JOSHUA BIBLE STUDY
Study One
Spies in Jericho
INTRODUCTION.
. I. THE CAPTAIN OF THE SPIES ENCOURAGED.
. A. Joshua Commissioned by God.
. B. Joshua Commanded to Possess the Land.
. C. Joshua Conditioned for Success.
. II. THE LIVES OF THE SPIES SPARED.
. A. The Spies Sent into the Land.
. B. The Spies Sought by the King.
. C. The Spies Saved by the Harlot.
.III. THE GOD OF THE SPIES FEARED.
. A. The Hearts of Jericho Melted.
. B. The Harlot of Jericho Sought Grace.
. C. The Spies of Jericho Escaped.
. IV. THE OATH OF THE SPIES MADE.
. A. The Promise of the Oath.
. B. The Conditions of the Oath.
.CONCLUSION.
References for Study:
. Gen. 3:15;4:4;Ex. 12:12, 13;14:13-31;Lev. 12;Num. 21:21-25; Deut.34:10;Jos.
1:1-2:21;Ps. 91:1;Matt.1:5;28:20; James 2:19.
Memory Verse:
. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observed to do according to
all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and
then thou shalt have good success (Jos. 1:8).
INTRODUCTION.
. One of the great success stories of all time is the conquest of Canaan
by God's people Israel. This account of God's faithfulness, power, and
personal leading has been a source of comfort and inspiration for believers
for many centuries.
. Historically, Canaan has been the name of a narrow strip of land between
the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the Promised Land of
Abraham. Spiritually, Canaan represents Christian maturity. It is symbolic of
a life free from worldliness and carnality and separated for the service of
God. A study of the conquest of Canaan benefits us spiritually as well as
enlightening us concerning Israel's history.
I. THE CAPTAIN OF THE SPIES ENCOURAGED (Jos. 1:1-9).
. A. Joshua Commissioned by God (Jos. 1:1,2).
. Moses, the great leader, was dead. According to Deut. 34:10, there was
not a ever a prophet in Israel like Moses. However, read Jos. 1:1 records the
death of Moses. No servant of God---not even the great leader Moses---is
irreplaceable. God's servants die. His service never does.
. B. Joshua Commanded to Possess the Land (Jos. 1:3-5).
. After commissioning Joshua, God immediately gave him the command to
possess the land of Canaan. To make that command real, God promised, "Every
place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto
you..." (Jos 1:3).
. God commanded Joshua to put feet to his desires and claim the entire
land of Canaan for the Lord. Dr. Jerry Falwell has said, "I counsel young
preachers, when God has laid a town on their heart, to kneel by the city
limits sign of that town and claim it in prayer for the Lord. D. L. Moody went
even further. He actually walked around an area of downtown Chicago claiming
every place the sole of his foot touched for a Bible school to train young
people in the Word. Today Moody Bible School stands on that site. God commands
us to claim a possession for Him.
. C. Joshua Conditioned for Success (Jos. 1:5-9).
. Joshua needed the encouragement of the Lord, as we all do. If he was to
be successful, Joshua needed to know the source of his strength and be
conditioned for success. Thus God promised that as He had been with Moses He
would be with him (Jos 1:5). All believers have a similar promise in Matt.
28:20.
. Still conditioning him for success in possessing the land, God added to
His promise a command, "Be strong and of good courage" (Jos. 1:6). This
command is repeated in verses seven and nine. Being strong in the Lord and
courage and confidence of success arise out of our study of the Word of God.
Anyone who wants to be successful must learn well the truth of Jos 1:8.
.II. THE LIVES OF THE SPIES SPARED (Jos. 2:1-7).
. A. The Spies Sent into the Land (Jos. 2:1).
. Two spies were sent out from the camp at Abel-shittem, which was about
the enemy and his territory. When Joshua sent the spies into the land he was
demonstrating that delicate balance between trusting the Lord and moving ahead
to discern the Lord's will. To have moved ahead without the Lord's blessing
would have been wrong---dead wrong. But to have sat tight when that blessing
has been promised would have been equally wrong. To have done so would have
been like praying to become a soulwinner but never going out to knock the
doors of homes where lost souls live. Joshua knew that the Lord would never do
for him what he could and should do for himself.
. B. The Spies Sought by the King (Jos. 2:2, 3).
. Upon entering Jericho the Israelite spies immediately went to the house
of Rahab, probably because such a house may also have been an in with a cafe'
downstairs. Here the spies could quickly learn the goings-on in Jericho and
the strength of the king's army. However, danger lurked there as well. The
appearance of the Israelites and the accent of their speech marked them as
strangers. The king was informed two Israelite spies had come to Jericho on an
intelligence-gathering mission. Immediately the king sent for the spies,
undoubtedly for questioning before they were put to death.
. C. The Spies Saved by the Harlot (Jos. 2:4-7).
. When the king's men arrived at the harlot's house, they did not find the
Israelite spies. Rahab had taken the men to the roof of the inn and hidden
them among stalks of flax. She then prepared a lie to tell the soldiers of
Jericho, claiming that when the two Israelites had come to her inn she did not
know they were spies. When the gate of the fortress-city was about to be
closed at dusk, the men had fled.
. Much has been written about Rahab's lie, but interestingly enough, the
author of the Scriptures did not even comment on it. Although we cannot
condone falsehood, apparently neither Rahab's profession nor her lie stood in
the way of true repentance and salvation.
. It should be noted that the spies did not ask Rahab to lie in order to
protect them. She did it of her own volition prior to her "conversion."
Afterwards she married Salmon (Matt 1:5), a prince of the tribe of Judah and
ancestor of David through whose line our Lord was born. What a tribute to the
grace of God.
III. THE GOD OF THE SPIES FEARED (Jos. 2:8-16).
. A. The Hearts of Jericho Melted (Jos. 2:8-11).
. When God moves in the lives of His people, the whole world soon knows
and tales notice of it. This was the case with Rahab. She came to the spies
and confessed to them her belief in what was inevitable... read Josh. 2:9. The
stories of the miraculous moving of God on behalf of Israel had preceded their
arrival. Everyone in Jericho knew about the parting of the Red Sea (Ex. 14: 3-
21) and the mighty defeats of the two Amorite kings Sihon and Og (Num. 21:21-
35). Rehab could not help but confess that Jehovah was indeed God (Jos. 2:11).
Confession of Jehovah as God does not constitute salvation, however. The
demons believe them and tremble at the thought (James 2:19). Salvation come
when personal faith is placed in God as the only saviour of mankind, an action
stemming from an awareness of personal need. Rahab had not yet indicated this
awareness.
. B. The Harlot of Jericho Sought Grace (Jos. 2:12-14).
. The harlot was a realist. she knew that the fall of Jericho, and
eventually all of Canaan, was inevitable. After reminding the spies that she
had saved their lives, she begged for the safe passage of her father, mother,
brothers, and sisters from the doomed city of Jericho. The spies agreed.
. C. The Spies of Jericho Escaped (Jos. 2:15, 16).
. Rehab's house was built on the inside of the city wall, giving Rahab
direct access to the wall itself. She probably had a window that permitted her
to view the Jordan valley as well. When darkness had fallen and the strong
city gates had been closed, the harlot let the spies down to the ground
outside the wall by a scarlet cord suspended from her window.
. Quickly the spies made their escape westward to the mountain range a few
miles away, hiding until the soldiers had given up the search for them.
IV. THE OATH OF THE SPIES MADE (Jos. 2:17-21).
. A. The Promise of the Oath (Jos. 2:17, 18).
. Rahab was instructed to hang the scarlet thread in that same window when
the Israelites return in full force. That thread, actually a cord of twisted
strands of sewing thread, would be the means of Rahab's salvation just as it
had been the source of the spies salvation. When the Israelite armies saw the
thread in the window, they would know the inhabitants of that house were to be
spared.
. B. The Conditions of the Oath (Jos. 2:19-21).
. The oath, however, was not without conditions. The family of Rahab was
to remain in her house. Should they wander from the house where the scarlet
thread was displayed, their death would be their responsibility. Likewise,
safety and shelter are provided only when the believer remains under the
shadow of the Almighty (Ps. 91:1), in the household of faith.
. One other condition was to be met. Rahab could not utter a word of this
oath to anyone or the oath would become void. This is evidence that the spies
still did not fully trust her. This lack of trust may mean that although the
harlot believed Jehovah was God, she had not yet come to put saving faith in
Him. This faith would come only when she appropriated the promise of the
scarlet thread.
CONCLUSION.
. The two Israelites returned to their camp at Abel-shittem, across the
river. Their report in verse 24 encouraged the heart of Joshua. Joshua and the
Israelites were ready to take Canaan. The fear of the inhabitants of Jericho
proved to them that they would be successful in capturing the land physically.
The faith of the harlot proved to them that they would be successful in
capturing the land spiritually. Joshua and the Israelites were ready to take
the land entirely for God and through His power.
continued in part 2
JOSHUA BIBLE STUDY
Study Two
Crossing into the Land
INTRODUCTION.
. I. THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE CROSSING.
. A. Getting to the Battle Early.
. B. Sanctifying the Troops.
. C. Getting Your Feet Wet.
. II. THE MIRACLE OF THE CROSSING.
. A. The Miracle of the Waters.
. B. The Memorials to the Crossing.
. C. The Magnification of Joshua.
.III. THE RESULTS OF THE CROSSING.
. A. The Fear of the Ememy.
. B. The Circumcision of the Israelites.
. C. The Cessation of the Manna.
.CONCLUSION.
References for Study:
. Gen. 15:18-21; 17:9-14; Ex. 14:13-31; 17:8-16; Jos. 3:1-5:12; 1 Chron.
12:15; Jer. 12:5, 49:19; 50:44; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Eph. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:20,21.
Memory Verse:
. And Joshua said unto the people, "Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the
Lord will do wonders among you" (Jos. 3:5).
INTRODUCTION
. With the Promised Land of Canaan thoroughly investigated and the
Israelites convinced of God's presence and blessing, they were ready to claim
the possession of their forefather Abraham. (See Gen. 15:18-21.) The crossing
of the Jordan was a high point in the historical life of Israel. In the life
of the believer, the crossing of the Jordan also symbolizes victory ---
victory over carnality and habitual sin and entrance into the Promised Land of
Christian maturity. (See Rom 8:1.)
I. THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE CROSSING (Jos. 3:1-13).
. A. Getting to the Battle Early (Jos. 3:1-4).
. The key element in the crossing of Jordan was the ark of the covenant,
which was the meeting place between God and man. The priests and Levites were
to carry the ark. The Israelites were to follow over one-half mile behind.
When the ark was moved, Israel moved. This should be the case with all of
God's people in every age. We must be prepared to move when God moves.
. One of the secrets to the success of this mission was the leadership of
Joshua. He was so eager to get to the task and be used of God that he rose
early in the morning. Have you ever noticed how frequently God does things
early in the morning? Scripture records nearly one hundred incidents of God's
moving in a mighty way during the early hours. Each of us needs to meet early
with the Lord each day through prayer and Bible reading in order to prepare
for our daily battle against Satan's principalities and powers. (See Eph.
6:12).
. B. Sanctifying the Troops (Jos. 3:5-10).
. To sanctify means "to set apart." In the Old Testament, it referred to
the ceremonial washings in that a person was purified from the world and
prepared to stand before God. Sanctification always implied a positive and a
negative: being set apart from that which is sinful and to that which is holy.
Before Israel could enter into the land of promise, she had to put away all
the influences of her wilderness journey.
. In the same manner, a Christian cannot hope to enter spiritual maturity
with the smell of the leeks and onions of Egypt on his breath. To be
spiritually mature and responsive to the will of god we must be sanctified,
set apart from the past and from the world and see to the future and to God.
(See 2 Tim. 2:20,21.)
. C. Getting Your Feet Wet (Jos. 3:11-13).
. On the third day of camping on the banks of the river, the priests
bearing the ark of the covenant were told to move out. At the very brink of
the water the faith and courage of their leadership would be tested. God had
planned for the waters of the Jordan to part, allowing free and easy access to
the Promised Land. However, He also purposefully designed that the separation
of the waters would not occur until the soles of the priests' feet touched the
water. They were commanded to march directly into the waters of the swollen
Jordan. Obedience would take more than raw courage. It would take an absolute
trust in the promises of God.
. As Christians we are to display that same trust in God. Frequently the
Lord God will place before us a seemingly impossible task. We must seek His
will, which may mean hours on our knees. We must be sanctified for the task.
As necessary as these things are, however, there must come a day when we are
willing to get our feet wet. Before we can have miraculous spiritual victory
we must be willing to trust God and march directly into the face of the
impossible . The priests of Israel confidently set foot in the water, and a
great miracle of God followed. Their faith should be our example.
II. THE MIRACLE OF THE CROSSING (Jos. 3:14-4:18).
. A. The Miracle of the Waters (Jos. 3:14-17).
. The facts of the miracles are these: (1) Ordinarily a small, meandering
river, at the spring or early harvest, the Jordan rises to fifteen feet or
more above flood stage and is a raging torrent. This is caused by the melting
snows of Mount Hermon and the Lebanon Mountains. (2) The yearly flooding of
the Jordan is an established biblical fact. The "swelling of the Jordan" is
mentioned in Scripture. (See Jer. 12:5; 49:19; 50:44.) It drives the wild
beasts from their retreats on its banks. (Read 1 Chron. 12:15.) (3) The
northern waters flowing south were stopped "upon an heap" in the vicinity of
Adam and Zaretan. (See Jos. 3:16) If, as some scholars believe, Adam was the
modern Damieh, it was located about sixteen miles north of Jericho. (4) Even
the tributaries that feed into the Jordan were cut off, making the crossing
possible on dry land.
. Critics have been quick to point out that landslides and other natural
phenomena have caused the blocking of the Jordan three times in relatively
modern history (A.D. 1266, 1906, and 1927). Although it is entirely possible
that the God of nature could have stopped the Jordan through a similar natural
event, it would not have been necessary. God had performed a similar miracle
before. (Read Ex. 14:13-31.) Regardless of how He did it, the fact remains
that the Israelites miraculously entered the Promised Land just as they had
miraculously exited the Pharaoh's land.
. God is just as able to lead us into the life of Christian maturity as He
is to save us. Just as He delivered us from the sin of Egypt, He can also
deliver us into the victory of Canaan.
. B. The Memorials to the Crossing (Jos. 4:1-9, 19-24).
. At the direct command of God, Joshua instructed the people to construct
a memorial to this miraculous event. Twelve men --- one from each tribe ---
were chosen for the task. Each man was to take a huge stone from the bed of
the Jordan. With these twelve stones the memorial would be erected in Gilgal.
Joshua set up a similar memorial in middle of the Jordan. (See Jos. 4:9). The
purpose of this stone memorial was clear. Like a father explaining to his son
the significance of this stone memorial to his children by rehearsing the
miracle which God had performed in bringing their forefathers into the land of
Canaan.
. The application to our lives is equally clear. What God has recorded in
His Word and produced in our lives is to be shared both with our children and
with the world.
. C. The Magnification of Joshua (Jos. 4:14-18).
. This was a great day for the Israelites. It was a great day for Joshua,
their leader. His day had begun with the promise from God, read Joshua 3:7. By
the end of that day, Joshua knew the meaning of Joshua 4:14.
. Joshua was no hand-me-down, second fiddle leader. He was the first-class
choice of God. He had been prepared for his task by years of service at the
side of Moses (Ex. 17:8-16). He had been personally commissioned by God. (Read
Jos. 1:1-2.) He had been encouraged by the Lord. (See Jos. 1:5-9.) He had
been promised equal respect with Moses. (See Jos. 1:5; 3:7; 4:14.) God
magnified Joshua in order to identify him with his work and to make him an
effective leader of the people. Notice that Joshua did not do great things in
order to gain God's favor. He, through grace, received God's favor. Then God
enabled him to do great things. Self-magnification always leads to sin. Divine
magnification always leads to glory.
III. THE RESULTS OF THE CROSSING (Jos. 5:1-12).
. A. The Fear of the Enemy (Jos. 5:1).
. God has a way of compounding courage. Each victory of Joshua and the
Israelites encouraged them to greater victories. However, God also has a way
of compounding fear. The two spies found that when people of Jericho had heard
what the Lord God had done in behalf of Israel, their hearts melted. They
became fearful. (See Jos. 2:11.) Now there was more cause for Canaanite fear.
When they heard of the miraculous crossing of the Jordan, the residents of
Canaan lost spirit in retaining the land before the mighty Israelites.
Undoubtedly God used this fear to prepare the way for the great battle of
Jericho.
. B. The Circumcision of the Israelites (Jos. 5:2-9).
. A second result of the crossing was the reestablishment of the sign of
the covenant with Abraham. The Israelites had entered the land promised to
Abraham and his descendants, but they had done so without the physical sign of
the covenant. God had established the surgical procedure of circumcision as
the sign of the Abrahamic covenant. (Read Gen. 17:9-14.) But the Israelites
entering the land of Canaan were a generation removed from the last of
circumcised Israel. (See Jos. 5:5.) During the forty years of wandering, those
born of Israel had not been circumcised. Thus, before their first great
military battle, Joshua had each uncircumcised male circumcised in order to
conform to the stipulations of the Abrahamic covenant.
. C. The Cessation of the Manna (Jos. 5:10-12).
. Within weeks of the exodus from Egypt, God had begun providing a daily
portion of food for the Israelites. It was a small, white round cake which
came to be known as manna. For forty years it appeared on the ground each
morning without fail. Suddenly, upon entrance into Canaan, the manna ceased.
That which Israel had come to depend on --- that which was the only type of
bread known to the Israelites who crossed the Jordan --- was suddenly gone.
. But God never takes from His people anything that He does not replace
with something better. In the place of the manna, the Israelites ate the grain
of the productive Jordan Valley. This event accompanied the observance of the
Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. The fruit of the land of
Canaan was to be their portion all the days of their lives.
. The graduation from manna to fruit is similar to the Christian's
graduation from milk to the strong meat of the Word of God. It was necessary
for Israel to have manna, but the time finally came for them to give up manna
for the fruit of Canaan. Likewise, milk is necessary for baby Christians, but
there must come a time when we put away milk in favor of meat.
CONCLUSION.
. Christians must be aware of the miraculous power of God in their lives.
This power comes through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19).
The crossing of the Jordan symbolically depicts the Holy Spirit's desire to
make victors and champions of each of us. The mighty Jordan was crossed
because of the power of God from without. Having the power of God within us,
we should have even greater courage to challenge the barriers that separates
us from right Christian living. If God can get His people across the physical
depression of the Jordan, surely He can get His twentieth-century people
across the spiritual depression of habitual sin into the land of maturity.
continued in part 3
JOSHUA BIBLE STUDY
Study Three
The Fall of Jericho
INTRODUCTION.
. I. GOD'S METHODS ARE TO BE TRUSTED EXPLICITLY.
. II. GOD'S METHODS ARE TO BE FOLLOWED EXACTLY.
.III. GOD'S METHODS ARE TO BE EMPLOYED ENTHUSIASTICALLY.
. IV. GOD'S METHODS ARE TO BE CONTINUED EXPECTEDLY.
. V. GOD'S METHODS ARE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED ENTIRELY.
.CONCLUSION.
References for Study:
. Ex. 17:8-16; Jos. 5:13-6:27; Eccl. 9:10; Matt. 1:1-17; Heb. 11:31.
Memory Verse:
. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after that they were compassed
about seven days (Heb. 11:30).
INTRODUCTION.
. When Joshua brought the Israelites safely across the Jordan River and
established a camp at Gilgal, he must have breathed a sigh of relief. The
great crossing into the land had been accomplished. But the great conquest of
the land lay before him.
. Jericho had already been spied out, but it had to be taken. The night
before the week-long conquest began, Joshua (whose name means "Jehovah is
Saviour"), the captain of the hosts of Israel, met face to face with Jesus
(whose name also means "Jehovah is Saviour"), the captain of the hosts of the
Lord. When Joshua recognized the Lord, he fell flat on his face before Him and
was commanded, "Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou
standest is holy"(Jos. 5:15).
. An important lesson is to be learned from the early verses of chapter
six. The night before the conquest began, and a week before it was completed,
the Lord made a strange statement to Joshua... read Joshua 6:2. The Lord
treated the for the coming victory at Jericho as an accomplished fact. This is
because God is above time. To Him the future is already history. For Joshua,
the victory of Jericho was a future possibility. To the Lord God it was a
present reality.
I. GOD'S METHODS ARE TO BE TRUSTED EXPLICITLY (JOS. 6:6,7).!
. William Cowper, the English poet, once remarked, "God moves in
mysterious ways, His wonders to perform." One of the most mysterious movements
of God was the manner in which the city of Jericho was captured. We must
remember that Joshua was an experienced military commander. He had led the
victorious Israelite armies against the Amalekites in Rephidim. (See Exodus
17:8-16.) He had the intelligence reports of the spies. Jericho was now in
view. Joshua knew the best military strategy for taking the fortress-city. But
God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.
. God's plan for capturing the city involved some extremely mysterious
methods. Joshua was to have the people circle Jericho once a day for six days.
The Israelites were to bear the ark of the covenant as they moved around the
city, and seven priests were to carry seven rams' horns before the ark. On the
seventh day Israel was to circle the city seven times, and on the seventh pass
the priests would blow the ram's horns, the people would shout with a great
shout, and the walls of the city would fall down flat.
. You might expect Joshua to sneer at such strategy, but there is no hint
that Joshua questioned God's plan in the least. He trusted explicitly the
mysterious methods of God. After all, Joshua probably would not have devised a
plan similar to God's for crossing the Jordan. Who was he to question God?
Instead he immediately relayed these plans to the priests and to the people.
God's plan may not seem the logical to us, but it will always be the best
plan. We must trust it explicitly.
II. GOD'S METHODS ARE TO BE FOLLOWED EXACTLY (JOS. 6:8).
. Verse eight is the key verse in the plan of God. Granted, Joshua did not
even flinch when God gave His mysterious method for capturing Jericho, but
that was the night before in the physical presence of the Captain of the host
of the Lord, on holy ground. Now it was the following morning. It was time to
pursue the plan of attack. The enemy was only yards away. Now was the time
Joshua could change the plan to one in accord with his own "better judgement."
But verse eight records no change in the divine plan. As Joshua had trusted
explicitly the method of victory as given by God, he also exactly followed the
plan. The first day Israel encircled the city as planned. Israel followed
their leader as he followed God. No mention was made of the methods' being
mysterious. They were God's methods. It is not our responsibility to improve
God's methods. Our responsibility is to follow them exactly.
III. GOD'S METHODS ARE TO BE EMPLOYED ENTHUSIASTICALLY (JOS. 6:9-11).
. There was more to following the Lord's methods than simply marching
around around the city. Read verse nine.
. The way in which we go about the Lord's work is frightfully important.
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, counselled, "whatso ever they hand
findeth to do, do it with thy might (Eccl. 9:10). One can almost picture the
priest blowing those trumpets, cheeks bulging, faces flushed, blowing with all
their might. The methods the Lord instructed Joshua to use may have been
mysterious, but they were trusted, followed, and employed enthusiastically.
IV. GOD'S METHOD ARE TO BE CONTINUED EXPECTANTLY (JOS. 6:12-16).
. The city of Jericho was shut up tight. They were under a state of siege.
Once each day the enemy would march around the city and the priest would
enthusiastically blow the ram' horns. By around the second or third day, when
he city still had not fallen, the soldiers of Jericho must have begun to taunt
the Israelites. Their initial fear may have given way to doubt that the
Israelites knew what they were doing. These methods were mysterious to the
inhabitants of Jericho as well. A feeling of division grew in Jericho. Day
after day that taunts became worst.
. In light of this historical and psychological situation, it is
significant that the text records the Israelites following the methods of
God...read Joshua 6:14. A situation that could have produce distrust did not.
A situation that by day six could have found the people of God doubting His
wisdom did not.
. I have often said that you cannot determine a man's greatness by his
wealth and ability, but rather by what it takes to discourage him. The
Israelites would not be discouraged. They absolutely refused to quit. Day
after day they marched anticipating that final day when God promised the
victory would be complete.
V. GOD'S METHODS ARE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED ENTIRELY (JOS. 6:17-21).
. The city of Jericho was anathema to the Lord God. Everything and
everyone in it was to be destroyed, except Rahab and her family. Jericho
represented the idolatry of Canaan, and God had determine to stamp out
idolatry from the land of promise.
. Excitement was running high by the seventh day. Again, Joshua, the
priest, the ark bearers, and the people arose about the dawning of the day. As
the priests blew the trumpets of ram' horns, the people shouted with a great
shout. The shout was great, but not great enough to send shock waves through
the walls of Jericho to tumble them, as some rationalists have supposed.
Nevertheless, read Joshua 6:20.
. Joshua continued to destroy the city after the walls came tumbling
down...read Joshua 6:21. All that remained was burned, a fact confirmed by
20th century archaeology. God's methods were accomplished entirely.
. Some have said that the complete destruction of the city, including
every living creature, was a severe gesture. But the Canaanites practiced all
sorts of abominations opposed to the spiritual principles of the God of
Israel. The worship practices of the Canaanites included debased sexual
perversions (human/animal, ect.) and live sacrifice of children. I personally
believe that venereal disease was rampant in both man and beast, adult and
child... our society today is being reduced down to the level of a pack of
dogs concerning sexual behavior...we would do well to learn from these heathen
nations. Thus God commanded that they be destroyed, and the Israelites
followed explicitly God's methods until they were accomplished entirely.
CONCLUSION.
. Throughout the holocaust of Jericho one family, and only one, was
spared. God honored the word of the spies and saved alive Rahab and her
family. It is only when that scarlet thread was displayed in the window of her
house that she actually placed her faith in the Lord God of Israel as Saviour.
That faith activated God's grace which brought her salvation and eventually a
place in the ancestry line of Christ. (See Matt. 1:1-17.)
. It may seem strange that a harlot was saved out of the midst of the
complete destruction of Jericho. It may seem even more strange that she was
included in the Hebrew "Hall of Fame" chapter of Hebrew 11. But God moves in
mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. Whether He works through persons we
might deem to be undeserving vessels of His will, or whether He moves through
unconventional methods to achieve His purposes, we must always remember that
God's means and methods are to be trusted explicitly, followed exactly,
employed enthusiastically, and continued expectantly to accomplish his
ultimate purpose.
end of file
../