Why Faith Celebrates Early

In Joshua 6:16, we get to the climax: “And at the seventh time, Joshua said to the people, ‘Shout, for the Lord has given you the city.'”

The shout wasn’t a war cry. It was a celebration. Joshua is telling the people of Israel to praise God because He has given them the city. They didn’t shout to bring down the walls; they shouted because the walls were already coming down.

It was a shout of faith, declaring that God had already accomplished the victory. Notice Joshua’s language: “The Lord has given” in the present perfect tense. The victory was complete in God’s mind.

Faith Doesn’t Wait to Celebrate

Faith doesn’t wait to see the results before it celebrates. Faith celebrates because God has spoken, and God’s word is as good as accomplished.

Here’s what I want you to understand about praising before the answer: we need to worship God for victories we’ve not yet seen with our natural eyes.

Sometimes you go to church and sing the songs we sing, and you think, “I’m not there yet.” Maybe some of you even struggle with feeling disingenuous because your life doesn’t match up with the song you’re singing.

But I want to encourage you, when you come in and worship God and sing those songs even before you’re at that place, you’re declaring, “God, I’m believing that I will get to that place at some point. I’m going to sing and praise and worship You because of what You’re doing in my life.”

By doing so, we’re declaring His faithfulness even though our circumstances haven’t changed yet. We’re thanking Him in advance for what He’s promised to do.

The Walls Fell Out, Not In

When the people shouted and the trumpets were blown, verse 20 tells us “the wall fell down flat.” Here’s something interesting from the archaeology: the walls didn’t fall in; they fell down and out, creating perfect ramps for the nation of Israel to go in and take the city.

Even in the method of destruction, God provided the means for victory. This wasn’t just demolition; it was divine strategy.

Grace in the Midst of Judgment

But I want you to see grace shining through this chapter of judgment. Rahab the prostitute was saved, she was a Canaanite, an enemy of God, and yet she believed and was saved.

Here’s what’s amazing: Rahab could have lived anywhere in the city, but where was her house? It was part of the wall. So when God brought down the entire wall in this super-precise way, He left one person’s house standing, the one person whose heart was open to Him.

All the strongholds, all the walls were “shut up,” but what about her window? It was open. Every one of these Canaanites had shut their hearts to God but one, and God’s grace shone right through that window into her heart, saving her and her entire family.

Rahab didn’t just survive; she was incorporated into Israel, making it into the actual lineage of Jesus Christ Himself. God’s grace doesn’t just save us; it transforms us and elevates us to places we never imagined.

Don’t Rebuild What God Destroys

Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone who would rebuild Jericho (verse 26). This curse wasn’t vindictive; it was protective. Jericho represented the old way of life that had to remain buried. To rebuild it was to return to patterns that God would judge.

Here’s what we learn: once God brings down a stronghold in your life, don’t try to rebuild it. The people couldn’t live in Jericho anymore or build walls around it. The point is, when you try to rebuild those strongholds that God destroys in your life, you’re resisting God just like the original inhabitants of Jericho.

Let the dead things stay dead.

Your Assurance Isn’t Based on Feelings

Many people struggling with life-dominating sins question their salvation. The good news is that our assurance is not based on your feelings or some analysis of how much sin you’re battling on any given day. It’s based on the cross.

Don’t believe those moments when sin seems uncontrollable and makes you question whether you’re really a Christian. Those are attacks from the enemy trying to make you forget the victory is already won on your behalf.

If you’re struggling with a stronghold, that doesn’t mean you’re not a Christian. That just means you’re in a battle, which the New Testament clearly tells Christians they will be part of. There’s going to be warring between the old flesh and the new flesh until the day you die.

The same grace that saved Rahab is available to you this morning.

Practical Application

So how do you apply this? Start praising God for victories you haven’t seen yet. When you worship on Sunday morning, you’re not being fake; you’re declaring faith in what God has promised to do.

When anxiety tries to grip you, don’t wait until you feel peaceful to praise God for His peace. Praise Him because He has promised to give you peace.

When that addiction whispers that you can’t live without it, don’t wait until you’re free to thank God for freedom. Thank Him because He has already secured your freedom in Christ.

Faith celebrates early because faith knows God keeps His promises. The battle is already won. Now we just need to believe it and act accordingly.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What victory in your life do you need to start praising God for before you see it with your natural eyes?
2. Is there a “Jericho” that God has torn down in your life that you’re tempted to rebuild? How can you keep those dead things dead?