“You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.” Joshua 6:3-4 (ESV)
When you read about him in the writings of Flavius Josephus he is referred to as Onias, a righteous man of God who in a certain drought prayed for the intense heat to end and when it did rain fell. When he refuse to pray for God’s wrath to fall upon a man named Aristobulus, Onias was stoned to death by some pretty wicked Jews, who themselves suffered a vehement wind storm that destroyed the fruit of the land. And from a read of the whole text, it didn’t sound like they should have stoned Onias to death.
The Talmud tells a different side to this man who was stoned to death. Instead he fell into a 70 year sleep and his name wasn’t Onias, it is really Honi ha-M’agel or Honi (for short) and he is known as “The Circle-drawer”. The Talmud tells how Honi drew a circle in the dust when the winter rains did not fall and did not move until the rains came. It started as drizzle, began to pour and then Honi explained to God that he really wanted a calm rain. In his book “The Circle Maker” Pastor Mark Batterson shared Honi’s story from “The Book of Legends” and it goes a little something like this.
He drew a circle as a crowd looked on and with the authority of the prophet Elijah, Honi called down rain. “Lord of the universe, I swear before Your great name that I will not move from this circle until You have shown mercy upon Your children.” Now keep in mind that is happening during the last part of the four hundred year silence before Jesus Christ comes to live among the people. Honi’s voice has no hint of doubt but it does have authority in its tone.
A drizzle begins but Honi was not happy with it. “Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain that fill cisterns, pits, and caverns.” It down pours now and causes a flash flood that sends people running to the Temple Mount to escape the rising waters. Honi does not move and then refines his request, “Not for such rain have I prayed, but for rain of Your favor, blessing, and graciousness.” It is at this point where I get this strange feeling between my eyes as if God has just flicked His index finger and said “Get it?”
Within the first thirty pages of Batterson’s book I found enthusiasm towards prayer. I also found some scary stuff about how we are doing it. Because, at times, I can pray in a vague way (as if I shouldn’t be asking) and I may not be heard because I am not circling my prayers in God’s promises. I have written about how great they are but it never dawns on me that I should conduct a prayer circle around God’s promises. OH WELL!! In any case it is back to the drawing board with my prayer life but in the meantime since Bill Welte recommended reading this, I will also recommend this book to you. I pray that you get Honi…right between the eyes! -- Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a regular Freedom Fighter contributor
Team YOU: Genesis 27-28; Proverbs 11; Matthew 8:18-34
Motivations: “After seven days of circling Jericho, God delivered on a four-hundred-year-old promise. He proved, once again, that His promises don’t have expiration dates. And Jericho stands, and falls, as a testament to this simple truth: If you keep circling the promise, God will ultimately deliver on it.”-Mark Batterson
Practice to Remember: Level 1: Ephesians 1:13; Level 2: Ephesians 1:7-14
Powered Up: Prayer is able to prevail with Heaven and bend omnipotence to its desires. Charles Haddon Spurgeon
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