A Soldier’s Journal

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By Isaac Tan, Singapore

This is a fully fictional account. All these thoughts are purely generated out of a curious mind to try to understand the mindset of the soldiers as they walked round the city of Jericho. All feelings were based on the author’s personal views on life at large.

Part One:
“It is already the seventh day. I had to wake up extra early today. The sun is just beginning to rise and I know that Joshua is about to come knocking by my tent anytime soon. So I’m just going to rush out a quick journal entry.

The last six days haven’t exactly been the best of days ever since we set camp outside of Jericho. Joshua told us about his brilliant plan. We are to walk around the walls of Jericho for six days and after today it’s supposed to fall. I mean, doesn’t that sound illogical? We aren’t exactly talking about the gates of the sheep pen; it’s the walls of Jericho for crying out loud! How could Joshua expect that by walking around the walls one round for the first six days and seven rounds on the 7th day, these impenetrable walls will just come tumbling down?

Sometimes I don’t know if he is sane at all.

The last six days I had to wake up at dawn, and stand in line with the rest of the fighting men to march around the towering walls. Why did we have to carry our weapons anyway, we weren’t laying siege at all!
At the least, I wasn’t a priest. They had to carry the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. And seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. What is this all about?

I’m just increasingly skeptical about these things. I mean, yeah, I heard the story of the Lord parting the Red Sea and leading my parents out of Egypt by the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. And, I tasted the manna that fell from the sky too. But, it just seems that things get more and more out of this world.

Joshua told us that it was the Lord who gave him those instructions and I know that he would never use the Lord’s name in vain. But the walls of Jericho seem too daunting to just come tumbling down with a shout. I trust the Lord yet it doesn’t seem possible at all. Maybe I’ll just do as Joshua says and hopefully the Lord will remain true to destroying the walls.

I’m still very confused.

Oh! Joshua’s calling. Time to get it over and done with. I wonder what would happen.”

Part Two:
“I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to write this down! It happened! The walls fell!

Joshua was right! God really brought the impossible wall down!

We started off walking around the wall for 7 times and at the 7th round, the trumpets were blown, and Joshua said, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city.”

We did as we were told and the walls came tumbling down, down, down!

Everyone was destroyed except Rahab and her household. Indeed, God has been amazing in showing us once again His marvelous might. He has killed the skeptic in me once and for all.

Having seen how brick by brick Jericho was destroyed, it showed me that God is sovereign in delivering His people no matter how weird He chooses to set it up.

God is certainly an awesome God and though His ways may not be conventional, they are better than my ways. Thanks be to God for His deliverance and may the household of Israel forever shout to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever.

I can’t wait to see how God can use me the next time round to do His amazing work once again!

Let the celebrations begin! Promise land, here we come!”

YMI note: Read Joshua 6 for the biblical account.