The Wall

They were terrified and their hearts had “melted.” They were completely demoralized with no fighting spirit left in them. (Joshua 2:9,11) This was the state of mind of the residents of Jericho after they heard about all the actions of the Lord God of Israel. God had led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt, parting the Red Sea in the process, and destroyed the cities in the land they would possess. No wonder the residents of Jericho were terrified! They knew they were next and even the strong fortifications of their city wall would not protect them.

No one was more convinced of this than Rahab, a prostitute and innkeeper whose house was built onto the city wall. (Dwellings were sometimes built into or on top of the thick walls of the cities in those times.) Joshua, the leader of the Israelites, had sent two spies to check out Jericho, and it was at Rahab’s that they stopped for the night. (I thought it was interesting that they were lodging at a prostitute’s inn. Would Rahab’s location on the wall make for a quick escape if necessary?) At that time prostitutes sometimes were involved with intelligence communications, so perhaps the spies hoped to gain some information from her.

Rahab, along with everyone else in the kingdom, knew how powerful the Israelites’ God was and that they stood no chance of survival against Him. Instead of turning to the Canaanite gods for help (of which there were many), Rahab placed her trust in the Israelites’ God. She told the spies, “I know that the Lord has given you the land…” (Joshua 2:9) What good news this was for the spies to hear confirmation of God’s promise to take the land! Rahab disclosed to them valuable intelligence: that everyone’s hearts “had melted” and the people were terrified of the Israelites and their God. (Joshua 2:9) This is exactly what the spies reported back to Joshua in verse 24.

News of the spies made it to Jericho’s king, but Rahab had taken the brave step of hiding them under flax drying on the roof. Before secretly providing their escape route down the wall, Rahab made them promise to save her and her family from destruction. When Joshua and the Israelites made the conquest of Jericho, they spared Rahab and her whole family, as the spies had promised. Their hopeful and faith-filled anticipation of rescue was signaled by the scarlet cord hanging from Rahab's window in the city wall. (Joshua 2:18 and 6:17,25).

If your road ahead is bleak and life seems hopeless, what do you do? Do you despair? Turn to your old coping strategies that may not be very healthy? Have you heard of the might of the God of heaven and earth? Are you convinced that He is all-knowing and all-powerful? (See Psalm 139:1-6 and Psalm 147:5.) No problem is too big for God. He can do more than we ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20) Certainly this is a God you can reliably turn to, not only to cope with difficulties, but as the source of life. God’s only Son, Jesus, is the source of life. He came, died on the cross, and rose again in order for those who believe in Him to have abundant, eternal life. (John 3:16) Don’t let your heart “melt away.” Rely on the one true God and the life He provides through faith in His Son, Jesus.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24


Now let's find a wall so we can do some wall push-ups!

The exercises you have been learning the past few weeks have been preparing you for wall push-ups. Push-ups use a number of different muscles – in the chest, arms, shoulders, back – and they are also excellent for strengthening your core. Wall push-ups are a tamer version of the commonly seen push-ups done on the floor, so this is the best type to start with. As always, if you are uncertain whether an exercise is appropriate for you, consult your physician.

Here’s the starting position: Stand facing a wall, with your feet shoulder width apart. Raise your arms out in front of you and place your hands at or just below shoulder level on the wall. (Your body should be vertical.) If it is uncomfortable for you to bend your wrists, you may make a fist (with a towel between your hand and the wall for padding) instead,

as shown in the photo at left. Now check your alignment: ears over shoulders over hips. Click here to learn more about proper alignment.

Now allow your body to tilt toward the wall, but keep your body in a straight line. That is the challenging part! People tend to let their body go into a bow shape when doing a push-up, but you want to keep your ears, shoulders and hips in a straight line. The only joints that are bending are your wrists (unless your hand is in a fist), elbows, shoulders and ankles. Your feet remain flat on the floor. Keep your shoulders down (away from your ears) and feel your arms take on some of the weight of your body.

If you are just beginning, only bring your body half way to the wall. Otherwise, you may bring your head almost to the wall. If you have any pain during the exercise, stop. Hold here for three counts, and then slowly extend your arms,

pushing away from the wall, until you are in the starting position again. (Exhale as you push.) You will feel the muscles in your chest, shoulders and arms working. (You may want to review the exercises for biceps and triceps.) When you return to the starting position, keep your elbows slightly bent.

Start with two or three push-ups and over the next few weeks you can build up to 12. Do push-ups three times a week (but leave a day in between). Take your time and concentrate on what your whole body is doing to get the most benefit. Push-ups can be done anywhere. Just find a blank wall and do some as a work break in your office, or do some push-ups against the side of a building or wall after a taking a walk. Push-ups should definitely be included in your Length and Strength routine!

Photo credits; BlueletterBible.org, Creative Commons; L.E. Lang Collection