The Walls of Jericho Come Down - Joshua 6:1 - 8:35

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Bible Stories

Rusty's Notes

Joshua 5 left the Israelites crossing through the Jordan River and circumcising the men.

• Maps
• Jericho was not a large city.
• Archaeological excavations have revealed that its walls enclosed only about eight and one-half acres.
• Approximately 10 football fields.

 
THE CONQUEST OF JERICHO
JOSHUA 6
1 Now Jericho was strongly fortified because of the Israelites—no one leaving or entering.

• Tightly shut

2 The Lord said to Joshua, “Look, I have handed Jericho, its king, and its best soldiers over to you. 3 March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry seven ram’s-horn trumpets in front of the ark. But on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the rams’ horns. 5 When there is a prolonged blast of the horn and you hear its sound, have all the troops give a mighty shout. Then the city wall will collapse, and the troops will advance, each man straight ahead.”

• The writer mentions God’s command first, as he did in chapter 5, and then tells of Joshua’s execution of the plan.
• Believing a promise is like accepting a check, but reckoning is like endorsing the check and cashing it.
• The Israelites had to learn that the land was a gift, to be received by faith, not won by effort.

6 So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” 7 He said to the troops, “Move forward, march around the city, and have the armed men go ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

• Faith is not believing in spite of evidence, for the people of Israel had been given one demonstration after another, proving that God’s Word and God’s power can be trusted.
• The Lord had opened the Red Sea, destroyed the Egyptian army, cared for His people in the wilderness, defeated great kings, given Israel their land, opened the Jordan River and brought His people safely into the Promised Land.
• Joshua did not question God as Moses did.
• How could they do anything other than believe Him?[1]

8 After Joshua had spoken to the troops, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the Lord moved forward and blew the rams’ horns; the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. 9 While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of the priests who blew the rams’ horns, and the rear guard went behind the ark. 10 But Joshua had commanded the troops, “Do not shout or let your voice be heard. Don’t let one word come out of your mouth until the time I say, ‘Shout!’ Then you are to shout.” 11 So the ark of the Lord was carried around the city, circling it once. They returned to the camp and spent the night there.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests took the ark of the Lord, 13 and the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns marched in front of the ark of the Lord. While the rams’ horns were blowing, the armed men went in front of them, and the rear guard went behind the ark of the Lord. 14 On the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

•  The words "LORD" and "ark" occur interchangeably here (v. 8), yet they were different and distinct from each other.
• The LORD was over the ark (above the atoning cover or mercy seat, and between the cherubim), but the ark itself only represented the LORD's presence.
• It was important that the ark of the Lord be in its proper place, for it represented the presence of the Lord with His people.
• When Israel crossed the river, the account mentions the ark sixteen times (Josh. 3–4); and here in 6:6–15, the ark is mentioned eight times.
• Israel could march and the priests blow trumpets until all of them dropped from weariness; but if the Lord wasn’t with them, there would be no victory.
• When we accept God’s plan, we invite God’s presence; and that guarantees victory.[2]

15 Early on the seventh day, they started at dawn and marched around the city seven times in the same way. That was the only day they marched around the city seven times.

• On that fateful seventh day, the procession made the circuit of the walls seven times.
• This parade—consisting of the armed guard, the seven trumpet-blowing priests, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, and the rear guard—may have taken about three hours.[3]

16 After the seventh time, the priests blew the rams’ horns, and Joshua said to the troops, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. 17 But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the messengers we sent. 18 But keep yourselves from the things set apart, or you will be set apart for destruction. If you take any of those things, you will set apart the camp of Israel for destruction and make trouble for it. 19 For all the silver and gold, and the articles of bronze and iron, are dedicated to the Lord and must go into the Lord’s treasury.”
20 So the troops shouted, and the rams’ horns sounded. When they heard the blast of the trumpets, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city. 21 They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword—every man and woman, both young and old, and every ox, sheep, and donkey.

• Though critics have charged that this destruction is a blemish on the Old Testament, it is clear that Israel was acting on divine command.
• The responsibility for this destruction rests, therefore, with God and not the Israelites.[4]

 
RAHAB AND HER FAMILY SPARED
22 Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you swore to her.” 23 So the young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.
24 They burned the city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house.

• Excavations at Jericho by John Garstang between 1930 and 1936 and Kathleen Kenyon between 1952 and 1958 have confirmed the collapse of the wall under itself, as recorded.
• They also reveal that the invaders burned the city.

25 However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she still lives in Israel today.
26 At that time Joshua imposed this curse:
The man who undertakes
the rebuilding of this city, Jericho,
is cursed before the Lord.
He will lay its foundation
at the cost of his firstborn;
he will finish its gates
at the cost of his youngest.
27 And the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.[5]

• Joshua is perhaps best known as a book of war.
• Israel was at war with the Canaanites, but behind these human soldiers God was waging war against sin.
• Earlier in Israel's history God was compared to a warrior (Ex. 14:14; 15:3; Deut. 1:30, 3:22; 20:4).
• But now Israel experienced His leadership in war as never before.
• God is constantly at war with sin because it is an affront to His holiness and because it destroys people whom He loves and desires to bless (cf. Rom. 6:23).

DEFEAT AT AI
JOSHUA 7
 - We are never in greater danger than right after we have won a great victory.
1 The Israelites, however, were unfaithful regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan … of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites.

• Joshua sent men to scout Ai.
• Small town… only need 2-3,000 men
• Joshua sent them, and they returned defeated after 36 men were struck down by the men of Ai
• Joshua mourned, tore his clothes, poured dirt on his head, and prayed.
• Feared the Canaanites would defeat them now.
• God reminded Joshua that he should not look for the reason for Israel's defeat in God—but in Israel!
• Israel needed to repent; Joshua did not need to pray ("Why is it that you have fallen on your face?" v. 10).
• Prayer is no substitute for repentance when repentance is needed.
• Lord told Joshua to “Stand up”! Israel has sinned.
• They violated God’s covenant by taking what was to be the Lord’s.
• Present yourself, tribe, by tribe, until you find the man who stole from God.
• Joshua got to Achan and told him to confess.
• Achan confessed he took a cloak, 5 lbs of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 1.25 lbs.
• He hid them in the ground of his tent.

24 Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his ox, donkey, and sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you brought us trouble? Today the Lord will bring you trouble!” So all Israel stoned them to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them, 26 and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains still today. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor (trouble) still today.[6]
 
CONQUEST OF AI
JOSHUA 8
1 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all the troops with you and go attack Ai. Look, I have handed over to you the king of Ai, his people, city, and land. 2 Treat Ai and its king as you did Jericho and its king, except that you may plunder its spoil and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”
3 So Joshua and all the troops set out to attack Ai. Joshua selected thirty thousand of his best soldiers and sent them out at night. 4 He commanded them, “Pay attention. Lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it, and all of you be ready. 5 Then I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them. 6 They will come after us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us as before.’ While we are fleeing from them, 7 you are to come out of your ambush and seize the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you. 8 After taking the city, set it on fire. Follow the Lord’s command—see that you do as I have ordered you.” 9 So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the ambush site and waited between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But he spent that night with the troops.

• Joshua did exactly as he was instructed by God.
• Sent 30,000 men to Ai and they retreated as before.
• When Ai was left unprotected, the men waiting to ambush attacked Ai, captured the king and burned the city.
• The men of Ai chasing the fleeing soldiers turned and saw their city burning.
• They were now in between the fleeing soldiers and the ambush soldiers.
• They were slaughtered

24 When Israel had finished killing everyone living in Ai who had pursued them into the open country, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the sword. 25 The total of those who fell that day, both men and women, was twelve thousand—all the people of Ai. 26 Joshua did not draw back his hand that was holding the javelin until all the inhabitants of Ai were completely destroyed. 27 Israel plundered only the cattle and spoil of that city for themselves, according to the Lord’s command that he had given Joshua.
28 Joshua burned Ai and left it a permanent ruin, still desolate today.

• Many archeologists have identified Ai with the site et-Tell (“the ruin”).
• Excavations at et-Tell, however, have not yet produced evidence of a settlement there in the time of Joshua.
• The geography of the area fits perfectly with the details found in Joshua 8.[7]

29 He hung the body of the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take his body down from the tree. They threw it down at the entrance of the city gate and put a large pile of rocks over it, which still remains today.
 
RENEWED COMMITMENT TO THE LAW
30 At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the Lord, the God of Israel, 31 just as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used. Then they offered burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings on it. 32 There on the stones, Joshua copied the law of Moses, which he had written in the presence of the Israelites.

• "The method of plastering stones and then printing on them came originally from Egypt.
• Thus, the letters were probably painted in red.
• So we can imagine large whitewashed monoliths with red Hebrew characters spelling out the Ten Commandments and possibly the blessings and curses of the Law as well (cf. Deuteronomy 28).
• This structure was the first public display of the Law."

33 All Israel—resident alien and citizen alike—with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on either side of the ark of the Lord’s covenant facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded earlier concerning blessing the people of Israel. 34 Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings as well as the curses—according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before the entire assembly of Israel, including the women, the dependents, and the resident aliens who lived among them.[8]

• From this point on, the history of the Jews depended on their attitude toward the Law, which had been read in their hearing that day.
• When they were obedient, there was a blessing; when they were disobedient, there was judgment (cf. Deut. 28).[9]
• Memorizing and obeying God’s Law would be equal to our what?

Baptism and Lord’s Supper.

[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Strong, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 75.
[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Strong, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 75–76.
[3] Donald K. Campbell, “Joshua,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 341.
[4] Donald K. Campbell, “Joshua,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 341.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jos 6:1–27.
[6] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jos 7:1–26.
[7] Donald K. Campbell, “Joshua,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 343.
[8] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Jos 8:1–35.
[9] Donald K. Campbell, “Joshua,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 347.