Joshua |
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Joshua Chapter 6
Either these people were afraid and shut up the gates to keep Israel out or else Israel shut up their gates from the outside. Either way, they walls were shut up. I think if I was afraid of an enemy breaking down the walls, I would try to block them from the inside but it was because of the children of Israel camping outside the gates that caused them to be closed. They heard of the things Israel did before coming this far and knew they were in trouble. Yet only one person and her family took steps to save themselves from the judgment that was coming. Any nation that becomes so evil and reprobate that it defies all that is good and decent stands in danger of God's judgment. We are not going to get by with breaking God's law even if we think we are at the present time. It may seem as if political correctness and standards of men is winning out. It may seem as if God's word is being silenced but that is temporary. When we read history, we see the evil empires rise and become great but they also fall when God's judgment comes upon them. I fear for my own country. We are calling good evil and evil good. This abortion especially hate term, partial birth, harvesting organs, or using them for medical research has to stop. We are not going to get by with this.
The inhabitants seem to have been great men of war but God is greater. The Lord here is probably the captain of the Lord of hosts we see in chapter 5 previously. Remember there were not chapter divisions in the original writings so it would have all flowed together. Joshua didn't go forth to conquer Jericho on his own. He only followed the instructions of God. He was wise enough to know that it wasn't him that was going to defeat Jericho, it was God.
We know that God created the world in six literal days so this may be significant. This may show them that it was God that was going to bring the victory and not their own mighty army. I can speculate why this was but it is only my speculation. Perhaps reminding them of the creation, perhaps reminding them who was in charge, perhaps making the enemy nervous. By day six they may have thought Israel was not going to do anything and eventually they would give up and go away. They probably didn't think Israel could break down the walls. Then again maybe God is giving Jericho a chance to repent, but since he didn't send in a preacher like Jonah, it seems that they were at the place that their iniquity was full and they were beyond repentance except for Rahab and her family. They could have waited them out and block any commerce or trade, perhaps starving them to death but I notice that when God sends judgment, its sudden, there is no torture or cruelty in it. Cruelty and prolonged suffering comes from the hearts of men. God seems to prefer that a city repent. We learn that from the story of Jonah.
The city must have been small enough they could march around it seven times on the seventh day. My guess is that it was the Sabbath day. This again shows who is in charge. They would have been too tired to fight and knock down the walls in their own strength. This was all of God. People can't accuse them of acting out of their own greed to take someone's land. God makes it clear that it is his judgment, not Israel's attempt to occupy the city.
Horns are used in jubilee announcing events but also in judgment as we see in the book of Revelation where there is the judgment of the seven trumpets. It would seem that not all the wall would be falling though but only some of it because Rabab's house was on the wall and she was spared.
The ark represented the presence of God and the law of God. They were never to go forth without God and His word, never. Without Him there is no salvation, no holiness and no way to escape judgment. The armed men were to go first, then the priests blowing the trumpets, the ark and the rear guards.
Seven seems to be the number of completion. Seven days, seven priests blowing the trumpets and marching seven times around the city on the seventh day. The Sabbath was usually the day of rest but we must remember who is Lord of the Sabbath. It is a day of jubilee and victory also.
They were to do this quietly at first. This reminds me of the half hour of complete silence in heaven just before God's judgment we read about in Revelation. God's timing and God's direction is to be followed to the letter before they could do anything. God has only one way. Now we see that God has only one way of salvation and that is through faith in Jesus His Son.
I'm thinking that women and children probably stayed in the camps because they would have made this task impossible. Probably the armed men, priests and rear guards were those doing the marching. Knowing children though, they probably would have wanted to join them.
Now they were to shout after days of silence for the victory was theirs by the word of the Lord.
Joshua explains here that the city was cursed except for Rahab. Rabab was not what we would call righteous and holy. She was a harlot. Today we would use the word prostitute. God is not justifying that lifestyle at all by sparing her. She was saved by her faith in God just as we today can be saved by faith in Jesus Christ who God sent to save us from our sins. Her faith caused her to hide the two spies Joshua sent to spy out the city. At this time God sent Israel to save Rabab and her family from physical death but I believe she also was saved by her faith spiritually. I have no doubt that she turned from her sinful lifestyle and became a follower of God for she is listed in the lineage from which Christ came. She later married into the family of the tribe of Judah and was the mother of Boaz who married Ruth. Boaz was the father of Jesse who was the father of David the King. This shows the beauty of God's mercy and grace. Her past was gone. She was the ancestor of one of the descendants from which God used to bring forth our Messiah. This is God. When people reject God's love and are cruel to His people, He still gives time to repent before severe judgment. Noah preacher 120 years before the floods came.
They were not to take anything for their private possessions. That way Israel can't be accused of conquering that city for the purpose of plundering like pirates. There were probably things too that were used in the worship of idols and perhaps some images and idols also that they were not to take but destroy.
All gold and valuable things were to be part of the treasury of the Lord not for individuals to take and increase in wealth.
This may seem cruel to us in the 21st century but I'm not going to question God. There were times that they were to save children, cattle and single women but I have to speculate that the evil was so great that the influence of it was too great that they couldn't spare even children and animals at this time. The whole earth was like this years before the worldwide flood in Noah's day. Only 8 people were worthy to escape plus two of every kind of animal except for 7 couples for clean animals used for sacrifice. God is a just God though. I have read that archaeologists have found the old stones that were part of the wall of Jericho and in those stones they found tiny bones that they said were the bones of babies that were once sacrificed to idols. The reason for placing those bones in the walls was that it was to protect the walls from falling. Must have been some sort of religious superstition. No wonder God knocked those walls down. This was judgment for the killing of innocent children to their idols. I repeat God is a just God. He does not do anything without a reason. Is the United States and so called civilized nations going to get by with allowing the innocent slaughter of millions of tiny babies by a practice that we call abortion? Absolutely not. The day of judgment against our selfishness and evil will come if we do not repent. The day of God's visitation for our sins will come as other nations before us. We have become so high and mighty, proud and evil. We who believe need to keep speaking out against the sin of abortion.
God does make a way of escape before sending judgment. Noah preached for years before the Ark was completed. Other families could have escaped but they would not hear just like some today would rather remain in sin and ignore the gospel that will save their souls from being lost for eternity. They would rather live for the things of this life.
She was saved by faith in a figure. Her faith caused her to hide the spies and bargain with them on behalf of her family. She knew judgment was coming.
There is a real curse upon anyone that
rebuilds that city. It was that evil. - Dorna C.
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