On Memorial Day in 1998 I was trying to replace the rack-and-pinion of an old Oldsmobile. It was a very frustrating job with many time stoppers, the culmination of which was trying to get the clamp from the steering wheel apparatus back onto the shaft of the rack-and-pinion assembly. Working until 10 pm that night I remembered all the old Navy language. During my sleep (which was uncomfortable because of a sore bruised back from laying on the concrete) I had a dream. In it I saw the clamp slipping easily onto the shaft and two holes matching up.
When I continued the job two days later I started by walking around the car seven times praying. After a little fiddling I noticed a notch on the side of the shaft which looked as if it was supposed to accommodate the pinch bolt. I rotated the steering wheel to match this notch and the clamp “fell” onto the shaft just like in the dream.
I think God was speaking to me about this. I Think he gave me the dream to encourage me and to show me the nature of how the two parts would come together.
When I walked around the car seven times, like Joshua marched around Jericho, I felt silly and I wondered if it was doing any good. Maybe those marching around Jericho also felt silly and wondered if it was doing any good - - yet the walls fell down, and the clamp fell onto the shaft.
The Bible software I use shows me the phrase “seven times” occurs 33 times: Gen_33:3, Lev_4:6, Lev_4:17, Lev_8:11, Lev_14:7, Lev_14:16, Lev_14:27, Lev_14:51, Lev_16:14, Lev_16:19, Lev_25:8, Lev_26:18, Lev_26:21, Lev_26:24, Lev_26:28, Num_19:4, Jos_6:4, Jos_6:15, 1Ki_18:43, 2Ki_4:35, 2Ki_5:10, 2Ki_5:14, Psa_12:6, Psa_119:164, Pro_24:16, Dan_3:19, Dan_4:16, Dan_4:23, Dan_4:25, Dan_4:32, Mat_18:21, Mat_18:22, Luk_17:4.
