Di Walls of Jericho

Thousands of legs dey march for di dust. Not even one voice. Only di steady sound of ram horn, round and round one city wall. From top di wall, di people of Jericho look down, dey wonder wetin dey happen at all.

Israel don cross Jordan come set up camp for Gilgal. Just few kilometres from there, Jericho stand, one old city with thick walls, inside one green oasis of palm trees and springs. Di Bible talk say dem lock Jericho tight because of Israel. Nobody dey go out. Nobody dey come in. Dem bar di gates. Somewhere for dat wall, one house dey wey red rope dey hang from im window: di house of Rahab, wey hide di spies. Joshua no get tall tower to climb di wall, no get heavy log to break di gate. And then Di Lord talk to am. See, I don give Jericho enter your hand, with im king and im strong men of war.

God plan no resemble battle at all. Make all your fighting men march round di city once every day for six days. Seven priests go carry seven trumpets wey dem make from ram horn, dem go waka for front of di ark. For di seventh day, march round di city seven times, with di priests dey blow di trumpets. When una hear one long sound from di ram horn, make all di people shout with big shout. And di wall of di city go fall down flat. Joshua pass am give dem, with one extra instruction. No shout. No make any noise. No let even one word comot from una mouth, until di day wey I tell una say make una shout. Then una go shout!

So for di first day, dem march. Men wey carry weapon for front. Then di seven priests wey dey blow dia horns. Then di ark of Di Lord. Then more men for back. Once round di city, then dem go back to camp. Nobody talk one word. For di second day, dem do am again. And di third. Imagine how e be inside Jericho. Every morning, di horns. Every morning, dat army wey no dey talk. Imagine how e be for Israel line too. Six days of waka round and round, legs dey pain, nobody dey talk, while di walls still stand strong like before. E for feel like foolishness. But dem continue, exactly as God talk. Day four. Day five. Day six.

For di seventh day, dem wake up early, for dawn. Once round di city. Two times. Three times. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Di priests lift di horns come blow one long, loud sound. And Joshua shout give di people, Shout! Because Di Lord don give una di city! And after six and half days of silence, di people shout, one big shout wey roll across di valley. And di wall fall down flat. Di people go straight up enter di city, every man straight for im front.

For di middle of all dat noise, Joshua remember one promise. E send di two young men wey spy di land. Go enter Rahab house and bring her out, and everybody wey belong to her, just as una swear give her. And dem do am. Rahab, her papa and mama, her brothers, and all her family, dem bring dem out safe. Dem destroy di city itself, and nobody suppose keep anything from inside am for imself. Im silver and gold go enter di treasury of Di Lord. But Rahab continue to live among di people of Israel, because she hide di messengers wey Joshua send. And di Bible talk say, Di Lord dey with Joshua, and im name spread for di whole land.

Di trumpets for dis story no be metal trumpet like di ones wey dem dey use for orchestra. Na ram horn, wey dem dey call shofar for Hebrew. Shofar fit play only few notes, but im sound dey sharp and e dey reach far. For ancient Israel, dem dey use am sound alarm, gather people, and announce holy moments. Di law of Moses talk say make dem blow am to announce di year of jubilee. And dem still dey blow am today, for synagogues all over di world, for di Jewish New Year.

Di fall of Jericho dey for Joshua, chapter six. Di walls no fall because Israel strong. Dem fall because God dey keep im word, and im people trust am reach to continue dey waka when e be like say nothing dey happen. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin God dey ask you make you continue dey do faithfully, even when you never see say e dey work?