DRAWING NEAR
The Israelites had to be persistent and march around Jericho for seven days before they saw the walls fall. How has persistence proven to be an asset in your life?
[Your Response]
THE CONTEXT
The people of Israel had crossed the Jordan River and were preparing to enter the land of Canaan, which the Lord had promised to give to the descendants of Abraham. However, as we have seen, there were many people already living in Canaan, and the region was peppered with several strong and fortified cities. Taking the land was going to involve warfare, and the Israelites would have to prepare themselves for battle.
Joshua had previously sent two spies into the well-fortified city of Jericho. In Joshua’s day, the town was surrounded with massive walls made of mud brick and stone. These walls were often several feet thick, and many cities—including Jericho—had two such walls, with a space between. The only way to enter such fortifications was through the main gate, and those gates were as strong and well guarded as the walls themselves.
Jericho was built on a tall mound of land and surrounded by an earthen embankment. It boasted a protection of two bulwarks, one inside the other. The outer wall was six feet thick, while the inner wall was twelve feet thick. Nothing is specifically known of its gate system, but it probably consisted of two gates, one in each wall, with a stone or brick tunnel connecting them. To attack the city, an enemy would have to charge uphill, climb over the embankment, and attempt to breach both gates—all while being shot at from above.
How were the Israelites to take such a city? They were not a trained army, and they had no high-tech weaponry at their disposal. What they did have, however, was more than enough: the presence of almighty God! As the people stood gazing on this powerful city, it must have become clear to them that the battle belonged to God, not to them.
KEYS TO THE TEXT
Read Joshua 5:1–6:27, noting the key words and phrases indicated below.
REINSTATING THE COVENANT: As a final preparation for the Israelites to enter into the Promised Land, God requires all the young men in the camp to undergo circumcision.
5:1. HEARD: The reports that God had supernaturally opened a crossing for the Israelites through the Jordan River struck fear into the Canaanites. The miracle was all the more incredible and shocking because God had performed it when the river was swollen to flood height. To the people in the land, this miracle—and the reports about the Red Sea miracle—proved that the God of the Israelites was indeed mighty.
5:2. CIRCUMCISE: God commanded Joshua to see this was done to all males under the age of forty. These were sons of the generation who died in the wilderness—survivors from the new generation that God spared in Numbers 13–14. The people had evidently ignored this surgical sign as a commitment of faith to the Abrahamic covenant during the wilderness trek. Now God wanted it reinstated so the Israelites would start out right in the land they were about to possess.
5:8. THEY WERE HEALED: This speaks of the time needed to recover from such a painful and potentially infected wound.
5:9. ROLLED AWAY THE REPROACH: By performing the miracle of bringing the people of Israel into the land, God removed (rolled away) the ridicule the Egyptians had heaped on them.
5:10. PASSOVER: This commemorated God’s deliverance of the people from Egypt, as recorded in Exodus 7–12. Such a remembrance strengthened the people’s resolve to trust in God as they took possession of the new land.
5:12. MANNA CEASED: God had provided this food from the time of Exodus 16 and did so for the next forty years (see Exodus 16:35). Because food was plentiful in the land of Canaan, the Israelites could now provide for themselves with produce such as dates, barley, and olives.
A VISIT FROM THE LORD: Joshua has a face-to-face encounter with God Himself. In many ways, this visit from God is similar to the calling of Moses at the burning bush.
13. JERICHO: See the map in the Introduction. Jericho was built atop a hill a few miles west of the Jordan River. Because of this, the city could only be taken by mounting a steep incline, which put the Israelites at a great disadvantage. Attackers of such a fortress often used a siege of several months to force surrender through starvation.
A MAN: This was the Lord Himself in a pre-incarnate appearance (called a theophany) as the Angel of the Lord. The naked sword in His hand indicated that He had come to exercise judgment—in this case, against Jericho.
14. AS COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF THE LORD I HAVE NOW COME: The Lord was about to bring about a great victory for His people. However, this would not come through the military might of the Israelites but through “the army of the Lord.” He would perform this great victory so that the glory would be His alone. Again, the Lord made it clear that this particular visit was for the purpose of judgment. (The Lord had once appeared to Abraham, as well, in like manner. He had visited Abraham at his tent, sharing His plans with him, as one friend to another.)
FELL ON HIS FACE TO THE EARTH: Joshua, though probably startled by the powerful and majestic appearance of the Man, did not realize exactly whom he was addressing. However, as soon as he realized that he was in the presence of the Lord, he threw himself facedown on the ground and worshiped. He also dramatically changed the tenor of his questions from “Whose side are you on?” to “How can I serve you?”
15. TAKE YOUR SANDAL OFF YOUR FOOT: This was an outward demonstration of humility and respect. Moses was given the same order to remove his shoes when the Lord called him into service as leader of His people. “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5).
CLOSED FOR THE DAY: The Israelites’ presence in the land has created a panic among the people of Jericho, and they have shut themselves inside the walls of their city.
6:1. SECURELY SHUT UP: Many double-walled cities of that time had intricate, heavily fortified gate systems. Again, enemies could typically only defeat strong cities such as Jericho by cutting off the people’s resources and waiting for the food and water to run out.
BECAUSE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: The kings of the entire land, having heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan River, were melting with fear—“there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel” (Joshua 5:1). Although the Lord had worked the great miracle of drying up the river primarily for the benefit of His people, He had also performed this wonder so the world would see and believe that He alone was the God of all creation.
2. I HAVE GIVEN JERICHO INTO YOUR HAND: The Lord repeatedly gave the Israelites complete victory over the cities of Canaan. The phrase generally indicated that the Israelites were to completely defeat their enemies, often without leaving any survivors.
3. MARCH AROUND THE CITY: The bizarre military strategy of marching around Jericho gave occasion for the Israelites to take God at His promise. The march would have also openly demonstrated to the residents of Jericho, as well as their neighbors, that the Israelites were holding the city captive. However, the Israelites’ obvious lack of military action would have been extremely puzzling to observers. It was a public statement that the people of Israel were depending on God, rather than their own military might, to deliver the city.
YOU SHALL GO ALL AROUND THE CITY ONCE: The city of Jericho occupied approximately seven acres of land, so the march around it would not have taken very long.
4. TRUMPETS OF RAMS’ HORNS: Rams’ horns were used in combat as well as in religious exercises to gather the people together. The ark of the covenant went with the people in their march around the walls, indicating to the entire world that it was the Lord Himself who was leading Israel.
THE SEVENTH DAY YOU SHALL MARCH AROUND THE CITY SEVEN TIMES: The number seven in Scripture often represents completion. For example, the Lord created the entire universe in six days, then rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1–3).
THE WALL OF THE CITY WILL FALL: God assured Israel of an astounding miracle, just as He had done at the Jordan River.
5. ALL THE PEOPLE SHALL SHOUT: The Lord’s command for the people to shout is noteworthy, because it indicated that a great triumph was about to be wrought. At the end of earth’s history, “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
10. OR MAKE ANY NOISE WITH YOUR VOICE: This was similar to the command for the people to stay back from the ark as they crossed the Jordan River. It was a sign of meekness and reverence in the presence of the Lord, and it also provided the people a chance to meditate quietly on the character of God as they marched around the walls. It also must have been extremely disconcerting to the people inside those walls to watch the silent procession.
THE WALLS COME TUMBLING DOWN: The people of Israel follow the Lord’s instructions exactly, and He works a powerful miracle on their behalf.
17. DOOMED BY THE LORD TO DESTRUCTION: The Hebrew term for doomed means “utterly destroyed.” In this, we see that the Lord had literally devoted to ruin the entire city of Jericho. This concept is found frequently in the book of Joshua and elsewhere in the Old Testament, and it referred to consecrating something (such as pottery and other objects) to complete destruction as a sacrifice to the Lord. Cities such as Jericho had sunk themselves so deeply into wickedness that the Lord demanded their absolute obliteration—not only their material possessions but every living thing as well.
RAHAB THE HARLOT: As we have seen, Rahab entered the book of Joshua as a harlot, but she would finish her life for the Lord. The two spies Joshua had sent to investigate Jericho had promised Rahab that she and her family would be kept safe if they aided them in their mission, and Joshua accepted their promise as binding. God’s children are to be people of their word.
18. ABSTAIN FROM THE ACCURSED THINGS: The people of Jericho had become so wicked in the Lord’s sight that even their possessions were corrupted, and God was determined for His people to keep themselves pure from such contamination. Joshua warned the people in strong terms: “by all means” they should keep themselves away from the “things” of Jericho.
LEST YOU BECOME ACCURSED WHEN YOU TAKE OF THE ACCURSED THINGS: To associate in any way with those whom God had placed under judgment—even to the point of taking away loot from their destruction—was to make oneself accursed along with those whom God had cursed. This stern warning was well warranted, as we will see when we look at the sin of Achan.
20. THE WALL FELL DOWN FLAT: Archaeological studies have found that the city of Jericho probably existed during a time of several earthquakes. It is possible that the Lord used such natural forces to bring down the city’s walls, and perhaps also to dam up the Jordan River. But if such natural disasters were used, they were still not the cause of Jericho’s miraculous devastation. It was the Lord Himself who brought down the walls, and whatever means He may have used to accomplish the miracle do not lessen His sovereignty.
22. AS YOU SWORE TO HER: Once again, Joshua took great care to ensure that he kept his word to Rahab—even though he had not given his word directly.
23. BROUGHT OUT RAHAB: The part of the wall securing Rahab’s house must not have fallen, and all possessions in the dwelling were safe.
26. CURSED BE THE MAN: God put a curse on whoever would rebuild Jericho. While the area around it was later occupied to some extent, the curse came to pass many centuries later when a man named Hiel attempted to rebuild the city’s walls and gates at the cost of his sons’ lives (see 1 Kings 16:34).
27. THE LORD WAS WITH JOSHUA: God kept His pledge to be with Joshua: “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).
UNLEASHING THE TEXT
1) If you had been with the Israelites, how would you have felt about marching around Jericho every day?
[Your Response]
2) If you had been inside the city of Jericho, how would you have felt as you watched the Israelites marching each day?
[Your Response]
3) Why did the people of Jericho lock themselves inside the city? Why did they not charge out and attack the Israelites?
[Your Response]
4) Why did the Lord instruct the people to carry the ark with them? Why did they blow rams’ horns? Why were they not permitted to speak?
[Your Response]
EXPLORING THE MEANING
Obey the Lord’s commands, even if they don’t address your immediate concerns. Joshua and the Israelites were immediately concerned with the city of Jericho. It was a powerfully fortified city that lay directly in their path into Canaan, and they could not afford to leave it standing at their back as they entered the Promised Land. They needed to conquer that great city—but the Lord commanded them to spend a week marching around it, blowing horns. This must have seemed a strange command at the time.
Yet the Lord had His own plans for Jericho, and He wanted the people of Israel and the world around to see conclusively that He was the one who would knock down its walls. His command to march around the wall was not frivolous, even though the people of Israel probably did not see the full meaning of it at the time. Their job was just to obey, not to try to comprehend the mind of God.
The Lord’s commands frequently go directly against what the world teaches, and there can be times when God’s people will not see the full reason for obeying His Word. After all, the Bible was written thousands of years ago, and it is easy to fall into the trap of assuming its commands and precepts are not relevant today. But the Lord’s Word stands for all time, and His commands are as relevant to us today as they were when they were first penned. It may not be evident how obedience to God’s Word will resolve a difficult situation, but our job is to obey what the Bible teaches and trust the Lord to take care of our circumstances.
Let the Lord fight the battles. God commanded the Israelites to enter the land of Canaan and subdue it. This frequently involved warfare, and God’s people needed to learn how to fight. But it was important for them to remember the battle was the Lord’s, not theirs, whether their part involved taking up arms or merely marching around a city’s walls and blowing rams’ horns.
The Christian’s warfare is mostly of a spiritual nature, as we are called to fight against spiritual forces rather than against other people. It is easy sometimes to lose sight of this fact, however, as our lives are frequently affected by the actions of people around us. The Lord wants His people to live responsibly, and we should take whatever actions we can within His will. But the battles we face are the Lord’s, whether or not there is anything we can do on a human level. He wants us to place our faith in His sovereignty and remember that the outcome of our lives is entirely in His hands.
Hear these words from Deuteronomy: “The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place” (1:30–31).
God’s people are to keep themselves pure from the world’s pollution. The Lord had condemned the entire city of Jericho because of the wickedness of its people, and His condemnation extended even to the citizens’ possessions and livestock. Everything had to be destroyed, because it was all tainted with corruption. God also commanded His people to refrain from keeping any plunder, lest they too be led into wickedness through the idols and other evil things they might find.
This principle is important in our lives as modern Christians because we are not a separate nation—we live in the world and must interact with it in some measure. Yet the Lord called His people to be in the world, not of it (see John 15:19), and we are not to partake in the sinful nature of the world’s system. To stand guard against impurity requires constant diligence, lest we gradually come to love the things of the world and lose sight of our calling to holiness.
“Do not love the world,” wrote the apostle John, “or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15–17).
REFLECTING ON THE TEXT
5) Why did the Lord conquer Jericho the way He did? Why did He not have the Israelites attack outright?
[Your Response]
6) Why did the Lord command the Israelites to completely destroy the city, including the people’s possessions? Why were the Israelites not to take any of the spoils?
[Your Response]
7) In what ways does the world sometimes lead Christians into corruption? Give specific examples.
[Your Response]
8) What steps should Christians take to avoid being corrupted by the world?
[Your Response]
PERSONAL RESPONSE
9) What battles in your life have you been trying to fight for yourself? How can you leave those battles in the Lord’s hands this week?
[Your Response]
10) Are there areas in your life that have become corrupted by the world’s values? What must you do to purify those areas?
[Your Response]