Until the Day I Tell You

But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” So he caused the ark of the LORD to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. (Joshua 6:10-11)

The way God caused Jericho to fall is nothing short of miraculous. In the natural world, walls do not fall because people march around them and then shout. Yet that is exactly what happened, because God was the one directing the process.

After hearing the spies’ report, the people were likely eager to move forward and inherit what God was giving them. But instead of rushing them into battle, God gave very specific instructions. They were to march, yes…but they were also commanded to remain silent. The shouting would not come until the final day.

The real work was not the marching. The real work was self-control and obedience.

God told them, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout” (Joshua 6:10). That is no small command. The average person has thousands of thoughts per day and spends hours speaking. Silence requires intentional restraint of both heart and mind.

No doubt some of them wanted to voice their opinions, express anticipation, or question the process. They may have longed to skip ahead to the moment of victory. But their fear of the LORD and desire to obey Him outweighed their fleshly desire to speak.

God was training them in being disciplined and in self-controlled. Obedience often requires us to restrain impulses that feel natural, justified, or urgent. Yet silence can be a form of trust…trust that God’s timing is perfect and His instructions are purposeful.

What fleshly desires is God calling you to put away today in order to walk in obedience? What words might He be asking you to withhold until He tells you to speak?

May we be people who walk in obedience and self-control, trusting God enough to remain silent until He tells us it is time to shout.