Joshua 5:13-6:27- Jericho

Opening Recap:

Remember

Joshua 4:24 ESV

so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Circumcision

What needs to be cut off

Your Part

What do you need to do to experience the provision of the promised land

General Thoughts:

It can be difficult to preach a message on a story that is very familiar to most of us

So we know how this goes, the Israelites march around the walls for 7 days, on the 7th day the go around twice, the shout and the walls fall down

Before we get into some of the details of what took place I want to mention a few things that are helpful for us to remember as we really look at the significance of these events

In military terms Jericho is view as impenetrable

The city of Jericho covered about 8 acres

It was considered a fortress city, a place of protection for its residents as well as those in the surrounding countryside

The walls might have been as much as 38’ high and 20’ thick

The people of Jericho felt that the city was protected by the Canaanite gods and therefore could not be destroyed

It might be note worthy here to mention that the people of Jericho and this land were not “God fearing” people, history would indicate that the people of this land engaged in idol worship, cults, prostitution, violence, child sacrifice, and spiritism (attempts to communicate with the dead)

Many of these things are still practiced today, the difference may be the level to which people engaged in them, some would suggest that the level of sin at this time was similar to that which preceded Noah and the flood or brought about the judgement of cities like Sodom and Gomorrah

That the command of God to completely destroy those in the land was similar to the way he “purified the earth through the flood.” To reclaim the land for his own and to keep the Israelites from being influenced by the practices of the land.

Israel ends up gaining strength and instead of continuing to do as the Lord commanded they start to make their own rules/decision, Judges 1:28, instead of driving out the inhabitants of the land they decide to make them their slaves, and those begins a long list of peoples that the tribes of Isreal did not completely drive out of the land. As you get into Judges 2:3 we see the consequences of Israel disobedience to the Lords command

Judges 2:3 ESV

So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

The defeat of Jericho was key in military terms because it:

Demonstrated to power of the Israelite God over the Canaanite gods

It bolstered Joshua’s reputation Joshua 6:27

Joshua 6:27 ESV

So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.

The results of your first military expedition as a commander carried a tremendous amount of weight when it came to how your were perceived as a leader

Part 1- The Commander of the Lord’s army

Joshua 5:13-15

It is suggested that this “man” was an angel of superior rank or was God himself in human form

Joshua ask him a very logical question, Are you for us or our enemies?

His reply- “Neither”

What is this angel indicating in his response neither

I think this response shows us two things:

1. This is the Lord’s war

This military expedition is much larger than the Israelites vs. Jericho, this is God accomplishing his plans

This is not simply a military endeavor that the Israelites invite the divine to help them with

It is the Lord who enlisted the Israelites into his army to fight as part of his mission

2. God will be in this battle but not as an ally or an adversary but as the commander

He has a message...

Joshua 5:15 ESV

And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Highlight “and Joshua did so”

Although Joshua was the commander of the Israelite armies he was still subordinate to to God

He demonstrates that subordination, respect and awe of God by taking off his sandals as commanded

Part 2- “See I have delivered”

Joshua 6:1-2

Joshua 6:2 ESV

And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.

This sounds to me like what we might call name it and claim it

Note how Jericho is described in the verse prior to this declaration of victory

Joshua 6:1 ESV

Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.

Joshua is looking at a city who’s gate were “securely” barred.

From a militaristic stand-point the city was impenetrable

We walk around speaking negative things all day and we wonder way negative things seem to happen all day

And we call ourselves realist

William Carey “the Father of modern missions” was known to say this- “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God”

We have an advantage of Joshua in that we have the position of speaking/declaring from a position of victory so we should be even more embolden to attempt great things

Maybe the reason God seemingly hasn’t done anything great in your life is because you aren’t expecting him to

Could it be that some of us have already been declared victorious, that God has “given into your hands” but we are still living in defeat because we are to “realistic” to step into that which God has already done for us?

Part 3- “Take up the Ark”

Joshua 6:6-7

Joshua 3:3–4 ESV

and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.”

We continue to see this theme- when the Lord moves you move, you follow

Part 4- The Number 7

Joshua 6:8-14

How do you picture these events, what do you think was happening on those 7 days?

Perhaps we have something like this in mind- VeggieTales clip

Louie Giglio’s offers some commentary on the significance of 7

It’s a number the signifies completeness

The earth was completed in 7 days

Maybe it is true that there were those who were mocking and throwing things at the Israelites marched around each day

But remember how Rahab describe the state of Jericho when the spies came

Joshua 2:8–9 ESV

Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

Could it be that each day was an opportunity for the people of Jericho to ask “what is God doing?”

Maybe turn their hearts

Ultimately the manner in which the walls fall- through worship-

The shout was both a war cry and declaration to God for his victory

Part 5- The Devoted Things

Joshua 6:17–21 ESV

And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword.

The Hebrew term (herem) refers to the irrevocable giving over of the things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them

that that object or person was set aside for God to use in any way he would choose- either for judgement or for service

In this case devoting this city to God ment judgement and destruction, not all cities were treated this way

This might be a helpful clarification going forward as the Israelites take the land

Conclusion:

Claim it

Joshua 6:2

And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.

“Advance”

Joshua 6:6–7 ESV

So 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.” And he said to the people, “Go forward. March around the city and let the armed men pass on before the ark of the Lord.”

“Sing”

Joshua 6:20

So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city.