281. THE FALL OF JERICHO

"All the inhabitants of the land faint because of you"

Joshua, having received his divinely appointed commission in the plains of Moab (Num. 27:15-23), responded by totally dedicating himself to the service of Yahweh and His people. His first major work had been to exhort and encourage the people (1:10-15) and then to convey them safely across the fast-flowing Jordan € a task that could only be accomplished by divine miracle. Now the land itself lay ahead to be conquered. Guarding the land stood the fortified city of Jericho.

In this lesson we firstly move back to Joshua chapter 2 which deals with the sending of spies to Jericho € an event which occurred prior to the crossing of Jordan € before moving on to the actual fall of Jericho in Joshua 6.

The aim of this lesson is to see how faith triumphs over the power of sin.

Joshua 2; 5:13-15 & 6

SPYING OUT JERICHO (Josh. 2).

Adopting the rule of an intelligent military leader, Joshua sent two men to "spy secretly" the geographical situation and defences of Jericho (v. 1). These two men were to pay particular attention to the psychological state of the people (2:11); such knowledge being of significance in the planning of a successful military operation (cp. v.11 with v.24).

The two chosen men left Shittim quietly (v.1, cp. 3:1), and made their way across the Jordan to the city of Jericho, a distance of about 20 kilometres. Of that city, Stanley wrote: "Jericho stands at the entrance of the main passes from the valley of the Jordan into the interior of Palestine, the one branching off to the south-west towards Olivet, the other to the north-west towards Michmash, which commands the approach to Ai and Bethel. It was thus the key to Palestine to any invader from this quarter" ("Sinai and Palestine", p. 305). Jericho was situated 11 kilometres north of the Dead Sea, and 8 kilometres west of the Jordan and was 270 metres below sea level. It is called "the city of palm trees" (Deut. 34:3; 2 Chron. 28:15; Judg. 1:16).

No doubt using disguise, and exercising every care, the two spies came to the city and entered within the gates. However, their presence had not gone unnoticed (v. 2). News reached the King of Jericho that spies had entered the house of Rahab the harlot and so she was commanded to bring them forth. Showing an astonishing degree of faith, in a spirit of selflessness, she agreed to hide the spies in the roof of her house (vv. 4-6), and in due course caused them to escape down the outside of the city wall from a window in her house (v. 15).

Rahab believed in God € that He was the great God in heaven above, who had been with the children of Israel in bringing them across the Red Sea 40 years before and was surely with them as they were coming against the inhabitants of Canaan (vv. 9-10). She expressed her faith and conviction, as well as the fears of the people, when she told the spies, "As soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you; for Yahweh your God, He is God in the heaven above, and in the earth beneath" (v. 11).

RAHAB'S CHANGE OF CHARACTER.

Rahab was a harlot € of that there can be no doubt, in spite of attempts often made to represent her in some other light (cp. Heb. 11:31; Jas. 2:25). It must be remembered that to Rahab and her contemporaries there would be nothing wrong in such a way of life, for they did not acknowledge morality in the sense that Israel did (cp. Deut. 9:5). But a knowledge of the truth changed all that for Rahab. Examine carefully the words of Yahweh Jesus upon this subject in Matt. 21:28-31. He taught that the "respectable" religious leaders of his day would be rejected € because the truth was not really in their hearts € but those despised by them, "the publicans and the harlots", would be accepted. They made no pretence like the hypocrites, knowing that they were sinners (cp. Luke 18:9-14). Such a humble disposition is susceptible to conversion, thus explaining the changed character of Rahab. Compare also 1 Cor. 6:9-11. It is not what we were that is important, it is what we become, after the Word of God has changed and transformed us.

JUSTIFIED BY FAITH AND WORKS.

Rahab was justified by faith and by works. The writer to the Hebrews lists Rahab in his great catalogue of the faithful (Heb. 11:31), while James takes Rahab as an example of the principle: "by works was faith made perfect" (James 2:22, 25). She believed (or had faith in) God and she showed her faith in action by receiving the spies and sending them out another way.

Later, Rahab married Salmon, son of Nahshon, head of the tribe of Judah, and so became an ancestor of King David through Boaz and Ruth. Yahweh Jesus Christ himself was therefore a direct descendant of these two remarkable women of faith from the Gentiles (cf. Matt. 1:5 where "Rachab" = Rahab), thus emphasising the point that it is not fleshly relationships but spiritual relationships based on belief of God which count.

Rahab's practical faith was demonstrated when she asked the spies that her family might be preserved and sought for a token that this would be so (2:12-13). Such was the gratitude of the two spies, and their admiration for her display of faith, that such an assurance was readily given. They laid down these conditions:

1. She must "not tell of the agreement" (v.14, Jerusalem Bible).
2. She must "bind a scarlet thread in the window" when Israel came into the land. This would plainly identify the house to be spared (v. 18).
3. She and all her family must remain inside the house (v.19; cp. Ex.12:22).

The spies returned to Joshua jubilant. The hearts of the Canaanites fainted because of them, they told Joshua. The land was theirs, for already its inhabitants had been defeated psychologically (v.24).

THE CAPTAIN OF YAHWEH'S ARMY (Josh. 5:13-15).

Joshua then went forth, quietly and alone, to meditate upon the impending conflict against Jericho € a fortress of flesh, barring the way to the Israelites' entry of the land, and therefore an obstacle which had to be destroyed. Suddenly, there appeared "a man. . . with his sword drawn in his hand." Joshua reacted instantaneously: "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" The lesson is clear. In the warfare of faith there can be no compromise. There are only two classes: "them" and "us". To Joshua, there could be no neutral position. But he had not anticipated the identity of his visitor, nor his reply: "Nay, but I, as prince of the host of Yahweh, have now come" (v.14 Roth.).

The angel was probably the angel of God's presence who bore His name and appeared to Moses at the bush (cp. v.15 and Ex. 3:5; 23:20-23; Isa. 63:9). Israel's angel or "prince" is later identified by another angel as Michael and Jude tells us that he is the archangel or chief angel (Dan. 10:13, 21; Jude 9).

Joshua prostrated himself upon the ground and then complied with the angelic instruction to take off his shoes for the place where he was standing was holy ground (vv. 14-15). Joshua then learned that the coming conflict was not his own war, nor was it to be Israel's war. It was Yahweh's war € a war against sin, in which Yahweh would surely be the victor (6:2; cp. 6:16).

THE PLAN OF ATTACK (Josh. 6:1-7).

The city of Jericho covered only some 2 to 3 hectares surrounded by a 2 metre thick wall, and an inner wall € 4 to 5 metres back € which was 4 metres thick and 9 metres high. The city was "straitly shut up" (v. 1), indicating that it was virtually sealed from within. The inhabitants were in a state of fear and alarm, awaiting the inevitable attack from the Israelites.

The procedure which Israel was to follow was quite unmilitary in character € it was to be a religious exercise, an exhibition of faith in Yahweh, and not a display of fleshly might (vv. 2-5).

For six days the men of Israel were to march once a day around the city! of Jericho € silently, and without any flamboyance. Then on the seventh day they were to march seven times around the city. The order of the march was to be the same each day: firstly, armed men who preceded seven priests bearing and blowing seven trumpets; then came the ark of the covenant; finally the "rearguard" (v.9, Roth.). On the first six days no shouting or noise was permitted (cp. Prov. 13:3). But on the seventh day, at the completion of the seventh circuit, all would shout and the priests would blow the trumpets € at which point Yahweh's power would be seen in operation and the walls of the city would fall down flat.

THE FALL OF JERICHO (Josh. 6:8-25).

To an experienced military tactician, such a formula of attack would appear ludicrous. But Joshua was first and foremost a man of faith. He obeyed the Captain of Yahweh's army and exhorted Israel to do likewise. Imagine the faith required to keep up this apparently futile command for 6 days, day after day. But faith was the key to victory and so the lesson is drawn out: "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about 7 days" (Heb. 11:30).

Everything in the city was to be "devoted" (v. 17 A.V. mg.); for Jericho was a kind of "firstfruits" of Israel's entrance into the land. Only the silver, gold, brass and iron was to be retained and deposited into Yahweh's treasury. All else was to be utterly destroyed (cp. Deut. 7:1-2; 9:3-5).

Thus the city was delivered into the hands of the Israelites, because they carefully followed Yahweh's instructions. Victory came on the seventh day. Herein is typified the six 1,000 year "days" of warfare against sin. On the seventh day € at the commencement of the millenium € Yahweh will give the victory to those who have proven faithful. In the campaign against Jericho, the Israelites were to stand back while God caused the walls to collapse, thus showing that flesh is powerless in the warfare against sin. Only Yahweh could give the victory. We too must surrender ourselves to God so that He can work through us (Eph. 2:10; Gal. 4:19).

We must be engaged in the warfare against sin. The apostle Paul says, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds" (2 Cor. 10:4). In the following verse he describes those strong-holds of sin which must be overcome in our lives: "Casting down imaginations (mg. reasonings) and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5).

LESSONS FOR US:

• Though part of a wicked society, Rahab believed God: she believed that one day God would certainly intervene in that society, devoting it to destruction. Our belief of God's Word gives us the confidence to believe that God will shortly do the same with modern society.
• Despite her former life, Rahab's contact with the God of Israel caused her to have faith in God and then to show that faith in action. Because Rahab obeyed and honoured the terms which the spies agreed with her,
  she was preserved. We, too, must act in accordance with God's will if we would be saved.
• Just as the angel of God's presence was near at hand to Joshua, so God uses his angels to protect the saints today.
• Israel's faith had to be shown in the (humanly speaking) pointless marches around Jericho before the city fell "by faith". We must show our faith in God's saving arm by being baptised € another event which to the world seems ridiculous, but which to us is the only means of salvation.
• Our "warfare" is a warfare against flesh and blood, "casting down" the strong-holds of human reasoning and seeking to walk in accordance with our knowledge of God.

REFERENCE LIBRARY:

"The Ways of Providence" (R. Roberts) € Chapter 12

"The Story of the Bible" (H. P. Mansfield) € Vol. 2, No. 9

"Joshua" (J. Ullman) € Chapters 2, 6

PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:

1. What lesson did James draw from the life of Rahab?
2. What good report did the two spies take back from Jericho to Joshua?
3. Describe Joshua's meeting with the captain of the host of Yahweh.
4. Like Joshua, we have a "warfare" before us. Describe what our "warfare" is today. How does the Book of Joshua help us in our "warfare"?

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

1. Explain how Rahab was justified by faith and then by works.
2. Describe the fall of Jericho. What lessons does this incident teach us?
3. "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down " (Heb. 11:30). Explain the meaning of these words and relate them to our own situation.