When Walls Come Tumbling Down Joshua 6:20-27

When Walls Come Tumbling Down

Bible Passage: Jos 6:20–27

Intro:

One of my favorite passages in the Bible.

For a simple reason.

God calls people to be faithful. to act in faith without seeing the outcome, simply because He wants us to trust in Him.

We are all supposed to live like this, out of blind faith instead of human sight.

before we dive into our passage tonight, we are going to take a look back at Joshua 6:1-5 and see what instructions the Lord gave to Joshua son of Nun.

Stand/Read Joshua 6:1-5.

As we keep reading through the passage, we are going to see Joshua’s response to the Lord’s instructions.

But, before we go there, what would be your response?

alot of you may sit there and act all religious, but i will be the first to tell you that I likely would not have had the response that Joshua or the Israelites had.

I have this habit of trying to bring common sense and logic into things.

However, God is not all about common sense and logic on our part, He is about obedience and faith above all.

After hearing and remember the Lord’s instructions to Joshua for all the Israelites, where is the common sense or the logic in the plan.

The only logic and common sense in that plan is that the fact that by marching around the city it kept the inhabitants of Jericho under a ban. (nothing in or out)

This ban also made them nervous and dreading what was to happen. It also kept them from gaining supplies or sending fr help from other kings.

Joshua 2:8–11 KJV 1900

8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9 And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

Take that passage and think about what was going on inside of Jericho during those days the Israelites were marching around the city.

But as far as the plan for walls to fall down, marching around (i’ve done a decent bit) has never made any walls fall down in my experience.

But then again, God never told me to march and he never promised me that walls would fall down because of it.

So, what did Joshua do when he recieved the instructions from the Lord?

Joshua claimed victory over Jericho!

1. Proclaiming Victory in Advance

Joshua 6:20–21 KJV 1900

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. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

Right off the bat, we see that Joshua and the rest of the Israelites were faithful.

They did exactly as God had told them. They marched and stayed silent each day until the 7th day. When that time came, they heard the trumpet and when they shouted, the walls fell. When that happened, they all advanced directly into the city and they destroyed all that was in Jericho.

This is a big change from what happened previously with the Israelites.

During the Exodus, Moses was following God as they were headed out Egypt to the promised land. God gave them a pillar of fire and a pillar of smoke to follow. Yet they still fell short on their faith and doubted.

Because of that, they had to spend 40 years in the desert, until that entire generation passed away.

Here, the Israelites are told to march around a city with the Ark of the Covenant, and other than the faith they have in God, and Joshua as their leader, they had nothing to go off of.

God did not give them massive signs, such as a pillar of smoke or fire, He just told them to march, and to be faithful.

But they were faithful, and Joshua and the rest of the Israelites proclaimed victory in advance of the battle because they had that level of blind faith in what God would do when He made a promise.

Here is what I want to do before we move onto point #2.

Put yourself in their shoes. You have been marching around the city of Jericho For 6 days. You are tired, yet you still march with everyone else.

Why? Because you trust the Lord.

It is now the 7th day. you make one circle around the city, then two, then three. You know the people inside the city walls are confused and now scared. But you keep marching. As you come up to completing the 7th circle, you know what is coming, and you now have a choice to make. When you hear the trumpet, will you shout? There is no way that shouting will bring down a wall, especially one that was built like the wall of Jericho.

After the 7th circle is complete, everyone stops, and all the sudden you hear a trumpet. Everyone, without thinking about it shouts as loud as they can. As everyone is running toward the city, as the dust settles, you realize the wall is flat!

Everyone advances into the city and you are able to take the city, exactly as the Lord has told you.

That is the power of faith, and when Christians today seek God’s direction, will and timing, we are able to Proclaim Victory in Advance as well!

And it is because of that victory due to faith that the Israelites and us are able to proclaim God’s redemption!

2. Proclaiming God's Redemption

I am thankful for the redemptive heart of God.

to put it simply, we all deserve death. Every single one of us.

However, God loves us so much that even though we are sinners, and we know the wages of sin is death, God provided us the greatest gift of all. The ability for redemption through His Son Jesus Christ and what He did on Calvary.

Because of His actions and the knowledge we have, we are able to proclaim God’s redemption.

It may be hard for us to truly get it, but take a look at Vv. 22-23, and we will be able to see God’s redemptive power at work in Jericho with Rahab and her family.

READ Joshua 6:22-23

Joshua 6:22–23 KJV 1900

22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. 23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out 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.

Through Rahab and the actions of the Israelites, we are able to see what happens when you have faith in God’s redemption.

When Joshua sent the two spies into Jericho to scope out the city, their presence became known, and there were many people looking for them at the direction of the king.

Rahab took care of God’s people and hid them, while making sure that they were able to escape safely.

However, Rahab believed the power of their God, and very deliberately asked for protection for her family.

Joshua 2:12–13 KJV 1900

12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: 13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

Rahab asked for redemption from the destruction that she knew was to come to everyone in the city of Jericho.

God’s redemption came through Joshua and the two spies for Rahab and her entire family.

why did God have Joshua command that Rahab and her family receive redemption from the destruction that was going to happen in the city?

Because when she hid the spies from the royal guards, she transfered her loyalty from her past associations to an affiliation with Israel.

God’s redemption works for us as well, wen we trust on the name of the Lord.

Romans 10:13 KJV 1900

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

All you have to do is admit your a sinner, believe in Jesus Christ and confess your need for him, and you too shall be part of the redemption story that God provides.

do you understand the importance of the story of Rahab and her family?

In the original text in Hebrew, there are 86 words devoted to the rescue of Rahab and her family, while there are 102 devoted to the destruction of Jericho.

With the fact that the original text ends with the account of Rahab and her family, it shows that the salvation of Rahab was just as important as the destruction of Jericho.

This salvation is available because God is holy and full of grace.

3. Proclaiming Holiness and Grace

Sin had to be dealt with through the shedding of blood, and ultimately the cross to provide redemption and the ability for reunion with God because God is holy.

God is not able to be affiliated with sin at all.

Because of the acts that were being committed in Jericho at this time, God had the city utterly destroyed.

Joshua 6:24 KJV 1900

24 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.

The city along with everything that was in it was burned.

But, God is also holy and a God of grace.

God will provide that redemption that we just finished talking about for the people who are wiling to change their alliance from sin to Him.

Joshua 6:25 KJV 1900

25 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.

God is a God of Judgement. (divine judgement), but still judgement.

we will all be accountable to Him when our time on earth is finished.

there we will receive the punishment that we have coming to us due to our natures of sin.

God cannot and will not allow sin into heaven. It will be dealt with justly.

However, because our God is a gracious God, we see that Jesus has already paid our sin debt.

We just need to change our alliance like Rahab and her family did.

But once we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior based on faith, we must live like Rahab.

we must be willing to stand against whatever pressure comes our way and keep our alliance devoted to Him.

This world will end. Everything that we know will come to an end. The question is do you want the grace of God when that happens?

4. Proclaiming Enduring Consequences

Joshua 6:26–27 KJV 1900

26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. 27 So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

Joshua gave this warning over the remains of the city of Jericho.

This land would be devoted to God because of the divine judgment that was exercised there.

It was devoted to God through the utter and complete destruction that occured.

And it was to remain that way, forever.

We know the Lord was with Joshua, because we actually see this warning come true with King Hiel of Bethel in 1 Kings 16:34

1 Kings 16:34 KJV 1900

34 In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.

This is a warning of disobedience to the Lord.

Under the God inspired leadership of Joshua and the dedication of the Israelites, they flourished.

But under the leadership that was not devoted to the Lord, they suffered consequences.

Conclusion:

Just like in the city of Jericho, there will be destruction for anyone who does not devote themselves to God and follow Him.

we have looked at how the Christian is able to…

Proclaim Victory in Advance.

Proclaim God’s Redemption.

Proclaim God’s Holiness and Grace.

Proclaim Enduring Consequences.

So, let me ask you a very simple question… How does your story end?

Like the inhabitants of Jericho?

Or like Rahab and her family, who was saved from the destruction and lived with the Israelites after Jericho was destroyed?

If you have questions we will be here.

Salvation/Baptism/Membership.

Stand/Pray.