Once when my son was in elementary school, he asked me to do something unexpected. We were indoors, and when I entered a certain room, he whirled around and ordered me to leave. Just one word, “leave,” and he pointed at the door for emphasis. He almost shouted it, too. I was so surprised that I immediately left the room, even though I didn’t understand why he would give such a command. It didn’t make any sense to me, but I obeyed.

Later, he apologized for being so abrupt. Then he explained he had realized yellow jackets were flying around the room, and he knew I was allergic to them. His first instinct was to protect me, and the only word he could get out was, “leave.” His command didn’t make sense to me, but obeying it was in my best interest.

When the Israelites were ordered by God to march around Jericho, His command didn’t make sense to them. But, God had a sovereign plan that would show His power and presence among His people. Following Joshua’s direction, the Israelites marched around the city the prescribed number of times for seven days. The result was an astounding victory that caused Joshua’s fame to spread and paved the way for many more victories as Israel took control of the Promised Land. It didn’t make any sense to them, but obeying God’s unusual command was in the Israelites’ best interest.

If God asked you to do something unusual, would you obey?