Joshua Chapter 6
After commemorations of the Passover were completed, it was time to move on to the next step – conquering the land. God told us in the very first verse of this chapter how the residents of the most fortified city of the land felt about the great population of Israel being so close. They were scared. They had shut up their city with no one going in or out. This is a big difference from what the original twelve spies reported after scouting out the land.
Numbers 13:28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.
Bible historians tell us that while it may have been the most fortified city of the land, it really was not that big. It was small enough that the Israelite men could easily walk its perimeter in a day’s time.
What was unusual was the instructions Joshua received from the Lord on how they would conquer the city. I think that both the Israelites and the residents of Jericho seeing these men walk around their city seemed odd. We know the end of the story, that God caused the victory, but what we need to understand is that God wanted the obedient cooperation and involvement of the Israelites. God was literally asking them to walk in faith. You can imagine the people of Jericho talking amongst themselves trying to make sense of it all. Especially on the seventh day when the Israelites just kept walking around their city again and again. It must have been unnerving knowing that this day was different. And much to the surprise of both sides when the trumpets blasted that long blast and all the men shouted, the walls fell down. Once again God was showing His power and might on behalf of His children.
Let's Reflect
1. What were the men instructed to do after marching around the city of Jericho each day for the first six days? See verses 11 and 14.
2. Where was the Ark of the Covenant in the procession order of the march around the city?
3. What was the only sound that was made by the Israelites as they marched around the city the first six days?
4. The Bible says that they woke early in the morning to do this march. Imagine the people of Jericho getting awoken to the blasts of the priest’s horns each morning. By day 7 they were probably starting to get annoyed. God has a sense of humor! The Israelites had been told that on their 7th time around the city on that 7th day that the city would be what? See verse 16.
5. There only instruction had been to walk in obedience and when they heard the long blasts of the horn on the 7th march they were to shout. What does the Bible say in verse 20 about the walls of Jericho?
6. Once inside the city they had been instructed to completely destroy all inhabitants and things within the city. They were to especially destroy items of idol worship. How does verse 18 describe these types of items they were to destroy? Why were they instructed to destroy them?
7. The only persons that they saved that day was the prostitute who had shown faith in the one true God and her family. What was her name?
8. What final step of destruction of the city is described in verse 24? And what did Joshua say about building any city on that site?
