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More Joshua commentaries
Joshua 3:1-17
Crossing the Jordan
Joshua 4:1-14
Two Memorials of Stone are built
Joshua 4:15-24
A Reminder to Future Generations
Joshua 5:1-15
Preparing for Victory
Joshua 6:1-14
The Destruction of Jericho
Joshua 6:15-27
A shout that shattered the walls
Joshua 7:16-26
The destruction of the stolen goods
Joshua 8:1-29
Israel Destroys the Town of Ai
Joshua 8:30-35
Joshua leads the people to Shechem
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The Destruction of Jericho
Joshua 6:1–14
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
Corrie ten Boom went from Holland to defeated Germany in 1947 with the message that God forgives. It was the truth they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land."When we confess our sins,” she said, “God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever–. … More
The city of Jericho, built thousands of years before Joshua was born, was one of the oldest cities in the world. In some places it had fortified walls up to 25 feet high and 20 feet thick. Soldiers standing guard on top of the walls could see for miles. Jericho was a symbol of military power and strength; the Canaanites considered it invincible (v. 1). God told Joshua that Jericho was already defeated and would be delivered into his hands (v. 2). Christians also fight against a defeated enemy. Our enemy Satan, has been defeated by Christ (Rom 8:37-39; I John 3:8). We do not have to be paralyzed by the power of a defeated enemy; we can overcome him through Christ’s power.
You may be asking, then why did God give Joshua all these complicated instructions for the battle (vv. 3-5)? Perhaps this strange military maneuver was a test of the Israelites faith and their willingness to follow God completely. It would show them that their victory would only come from the Lord, not their own military might (Num 10:9).
One morning as the people in Jericho looked out their windows they saw a group of soldiers just marching around the wall. Behind the soldiers were seven priests blowing on trumpets and more priests carrying the ark of the covenant (vv. 6-8), which was to them an indicator of God’s presence with them. Behind this came all the people marching without a sound except that of trumpets and marching feet. This required discipline for them to be silent and to wait for God’s appointed time. All around the wall they marched then they went back to their camp (vv. 9-11). The following morning the same thing happened and again they returned to the camp. For six days this went on (vv. 12-14)!! Can’t you imagine how the people of Jericho were thinking, “How foolish these people are. They are not fighting us, in fact they seem harmless.” However, God had given the instructions to Joshua that He would give Jericho and the king into their hand and how He was going to do it. Joshua carried out God’s command.
Philip Brooks said “Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for power equal to your tasks."
Application
Am I obeying God when others may think I am foolish? God’s way is foolishness to the world, but it is the power of God to us that are saved (see I Cor. 1:18). I am kidding myself if I think I can overcome the battles of this life without fighting them with His weapons.
Joshua 6:1-14 (English Standard Version)
Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. And the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 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. And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him." So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." And he said to the people, "Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the LORD." And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the LORD went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD following them. The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually. But Joshua commanded the people, "You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout." So he caused the ark of the LORD to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. Then Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the LORD, while the trumpets blew continually. And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days.
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