Alicia’s Accents – August 17
The postlude this morning will be an exciting piano arrangement of the spiritual “Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho”. The metaphorical text of the song is drawn from the Biblical story of Joshua, the leader of the Israelite tribes after the death of Moses. Joshua lead the tribes westward across the Jordan River to invade Canaan and under his leadership the Canaanites were conquered and they gained control of the Promised Land. One of the battles that the song depicts is the famous demolition of the walls of Jericho. Joshua and his band of musicians who, bearing the ark of God, brought down the walls of Jericho through the spirited use of trumpets and other musical instruments. The song was written during the years of American slavery providing motivation and inspiration during the struggle for freedom. It has been said that the writer of this song conveyed a message that “(i)f Joshua could achieve victory over evil through the blowing of trumpets, then we can ultimately achieve victory over evil [slavery] through the singing of our song!” May our worship together provide inspiration and guidance for a closer walk God.
Alicia Adams