The Trumpet of God — God will fight for us
After that first mention of a trumpet in Exodus 19 when God came down in the midst of the whole congregation, trumpets were used for many reasons. In the Book of Judges, Joshua had brought the Israelites to the border of the Promised Land. After they had traveled in the wilderness for forty years, it was finally time for them to enter into the promise and blessings that God had provided. To show them that He was with them, the LORD God almighty dried up the waters of the Jordan River and they followed the Ark of the Covenant of God across the Jordan. It is important for us to know that God is able to help us and deliver us from all of our troubles. God had made His people strong and great in numbers throughout the forty years of wilderness wandering. About forty thousand men armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war. When Israel had all crossed on dry ground they set up twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. Those stones were set up so they and all the peoples of the earth might remember and know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.
When God brought them across the Jordan River on dry ground, all of the kings of the Canaanites heard what God had done for His people.
Once again the whole congregation celebrated the Passover and renewed their covenant with God.
After we have been through some things in our lives, we should pause, remember, and praise God for what He has done for us and how we have made it. Have you been through a long dry season and the Lord has brought you through? If God brought you across your Jordan River, it is time to remember, rejoice and praise the Lord. After they celebrated the Passover and rededicated themselves to God, it was time for all of them to enter the blessing and favor that God had prepared for them.
God has prepared many blessings and much favor for you through the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Joshua 5:13-15, Joshua was by Jericho.
Jericho stood as a great obstacle to Joshua and their entrance into God’s promised blessings and favor.
If you have been looking for the blessing and favor of God in your life but are hindered by something, you need to have a true and in-depth encounter with the Lord.
Joshua was standing there before those great walls of Jericho and everything looked impossible.
Joshua 5:13 NKJV And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”
Joshua 5:14 NKJV So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”
Jesus Christ, the Lord of Host, is the Commander of the army of the LORD.
Joshua 5:15 NKJV Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Before you face that next great trial or test, you need to have an encounter with the Commander of the LORD’S army and stand with Him on holy ground. God wants to bring you from your wilderness and across your Jordan River to stand on holy ground. Holy ground is the place where God will bring you into your destiny and show you His glory and His plan for your future. Holy ground is the place where you come into God’s presence. The LORD Almighty has prepared holy ground for an encounter so you may come near and hear His voice and know the mind of God. Any time God wants to bring you up higher and take you further into His blessings, you will face some kind of thing that will try to shut you out.
Joshua 6:1–2 NKJV Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.”
You know the story how God told Joshua to march around the city for six days. Every day for six days, Joshua and all of the people were to march around the city following seven priests who were blowing the trumpets continually before the ark of God. Remember that when the trumpet of God sounds, God will come down. For six days the multitudes of God’s people marched behind the ark of the LORD in silence. God was setting them up for a great victory over Jericho. On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times and when the priest blew the trumpets, Joshua said, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city!”
Joshua 6:5 Then the LORD said, “The walls of that great city shall fall down flat.”
God was showing Joshua that the LORD is able to bring His people into His blessing and favor and nothing can hinder that God cannot remove.
You need to know this today. You may be up against something that is trying to keep you from enjoying God’s best. What you are facing may have shut you out from progressing. God wants to bless you and bring you into the inheritance He has provided in Christ the LORD. He wants to enrich your life in His presence and fill your spirit and soul with His good things. If you have come up against some impasse or obstacle that is hindering your walk with God, the LORD has promised to give you victory, if you will draw near to Him. This may be the day that you lift up your voice and cry aloud, “The LORD has given me victory over this!”
In the Book of Nehemiah, God’s people were trying to reclaim the things that God had given them.
God had given them the promise that He would fight for them.
Everything that represented the strength and blessings of God had been destroyed by their enemies. This had happened because they had walked in rebellion towards God. Now was the time of renewal and returning to the LORD, but enemies had arisen that were standing against every step of progress.
Under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua the Priest, the Temple that had been destroyed was rebuilt.
God spoke to them when the task seemed impossible and said, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of host.”
God wanted to dwell in the midst of His people and have fellowship with them.
Then God said, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid this foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it.” (Zechariah 4:6-10). It was amazing to see the Temple of God brought back to its proper place and glory. In Zechariah 8, God said “I am very jealous for Zion… I will return and dwell in Jerusalem.” Then God said He would bless them and save them from all of their enemies. God was ready to restore everything that had been torn down.
After the Temple had been restored, the walls around Jerusalem that had been destroyed remained in ruins.
All around Jerusalem there was still destruction and ruin. The people were busy trying to recover from personal ruin, destruction and loss. They were building their houses and restoring their lands.
Have you noticed that when you are trying to recover that it is easy to become focused only on yourself?
It was the time for God’s people to recover and restore what the enemy had taken away, but there were many enemies and people who mocked their progress. Some were saying that everything they were attempting to do was rubbish and useless.
When God puts it in your heart to draw near to Him and start rebuilding the broken things in your life, you need to listen to the Lord.
Nehemiah knew this was the time for renewal, restoration, and strength in the LORD. He was constantly in prayer, but their enemies kept mocking him. Although they were hearing from God, adversaries were all around. He was constantly pressing on to restore what had been destroyed, but he was under attack.
Here is what they did.
They put people on the wall all around the city. Some of them were very weak and their strength was failing, but God had given them a word and promise of His help. God wants to pull you aside to holy ground and have a personal encounter with you. God will tell you He is on your side and that He is fighting for you.
Nehemiah told everyone, “Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for everything that they held dear.”
Sometimes you have to strengthen yourself even when you feel that you have no strength. When you do, remember the Lord is great and awesome. Everyone that was on the wall worked with one hand and carried their weapon in the other. The one who sounded the trumpet was to stand near.
Nehemiah 4:20 NKJV Nehemiah said, “Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
It is time for a trumpet sound and the shout of triumph. Rise up in the strength that you have and stand strong. Don’t allow the voce of defeat and your weakness to prevail.
Our God is on our side and He will fight for us.
It is time for victory in the camp and for the enemy that is attacking to be destroyed. God has provided and planned blessing, help, favor, mercy, and strength for His people. It is noteworthy, that after Nehemiah and the people worked for twelve long years, the walls of Jerusalem, the city of God, were restored. All during that time, God daily supplied for their needs. Everything that God had promised happened and they realized that this work had been done with God’s help. When the Temple and the wall had been restored, everyone gathered together and Ezra the scribe opened the Book of the Law and praised the LORD, the great God. Everyone lifted their hands and responded, “AMEN! AMEN!” Then they were told, this is a day of rejoicing!
God is going to bring us into the victory that He has planned.
