Joshua Part 5

October 8, 2025

FBC Baxley

Joshua Part 5

Joshua Chapter 6

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

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

3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days.

4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.

5 And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat,and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

6 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.”

7 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.”

8 And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them.

9 The armed men were walking before the priests who were blowing the trumpets, and the rear guard was walking after the ark, while the trumpets blew continually.

10 But Joshua commanded the people, “You shall not shout or make your voice heard, neither shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.”

11 So he caused the ark of the Lord to circle the city, going about it once. And they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.

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

13 And the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually.

14 And the second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. So they did for six days.

15 On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. 16 And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city.

17 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.

18 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.

19 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.”

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.

21 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.

22 But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.”

23 So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel.

24 And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

25 But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, “Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho.

“At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates.”

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

-Pray

When Walls Fall — Joshua 6

Introduction: When the Wall Collapsed

In late August 2025, workers in Canton, Massachusetts were repairing a retaining wall when, without warning, the wall suddenly collapsed.

Concrete and debris buried part of the site.

One worker barely escaped, crawling out just moments before the rubble came crashing down.

The collapse was shocking, total, and life-changing for those who witnessed it.

Walls like that are meant to stand firm — to protect and define boundaries. But when they fall, everything changes.

That image takes us straight to Joshua chapter 6, where another wall — one that had stood for centuries — fell not because of engineering failure, but by the mighty hand of God.

****(The fall of Jericho’s walls reminds us that no obstacle is too great, no stronghold too fortified, and no situation too hopeless when God fights for His people!!!)

Background: A Wall Between Promise and Possession

Before Israel could take possession of the Promised Land, one massive obstacle stood in their way — Jericho, the oldest fortified city in the world.

Archaeology tells us Jericho’s double walls were formidable — about thirty feet high and twelve feet thick. To ancient eyes, Jericho was unconquerable.

Israel had crossed the Jordan River in a miracle (Joshua 3–4).

They had renewed their covenant with God (Joshua 5). Now the time had come to begin the conquest.

But before they could go forward, they had to face the wall that represented everything standing between them and God’s promise.

Joshua 6 is not just military history — it’s spiritual strategy.

It shows us how God brings down walls that human strength cannot.

I. God’s Strategy Often Goes Against Human Logic (Joshua 6:1–5)

The text opens:

“Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out and none came in.” (v. 1)

The Hebrew word for “shut up” — sāgar — means “to shut tightly, to lock completely.”

Jericho wasn’t just closed physically; it was spiritually closed to God’s purposes.

But God says something incredible:

“See! I have given Jericho into your hand.” (v. 2)

Notice the verb tense — have given — past tense.

The victory was already settled in heaven before the first step was ever taken on earth.

Then God gives a battle plan that makes no military sense:

March around the city once each day for six days.

On the seventh day, march seven times.

Have the priests blow seven trumpets.

Then, shout — and the wall will fall.

No battering rams. No siege towers. No swords.

Just faith, patience, and obedience.

****(God often fights our biggest battles through strategies that make no sense to us.)

Illustration: Imagine a business leader facing fierce competition. Everyone advises aggressive tactics, but instead they decides to invest in community relationships, integrity, and prayer.

It seems foolish — until her influence begins to multiply in ways that no marketing campaign could accomplish.

God’s ways may seem strange, but His wisdom always wins.

Transition: So Joshua and Israel had a choice — they could argue about the plan, or they could obey.

Which leads us to the next truth.

II. Faith Walks in Obedience Even When Nothing Seems to Happen (Joshua 6:6–14)

For six days, the Israelites marched around Jericho once per day. No talking. No shouting. No fighting. Just walking.

Joshua commanded,

“You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, until the day I tell you to shout.” (v. 10)

Imagine the tension/anxiety!

Inside the city, soldiers probably mocked them.

From the outside, it may have seemed like nothing was happening.

But every silent step was a statement of trust — that God was working even when they couldn’t see it.

Theological Viewpoint: The Ark of the Covenant — symbolizing God’s presence — went before them.

Their victory wasn’t in their strength; it was in His presence.

****(Faith is not proven in the shout of victory, but in the silence of obedience.)

Illustration: A gardener plants a seed and waters it daily.

For weeks, nothing appears above the ground. Yet, unseen beneath the soil, life is forming.

The gardener keeps watering because he trusts the process.

Transition: Then, on the seventh day, something changed.

What had been a silent march turned into a victorious shout.

III. When God Says “Shout,” the Walls Come Down (Joshua 6:15–20)

On the seventh day, Israel marched seven times around the city.

At the priest’s long trumpet blast, Joshua commanded,

“Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!” (v. 16)

Then — suddenly — the walls fell flat.

The Hebrew phrase wattippōl hahōmāh taḥtēyhā literally means “the wall fell beneath itself.”

In other words, the walls didn’t crumble outward or inward — they sank.

God pressed them down!

****(When God speaks, strongholds sink.)

The people rushed straight in and captured the city.

Every delay, every silent march, every act of obedience culminated in one thunder clapping moment of victory.

Illustration: Think of a dam holding back a river.

For years, pressure builds silently.

Then one day, a crack appears — and in an instant, the wall gives way and the river surges forward.

God’s timing is like that.

What builds over years of faithfulness can break open in one divine moment.

Transition: But God’s victory is never random destruction.

It always includes redemption and remembrance.

IV. God’s Victory Demands Consecration and Preserves Mercy (Joshua 6:21–27)

After Jericho fell, the city was devoted to the Lord — a Hebrew term ḥērem, meaning “devoted to destruction.”

Everything was to be destroyed as an act of judgment and worship.

But one household was spared — Rahab’s.

Rahab, who had believed God’s promise, was rescued and brought into Israel. Verse 25 says,

“Joshua spared Rahab… and she dwells in Israel to this day.”

****(In the midst of judgment, God always remembers mercy.)

Joshua then pronounced a curse on anyone who would rebuild Jericho, declaring that it must never be resurrected in pride.

The last verse concludes,

“So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.” (v. 27)

Illustration: When a building collapses after a tragedy, sometimes a memorial is placed there — not to glorify the destruction but to remind future generations of what was learned.

Jericho’s ruins became a monument of God’s faithfulness.

V. Three Life Applications

Trust God’s plan even when it doesn’t make sense.God’s strategy for victory may not look like yours. Stop trying to figure Him out and start following Him in faith.

Stay obedient in the silence.When nothing seems to be happening, keep marching. Keep praying. Keep believing. Silent obedience is loud faith.

When God gives the signal, move forward boldly.When your walls fall — when God opens a door — step through it with courage and consecrate your victory to Him. Don’t rebuild the things God has torn down.

Conclusion: When God Marches, Walls Fall

The fall of Jericho teaches us that faith and obedience are the keys to victory.

Israel didn’t win because they were strong — they won because they followed the Lord step by step, day by day, until the moment came to shout.

Whatever wall you face today — fear, addiction, bitterness, unbelief — it cannot stand before the presence of God.

Keep walking. Keep believing. Keep waiting for His timing.

And when He says “Shout,” let your obedience echo across the walls of your life — because when God marches with you, no wall can stand.

-Pray