A Story of God and All of Us Young Reade - By Roma Downey Page 0,16

sun, clad in battle armor and coated in the thick clouds of dust produced by an army on the march, is the height of discomfort with no chance for valor. There is a great deal of grumbling, and Joshua knows that if this plan fails, his authority will be in question.

But he follows the plan and does not fear. Joshua has seen for himself what happens when a man has the faith to listen to God and do as instructed. He possesses that faith in great abundance. He marches, his mouth dry from the heat, ignores the cool shade of his tent calling to him, and waits eagerly for the seventh day.

When it does arrive, Joshua doesn't even wait for daylight to begin the seven laps around Jericho. The Israelites march by torchlight; the Ark of the Covenant is being carried by the strongest of their men, for its weight is considerable. Great expectation is palpable in the ranks, for after their forty years of waiting and

62

wandering, God has promised them a home in this land. The Hebrews dream of solid roofs over their heads, and homes where they can raise their families in comfort and cleanliness.

One lap. Two. Jericho is large. Each circuit around its walls is a minor act of endurance. Four. Five. Men wonder if this far-fetched plan of Joshua's will work. He says it comes from God, and they believe him. But what if the walls don't fall? Will they still attack? Men wonder if this is the day they will die, and with that curiosity comes fear. They think of their loved ones, wondering if they will ever see them again. Jericho's army stands ready in the battlements atop the city walls with spears, swords, and battle-axes.

Six. Seven. A Hebrew commander holds up a hand to end the march. The men know what to do next, standing still as seven Israelite priests step forth and, in unison, press the shofars to their lips. As one, they sound a long blast.

This is the signal Joshua and his army have been waiting for. The entire Israelite army shouts as loudly as possible. The roar of the troops builds as the forty years of wilderness floods out of them. Joshua joins them, tilting his head back and letting loose a primal scream, shouting with all his heart and soul, remembering the words of the angel: "Glory will come."

63

Suddenly, Jericho's soldiers are hit by a shock wave. Their faces distort under the impact of the roaring sound. They fall backward off the walls and crash into the streets below. The noise floods over the walls and into the streets. The entire city is in chaos.

A bolt of lightning sizzles down from the black sky. A massive storm swirls overhead and a violent thunder rises from the desert floor. The earth begins to shake. The tremors are small at first, and then grow stronger and more violent.

The city walls have collapsed into rubble.

Then, almost as quickly as it began, the trembling stops.

The voice of Joshua cries out to his army. Without their walls to protect them, all of Jericho hears the words of Joshua ring out: "Jericho is ours! Every man must go in. We give this city to the Lord."

Joshua holds his arms to heaven. "God has kept his promise," he mutters joyfully to himself. "God has kept his promise." The former slave is now master of the Promised Land. His first thought is to give thanks, for he knows that God cherishes a thankful heart.

"Lord," he screams to his maker. His heart fills with gratitude and love for God. "Thank you."

Then Joshua hears it, a low and rumbling chant that spreads through Jericho. The words remind him

64

of those days so long ago in Egypt, and the distant dream that someday the Israelite slaves would escape that awful world of toil and strife to create a home all their own. The chant is this: "Is-ra-el! Is-ra-el!" and it emanates from the lips of every Israelite soldier standing in the ruins of Jericho. Some are cheering. Some are crying tears of joy and exhaustion. From slaves to a nation. The impossible dream has become a reality: the Israelites are home.

"When we obey the Lord," Joshua tells anyone who will listen, "anything is possible."

Joshua is a man of faith. And for the next fifty years he leads the Israelite army as they conquer the Promised Land. He forges an Israelite nation built upon the ideal of each man and woman putting