Sunday, September 10, 2017

Listen for the Shofar


Now Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while they continued to blow the trumpets. Thus the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days. Then on the seventh day they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times. At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city. Joshua 6:12-16 NASB 

The trumpets that the priests used after they marched around Jericho sounding were not the brass trumpets we think of today. Those trumpets were actually ram’s horns—known as shofar. The shofar has a piercing sound…and as I understand, they are not easy to blow. Things worth doing are not always easy…but they are worth doing right—doing it God’s way. When God told Joshua to march around the city of Jericho…for six days and then seven times on the seventh day, Joshua was obedient. He was a good leader and example for the Israelites. They started off in the Promised Land as obedient to God. What happened? Rebellion. 

Those Israelites really needed to follow God’s laws, teachings and feasts or Holy Days. One of those Feasts occurs at the Jewish New Year is called the Feast of Trumpets—where the blowing of the shofar is essential in calling the people to repentance. God gives the Jews a chance to repent and that repentance sets them right with God and with others. Relationship is what life is all about. Relationship to each other and relationship to God. Like those Israelites, we need God's guidance, too.

How are you doing with that? Look closely inside yourself. How are your relationships to others and to God? Look and then listen for the shofar—calling everyone to repentance. 


Prayer ~ Lord, help me to see myself and others the way that You see me…and see my relationship to other people. I want to do things right…to live in a way that pleases You. I can only do that when I surrender my own will to You. I can do all things through You, Christ, as You give me strength (Philippians 4:13).

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 43-45
© 2017 Text and photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

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