshua, told them that this was what God had told them to do, so they did it. Every day the people in Jericho laughed more and more!
The seventh day started out differently! While it was still dark the trumpets began to blow! Joshua yelled to the people of Israel, “Hurry Up! We have got to move fast! Today we go around the City seven times! When we finish the seventh time around then the trumpets are to blow extra loud, and all the people yell as loud as you can! Then we will see what God will do!” The people of Israel began going around the City of Jericho, but today they weren’t going slow! They were almost running because they had to go around the City seven times before the day was over! The Professor, Shane and Shelly were running around the City too. The people in Jericho thought this was the funniest thing that they had ever seen! They laughed and laughed! Then they began to throw things at the people of Israel! They ran along the top of the wall and threw stones, and spoiled fruit at the people of Israel, but the people of Israel just kept going around the City as fast as they could!
They were on the last time around the City when Shane got an idea. He whispered to the Professor, “When we go by Rahab’s house, pretend to trip and fall down.” So the Professor did it! With a piercing scream of “Ooops!” the Professor tripped, did two complete summersaults and landing flat on his face! The people of Israel kept going, and the people in Jericho kept running along the top of the wall, throw things down on the people of Israel.
Shane yelled, “Quick, there is the red rope hanging from the window of Rahab’s house! Let’s climb the rope, get on top of the wall, and get to our bicycle/time machine, and get out of here before God destroys this City!” Shane ran to the rope and began to climb as fast as he could, and Shelly was right behind him! Of course the Professor fell off the rope three times before he finally made it to the top! Shane, Shelly, and the Professor ran as fast as they could through Rahab’s house, Rahab and her family saw them and asked them where they were going! Shelly yelled, “Don’t follow us! Stay in this house! God is about to destroy the rest of the City!”
The Professor, Shane and Shelly ran out of the house onto the wall, and there was their bicycle/time machine right where they had left it! Shelly turned the crank. As they were jumping onto the bicycle, they heard the trumpets blow their loudest note! Shelly yelled, “Hurry up! God is about to destroy this place!” As they began pedaling, they heard all the people of Israel yelling as loud as they could. The huge walls of the City began to shake and pieces started to fall! They pedaled the bicycle faster and faster! Just then the wall began to fall down! But at that moment the Professor yelled, “Ooops!” and shifted the bicycle/time machine into high gear!
Then it happened… The bicycle began bouncing like a toad in a washing machine! There was a blinding flash of light and a loud noise like a turtle singing! Suddenly the City of Jericho and the falling wall disappeared and…. (come back next week to see what happens next!)
Application:
God does what He says He will do!
Review the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho in Joshua chapter 6.
Remember all stories in the Bible are true (the Professor, Shane and Shelly are made up, but the rest of the story is true). Imagine you were Joshua and heard God give instructions to walk around the city for seven days. It would be hard to believe God and to obey Him. The people in Jericho thought that Joshua and the people of Israel were fools because they were obeying God. But, the end of the story shows that God will do exactly what He says He will do. If the Joshua and the people of Israel had refused to obey God, then they never could have conquered Jericho.
Like Joshua and the people of Israel we need to pay attention to what God says, and obey His Word!
Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
When God says it, we can depend on it happening! Even it if looks impossible to us!