Jericho

Joshua 6:12-25

In the last chapter, Joshua encountered the commander of the LORD’s army. When Joshua asked him whether he was there to help them, the commander made it clear that he was there to command, not to help. Joshua accepts the commander’s position and asks what his orders are.

Joshua must have been anticipating a heavenly strategy that was brilliant and victorious, but the orders he was given were to have the warriors march around the city, along with the ark of the covenant , led by seven priests carrying horns. They were to do this once a day for six days. Then on the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times with the priest blowing their horns. Once they had marched around the city for the thirteenth time, the priests were to make a long blast with their trumpets. When the people heard the trumpet, they were to shout with a great shout. The wall would fall, and the people were to charge in.

This may not have sounded like a winning strategy, but to Joshua’s credit, he had enough faith in the LORD to not question it and was willing to be obedient.

Joshua orders the procession with the warriors leading, followed by the seven priests with the horns, the ark of the covenant, and then the rear guard. Further, Joshua commands the people to be silent while marching, while the priests blew the horns constantly.

They do this for six consecutive days, and then on the seventh day, seven more times. When the people hear the long blast of the horns, they shout, and the wall of Jericho falls.

 Joshua informs the people that the whole city was to be devoted to the LORD for destruction, except for Rahab and her family. They are to keep none of the things they find. All things made from silver, gold, bronze and iron are to go into the treasury of the LORD.

In the future, there will be battles where the LORD tells Joshua how many men he will need and what military strategy to use, but not with Jericho. Joshua does not plan any attack strategy; instead, Joshua is prompted by God at every turn.

It seems that the LORD is regarding Jericho as a burnt offering, destroyed as a gift to God. It is to acknowledge that it was God who won the battle.

In modern days, our inclination is to think of the great numbers of people of Jericho killed, while only Rahab and her family were spared. However, we need to keep in mind that in Deuteronomy 20, Moses commands that in cities like Jericho, anything that breathes cannot be left alive. The reason given is so that the Israelites will not be taught how these people worship their gods, which is abhorrent to God.

If Joshua were to follow Moses’ commands literally, he could not have saved Rahab. But the LORD allowed Joshua to spare the one who put her faith in God for salvation.

It is interesting that after the parts about the destruction of the people, sparing Rahab is mentioned immediately after. This happens in verses 17, 22 and 25. The writer must have been bothered a bit by the command to annihilate all the people of the town.

When Joshua was told about how Jericho was to be conquered, he probably did not think, “Wow, that is a great strategy – We are sure to be victorious”, since on the surface, the plan did not make sense. Marching around the city for a total of thirteen times, blowing the horns, and then shouting should not result in the walls falling. However, Joshua was willing to obey the LORD in this.

Each time they completed the march around the city, it could have been that Joshua’s anxiety was increasing, since there was no sign of the wall coming down. It was not like they saw bits and pieces starting to crumble as they marched – Nothing was happening. Still, Joshua led the way, regardless of how he might have been feeling. Joshua had faith that the LORD is powerful and that the LORD keeps His promises.

Sometimes our prayer life is like this. We tried and tried to witness for Jesus to someone we love, but to no avail. We pray for that person for decades with no visible changes, but then one day, that person is saved. So, if there are people who we have been praying for their salvation, do not give up. God can change people. Continue to pray for them.

Most of us may be bothered by how the LORD commanded them to annihilate whole cities as they inherited the promised land. But unlike examples of peoples being driven off their lands in our history, this was not some expansionistic exploits of a nation hungry for land or sense of manifest destiny. All of creation belongs to God, and He explicitly chose to give the land to Israel, and He had the right to do so.

Before the Israelites were ready to inherit the land, many people had settled in it. But instead of worshipping God, they worshipped their own gods and goddesses, and this was abhorrent to God, and He did not want His chosen people to adopt any of these practices.

By allowing Rahab to be spared, God showed His desire to offer salvation to those who would turn to Him.

Romans 6:23 says, “. . . wages of sin is death . . .” – Which means all of humanity is headed for destruction. This is similar to what the people living in the promised land were facing, as Israel started its conquest. And like in the case of Rahab, God is willing to give salvation to those who turn to Him. God sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to the cross so the death that we deserved was paid by Jesus. Now, we can be forgiven for our sins and be saved, by believing this and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

For those who have not accepted Jesus yet, do so, since you are headed for eternity without God. That is not God’s desire – He wants to save you.

For those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, continue to pray for those who have not. Even if you have been praying for them for a long time and do not see any bricks starting to fall, continue to pray. Keep going on with hopeful faith, just like Joshua and the Israelites did, marching around the fortress of Jericho.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano in our worship on February 16, 2025.)