Joshua 6:1-27
The Destruction of Jericho
1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”
6 Then 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.” 7 And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the LORD.”
8 So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.” 11 So he had the ark of the LORD circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.
12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days.
15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! 17 Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.
22 But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, “Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.” 23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. 24 But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. 25 And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, “Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.”
27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country.
Joshua was led by the LORD to conquer the mighty fortress city of Jericho. He was told by God that he would not get the victory by his might but by God’s. The walls would fall after six days of marching around the city and blowing trumpets followed by the same with a mighty shout of triumph on the seventh to signal God’s victory to bring the walls crashing down so they could enter in for the kill and take the city. Only faithful Rahab and her family would be saved from destruction as promised (Hebrews 11:30-31, ) by the scarlet thread of redemption indicating her safety. All others were destroyed along with the city and everything in it. Only the valuable silver and gold and vessels of bronze and iron were kept and put into the treasury of the LORD. A curse was given to anyone who would dare to rebuild the city in the future as well. We see God’s hand of deliverance is not by our works or might of our armies or wisdom to overcome the enemies of the Lord, for He alone gains us the victory in (1 Corinthians 15:57) Christ! James 2:25 does remind us, however, that we are to be faithful to take the steps ordered and directed by the Lord as faith that works and does not earn the victory for His works to be seen. This is not to say our works or Rahab’s work gave the victory, but that the Lord uses our faith put into practice to work His will. This is the mystery of faith that works God’s work. May we then put on the armor (Ephesians 6:10-11, 13) to enter the fray of spiritual warfare for the deliverance of those trapped in the spiritual Jerichos of sin’s bondage and wield the sword of the word of the Spirit of the Lord to tug on the scarlet cord of redemption He has tied to others called by repentance and faith to Himself. Then we can shout, “all fall down!” (Isaiah 45:22-23, 24-25, Philippians 2:9-10, 11) to bow in subjugation of worship before the Lord of all.
