The Whole Story
"Are we there yet?"
“Are we there yet?”
Every parent knows the
painful repetition of this question being asked on a long road trip with
children. At this point, Joshua probably knows the same pain. Joshua came out
of Egypt with the people of Israel. Joshua had been a spy sent into Canaan to
scope out the land. Then, Joshua witnessed the people rebel against God, and he
had been subjected to wandering in the wilderness with the rebels for the past
forty years. All of that was changing, though. Now, the people of God had
finally arrived at the place that God had promised them. The people had crossed
over the Jordan River, and they were going to take what was theirs.
That was the plan anyway, until they came to
Jericho. Jericho was a great city in the Ancient Near East. It had the
reputation of being impenetrable and the capacity to survive any siege. In
short, Jericho was unconquerable to the army that had come to conquer it. It’s
safe to say that as the people of Israel approached Jericho, they had no idea
what they would do.
Repeatedly in the Bible, when the people of God see no way forward, God shows up to reveal that His plan was never in doubt.
What happens next is almost unbelievable.
The siege of Jericho involves
mighty warriors, mighty musicians, odd battle plans, and unexpected heroes who
point us in the direction of the true hero to come. The Battle of Jericho introduces
another “scarlet thread” that reminds us Jesus is here, even as the walls come
tumbling down.
Read Joshua 5:13-6:27 and make observations
about the this week's text.
The Commander of the Lord’s Army
13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up
his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn
sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or
for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army
of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and
worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the
commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet,
for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
The Fall of Jericho
6 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.
The
Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016),
Joshua 5:13 - 6:27.
Sermon Recap
Joshua and the Israelites have finally made
it into the Promised Land and through the first five chapters God is
intentionally preparing his people to conquer the land.
The Lord promised Joshua that the battle over
Jericho was already won.
Like the Israelites, God calls us to
surrender to His battle plan. He promises that through Jesus, we are already
victors!
As believers we are now called to participate
in battles with obedience, surrender, and worship
Just as God was faithful to give Israel the
victory over Jericho, He was gracious to save Rahab (along with her family)
because of her faith. Rahab the prostitute would be restored and used in God’s
redemptive plan.
Discussion Questions
How does Joshua’s encounter with the
Commander of the Lord’s army challenge our understanding of God’s authority and
our role in His plans?
What does the fall of Jericho teach us about
God's power and faithfulness, and how should this shape our trust in Him today?
In what ways does Rahab’s story reveal God’s
mercy and sovereignty, and how does it challenge our view of who can receive
God’s grace?
Why do you think God required Israel to
follow such an unusual battle plan, and what does this teach us about living in
obedience even when we don’t fully understand His ways?
How does this passage encourage us to
surrender control to God, and what specific areas of your life is He calling
you to trust Him with more fully?
The story of Jericho’s fall reminds us that
true victory comes not by human strength, but by trusting in God’s power and
obeying His commands. Joshua and the Israelites had to believe that God’s way —
marching, waiting, and shouting — was better than any military strategy they
could devise. Likewise, we are called to trust that God’s ways are higher than
ours, even when they seem unusual or difficult.
END
