By Jay T. Robertson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, University of Mobile
WINNING STRATEGY
Joshua 6:12–25
Joshua 6 provides a theological understanding of Israel’s conquest of Canaan in this detailed description of God’s strategy for defeating Jericho, the first city to be destroyed. The destruction of the Canaanites is the powerful work of the sovereign God.
The fearful judgment of God working to bring about the promised deliverance of His people is a significant theme throughout the Bible (Ex. 14:13–14, Rev. 19:1–2). The salvation of Rahab and her family demonstrates that the grace of God is not limited to Israel. We learn the principle that faith in God saves despite ancestry or descent. Moreover, the people of Jericho were given six days to flee from the city.
Instructions Obeyed (12–14)
The God who fights for His people, whose commander had already appeared to Joshua (5:13–15), had sworn to give the land to His people. Just as Rahab had confessed, the God of heaven and earth was undoubtedly able to lead them to victory over Jericho despite its being strongly fortified and tightly shut up.
The Lord commanded Joshua and his army to march around the city with the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant and seven priests ahead of the Ark blowing rams’ horns. They were to march around the city for seven days. Men of war were positioned both ahead of and behind the Ark of the Covenant.
As the priests and the men of war made their march around the city, the people remained silent until Joshua commanded them to shout. Everyone obeyed the instructions Joshua had given them. For six days they walked around Jericho one time and then returned to their camp.
Victory Assured (15–19)
On the seventh day the priests and the men of war circled Jericho seven times. The seventh circuit on the seventh day marked the climax of the battle.
With the rams’ horns still blasting, it was now time for the men of war to get involved. “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city.” This is a prophetic past tense. In other words, the future event is already as good as done since God promised He would do it.
Joshua also reminded the men of war that only Rahab and everyone in her house were to be spared because she had trusted in the God of Israel and had put her life on the line by protecting the two Israelite spies. Everything else was to be set apart to the Lord either by destroying it or by giving it to the Lord’s treasury. If the people disobeyed the ban, they would in essence be setting themselves apart for destruction.
Walls Destroyed (20–21)
After marching around the city seven times, the priests blew their trumpets, the troops shouted with a great shout and the wall of Jericho collapsed to the ground. Then the troops advanced into the city and captured it.
Joshua and the troops did exactly as the Lord had commanded them, and the wall of Jericho gave way at God’s command. No person or animal was spared except for Rahab and the people in her house.
Promises Kept (22–25)
Joshua sent the two spies who had scouted the city to get Rahab’s family and move them to the Israelite camp.
The troops burned the city and set apart any gold, silver, bronze or iron for the Lord’s treasury.
Our God is a faithful God. He saved Rahab and her family and gave the Israelites their first victory in Canaan. He is faithful to His people today.
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