~The Conquest of Jericho~ (Part II)

"The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the LORD;………………… [JOSHUA 6:17a][NAS]

Yes, it all belongs to the Lord. Over all these years, man still has not figured this out.

Before I get sidetracked, let’s see what happened to the walls of Jericho. By the way you can find the complete story in the sixth chapter of Joshua. I’m not making it up.

Just as the Lord had instructed Joshua to do, he did. Seven priests carrying seven trumpets of rams’ horns marched around the city with the ark of the Lord following. The seven priests blew their seven trumpets as commanded, but no other sounds were shouted. The Israelite army did this for six days, following the instructions of the Lord.

Then on the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner, seven times. On the seventh time when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For it is time to take the city.” [Joshua 6:16] So the priests blew the trumpets and the people shouted and the wall fell down flat, as the Bible records in verse 20 of Chapter six.

Israel took the city of Jericho. They utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkeys, with the edge of the sword. [Joshua 6:21] They burned the city with fire. Except for Rahab the harlot and her father’s household, she had hid the messengers whom Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho.

I think this was a type of judgment for the wicked. The city of Jericho was destroyed and burned with fire. Jericho may have been the center for worship of the moon-god. And I read that the word Jericho means “moon city.”

Many of these cities in Canaan were double walled and according to one commentary the walls were 25 feet high and 20 feet thick and could probably not be destroyed except by the help and instructions of the Lord. If you read on in Joshua you will see that Joshua did destroy many Canaanite cities and Canaanite religions. The region of Canaan was not a righteous, holy and God fearing area. So Joshua, as instructed by the Lord was destroying the many cities that had rebelled against God. The victory is the Lord’s.

As we leave the book of Joshua let us look at Joshua 6:27a, it says, “The Lord was with Joshua.”

What else in life would you want or need, “The Lord is with me. ( your name)

Brother Dewey E. Fox