INTRODUCTION

1.    Last Wednesday we looked at one of the requirements for God to use us

a.    Obedience

2.    Now we come to the most famous chapter in Joshua

a.    The fall of Jericho

b.    Trivia – Read Jericho is the longest continually inhabited city on earth

c.    Some of the walls around the city where wide enough to drive two chariots side by side

                                          i.    About the width of our two lane highway

d.    By ancient standards these walls were almost impossible for the enemy to cross over

3.    Jericho = ‘moon city’

a.    Probably the worship center for the Canaanite moon god

4.    The people of Jericho knew the Israelites were about to attack

Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was straightly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

a.    They hoped that shutting up of the city would stop any spies from coming in

b.    We know that didn’t work

c.    Let us take a look at this great chapter

THE PLAN

Joshua 6:2-4 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

1.    God’s plan for conquering Jericho was to demonstrate what faith and obedience to His commands can do

a.    At first look at this plan – it sounds a little silly

b.    Image yourself as a Jewish General

c.    You did not learn this plan in War College

d.    They really needed ladders, ropes, battering rams

e.    Not a bunch of preachers playing trumpets

2.    God may call us to do things that seem foolish to the world

a.    We look kind of like moral dinosaurs

                                          i.    Because of our stand on morality

                                        ii.    Because of our stand on abortion

                                       iii.    Our belief in the Word of God

                                       iv.    We look foolish in the amount we give to support our church

b.    It takes real courage to look foolish in the eyes of your peers

3.    The people of Jericho probably stood on city walls looking down at the Israelites

a.    Maybe cracking jokes about these ex-slaves that worshipped just one God

b.    For six days these Israelites looked like fools

c.    Yes, there will be times we, when used by God, will look like fools to the world

4.    When Joshua gave God’s instructions to the priests and the people, they obeyed immediately

Joshua 6:5-7 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him. And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord. And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord.

a.    There was no dilly dallying

b.    They did not take a vote

c.    They did not form a committee to study the possible of taking the city

d.    God told them to walk around the city for six days

e.    God told them not to make a noise

Joshua 6:10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.

f.     God did not want them talking

g.    You know that all it takes is a few complaining people

                                          i.    A few negative people

h.    To discourage all of us

1 Cor. 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

i.      If you want a growing faith, stay away from negative, complaining people

                                          i.    They always see problems rather than possibilities

                                        ii.    Criticism is contagious

                                       iii.    It spreads like cancer and counteracts faith

j.      God did not want the Israelites to talk because He knew that if just one person said ‘this is silly’

                                          i.    Or ‘ this won’t work’ or ‘this is foolish’

                                        ii.    Then those two would talk to two more, then 4 more, etc

                                       iii.    Soon throughout the whole group

k.    So God said, ‘Be quiet’

Joshua 6:11 So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.

                                          i.    For 6 days they walked around the city

THE PREPRARATION

Joshua 6:12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.

1.    Joshua rose early in the morning

a.    Maybe this was his time that he spent with the Lord

b.    One of the keys to our faith is how we start the day

Psalm 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

c.    How we start out day sets the tone for the entire day

                                          i.    Sometimes we wake up in a bad mood

                                        ii.    Wake up mad

d.    We should set the tone by quoting what the Psalmist said

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

e.    To increase your faith start your day with the Lord

                                          i.    Expecting God to use you

                                        ii.    Expecting God to bless

f.     How we start our day does effect whether we have a good day or a bad day

2.    There the people are marching around the city

Joshua 6:14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.

a.    The first 6 days they marched around the city only once then returned to their camp

3.    Then we are told that only Rahab and those of her house would be spared

a.    To many it seems strange that God would destroy a city without warning

b.    But there was warning

c.    These people heard the same stories as Rahab did

d.    They had opportunity to turn from their sins

                                          i.    To become followers like Rahab

e.    As Israel was marching around the city it was like they were saying ‘Judgment is Coming’

                                          i.    ‘ Repent and turn to Me’

                                        ii.    Each day God waited for a response, none came

4.    God’s judgment on Jericho was just one additional warning to the other Canaanite cities

a.    There turn was next

b.    Repent or else

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

5.    Joshua also warned the Israelites

Joshua 6:19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.

a.    They were dedicated to the Lord

b.    So after the plan and preparation comes

THE EVENT

Joshua 6:20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

1.    The trumpets blew and the walls fell

a.    This has to be one of the greatest corporate acts of faith in the Bible

b.    The walls fell not because of Joshua

                                          i.    Not because of the trumpets

                                        ii.    Not because of the loud noise

c.    Paul tells us why they fell

Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

d.    The walls fell because the Israelites had faith

2.    At times we all face seemingly insurmountable walls in our life

a.    The same God that brought down the walls of Jericho can bring down even the most awesome walls in our lives

b.    We just need to remember

Matthew 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

3.    When the walls of Jericho collapsed, the Israelites rushed in the destroyed the city and its inhabitants

a.    Apparently only part of the wall remained standing

                                          i.    Was where Rahab’s house was

                                        ii.    Surprise

Joshua 6:23-25 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

4.    Rahab and her family were taken outside the camp

a.    After the observant of appropriate rituals

b.    She and her family were brought into the camp

c.    They were now identified with Israel

d.    We too must be identified with God’s people

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

5.    Because of the miracle at Jericho there was no doubt that God was with Joshua

Joshua 6:27 So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

CONCLUSION

1.    We all have our Jericho’s

a.    They reveal our faith or faithlessness

2.     Our faith is seen in courageous obedience