Joshua 6
McGeeCHAPTER 6THEME: Conquest of JerichoNow that we have come to the actual conquest of the Promised Land, let’s look again at the events that led up to it. The children of Israel have now crossed the Jordan River in a most remarkable manner, and they have entered the land. The Jordan is a quiet little stream in the summertime, but it is a rushing torrent during the rainy seasons. As you recall, the ark of the Lord, carried by the priests, went before them. The ark, of course, represents the presence of Christ. When the feet of the priests reached the Jordan, the waters rolled back; then they stood in the midst of the river, with the ark on their shoulders, while all the people passed over Jordan and the memorial stones were set up. Now the people of Israel are camped on the west side of the bank of the Jordan River. What a glorious, wonderful anticipation awaits them! This is the land God had promised to give them, a land of milk and honey. It is the land they have been told to possess. Obviously, their hearts are thrilled with it. Surges of anticipation and joy go through them. They have been conditioned for conquest by circumcision, which was the token of the covenant God made with Abraham. Part of that covenant was that they were to have that land. You recall that Joshua made sharp knives for the circumcision. What application does this have to your life and mine? To me the sharp knives speak of the Word of God, which “…is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword …” (Heb_4:12). It is able to divide. In our country today all the morality lines are rubbed out, but there is still black and white in the Word of God. We need to get back to Bible morality, because there is no blessing to this nation or any people until they come back to the Word of God. Another conditioning for conquest had been the vision of the Captain of the hosts of the Lord. General Joshua is going to take orders from above. Now the first step of conquest is Jericho, and we see that the tactic is to divide the land. By taking the cities of Jericho and Ai, the center of the land will be theirs; then they will move into the south. This method of dividing the land is a method that was followed, it seems, by great generals from that day to this. They divide the enemy, then take them piecemeal. It was used in the Civil War, in World War I, and in World War II. However, the method for taking Jericho would not be used again. Let’s look at it.
Joshua 6:1
Jericho was prepared for the attack of the Israelites. They did not think the Israelites would arrive as quickly as they did, but they shut up the city and prepared for attack.
Joshua 6:2
The day comes for the beginning of the campaign. Joshua follows the Lord’s instructions exactly.
Joshua 6:8
The city of Jericho is prepared. Undoubtedly there are soldiers on the wall and watchmen at the gate. The military brass and its staff are in the city getting reports from the wall. Finally the word comes, “Here comes the enemy.” Joshua and the army of Israel are marching toward the city. In front of the procession is the ark carried by the priests, and the priests carry horns. A watchman on the wall cries, “Here they come. Let’s get ready. They apparently are going to attack at the gate!” So the forces of Jericho gather at the gate. They are ready for battle if the gate is broken down. Then a strange thing happens. The watchman calls down, “They’re not going to attack here. They made a turn and they are going to attack at another place!” So the army on the inside shifts, and I think they march around on the inside. They are informed by those on the wall, “They are here …they are here …they are here.” The Israelites go all the way around, and instead of attacking, they go back into camp! You can be sure of one thing: there is a huddle that night of the king and the military brass.
Joshua 6:12
The next day the Israelites give a repeat performance. The watchman on the wall cries out, “Here they come again.” Then the Israelites march around the wall and go back to camp. Each day for six days they do the same thing. By the sixth day, the midnight oil had burned long and late in the Pentagon inside Jericho. The army on the outside was tired of marching around the wall. Maybe some of the children of Israel were saying, “What we are doing looks foolish!” If you had asked Joshua why he was doing this, he probably would have replied, “I take my orders from the Captain of the hosts of the Lord. This is what He has told me to do and I am doing it.”
Joshua 6:15
So on the seventh day the Israelites march around the wall again. The people of Jericho heave a sigh of relief when they get clear around. The army inside the wall has made its circuit, too, and is relieved that it is over for the day. Everyone sits down to restwhen all of a sudden the watchman says, “Wait a minute, they are going to march around again.” So the Israelites make the circuit again. They do it a third and a fourth time….
Joshua 6:16
The walls of Jericho fell down flat. I had the privilege of going to Jericho with a very special Arab guide who had worked with both John Garstang and Kathleen Kenyon; they had led archaeological expeditions in unearthing the ancient city of Jericho. Garstang and Kenyon disagreed as to the dates of the wall. But it had fallen down and was flatthat was obvious. Since this Arab guide had worked with both expeditions, I asked him what he thought as to the date of ancient Jericho. He went along with Garstang, and his reasoning was that when Garstang got there, he was probably not as scientific and didn’t do quite the job that Kenyon did.
Because he disturbed everything, it would be impossible for anyone coming later to arrive at an accurate estimation. Well, I’ll let them argue that. All I’m interested in is that the Word of God says the walls fell down flatand the evidence is there today. The faith of the believer does not rest upon the shovel of the archaeologist. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days” (Heb_11:30). Jericho represents the world to the believer. It is strong and formidable and forebodingthe conquest depends upon faith: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1Jn_5:4). Hebrews 11 reveals how faith worked in all ages in the lives of God’s choicest servants as they met the world head-on and overcame by faith. We hear the song, “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho.” The question isdid he? No, he did not. He didn’t fight at all. He just marched around the city. Who did the fighting? God did that, friend, and I think any other explanation is ridiculous. Some say that an earthquake took place at that psychological moment when the priests blew the trumpets and all the people shouted, and the shock toppled the walls. Others say that the constant marching of the children of Israel around the wall loosened the wall and it fell down. Well, you can believe that if you want to. I like it the way it is told in the Word of God. God got the victory; Israel got the possession. A great problem that many believers have today is that they are trying to “fit the battle of Jericho” and overcome the world. But you and I need to start taking orders from the Captain up yonder, the Captain of our salvation. Now notice two more things briefly. The first is that Rahab was spared.
Joshua 6:18
We will see in the next chapter that somebody snitched at the battle of Jericho.
Joshua 6:20
The walls of Jericho fell down flat. I had the privilege of going to Jericho with a very special Arab guide who had worked with both John Garstang and Kathleen Kenyon; they had led archaeological expeditions in unearthing the ancient city of Jericho. Garstang and Kenyon disagreed as to the dates of the wall. But it had fallen down and was flatthat was obvious. Since this Arab guide had worked with both expeditions, I asked him what he thought as to the date of ancient Jericho. He went along with Garstang, and his reasoning was that when Garstang got there, he was probably not as scientific and didn’t do quite the job that Kenyon did.
Because he disturbed everything, it would be impossible for anyone coming later to arrive at an accurate estimation. Well, I’ll let them argue that. All I’m interested in is that the Word of God says the walls fell down flatand the evidence is there today. The faith of the believer does not rest upon the shovel of the archaeologist. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days” (Heb_11:30). Jericho represents the world to the believer. It is strong and formidable and forebodingthe conquest depends upon faith: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1Jn_5:4). Hebrews 11 reveals how faith worked in all ages in the lives of God’s choicest servants as they met the world head-on and overcame by faith. We hear the song, “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho.” The question isdid he? No, he did not. He didn’t fight at all. He just marched around the city. Who did the fighting? God did that, friend, and I think any other explanation is ridiculous. Some say that an earthquake took place at that psychological moment when the priests blew the trumpets and all the people shouted, and the shock toppled the walls. Others say that the constant marching of the children of Israel around the wall loosened the wall and it fell down. Well, you can believe that if you want to. I like it the way it is told in the Word of God. God got the victory; Israel got the possession. A great problem that many believers have today is that they are trying to “fit the battle of Jericho” and overcome the world. But you and I need to start taking orders from the Captain up yonder, the Captain of our salvation. Now notice two more things briefly. The first is that Rahab was spared.
Joshua 6:22
True to their promise, they saved Rahab and all her family that was with her in the house. Note also that Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone who would rebuild that city.
Joshua 6:25
True to their promise, they saved Rahab and all her family that was with her in the house. Note also that Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone who would rebuild that city.
Joshua 6:26
We will see when we study 1 Kings 16 that Jericho was rebuilt. And the curse came upon the man who rebuilt it and upon his son. Before we leave this chapter, notice the explicit command of God, as relayed by Joshua, was that nothing was to be salvaged in the city but the silver, gold, vessels of bronze and iron, which were to be placed in the treasury of the Lord. No soldier was to take anything for himself.