Today's Scripture Reading (March 28, 2025): Joshua 6
Lewis Burwell Puller (1898-1971), better known among his troops as "Chesty," was an optimistic officer. He started his military career fighting guerilla forces in Haiti and Nicaragua during the Banana Wars, a conflict that supported American private interests in Central America. Later, Chesty served with distinction in both World War II and Korea. When he retired, Lewis Puller had achieved the rank of lieutenant general. Lewis Puller is the most decorated Marine in American military history and was awarded five Navy Crosses and one Distinguished Service Cross.
It was quite a career, but Chesty is probably better remembered for what he said. For example, in a letter the marine wrote to his wife while serving in Korea, he told her, "The mail service has been excellent out here, and in my opinion, this is all that Air Force has accomplished during the war." Ouch.
At one point during a firefight, Chesty Puller remarked to his troops, "We're surrounded. That simplifies the problem." During a different battle, Puller made a similar remark. "All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us … they can't get away this time." And they didn't.
As Israel approaches Jericho, God reminds them that the battle has already been won. The city is locked down. The army protecting the town is inside the walls, ready to defend the citizens of Jericho. Jericho had a reputation for being one of the best-defended cities in all of Canaan. And this wasn't a sneak attack; Israel was not going to catch the city with their guard down. The people of Jericho had prepared for this moment and were ready to respond to anything the Israelites threw at them. Jericho knew that Israel was in the area, and they were alert to the threat that these formerly enslaved people presented to their city. They also knew that spies had already visited the city. And so, they had locked the city down, making one of the best-defended cities even more challenging to attack. In "Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History," Francis Schaeffer makes this comment. "Jericho was not a big city; it was only about seven acres in its entirety. It was really more of a fortress—a very strong fortress prepared to resist siege" (Francis A. Schaeffer).
God says, "I have delivered Jericho into your hands." We have them just where we want them. It is a situation that was designed for Chesty Puller. It was going to take a high degree of faith for Israel to win this battle. But God was with them.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Joshua 7
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