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~The Conquest of Jericho~ (Part I)
The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. [JOSHUA 6:2] [NAS]
We’ve probably all heard and/or read the story of Jericho, “Where the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.” Today, we would like to go more in depth into the story than maybe you’ve gone before.
Jericho was the first city that Joshua destroyed with the Lord’s help, after the crossing of the Jordan River. As we read, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River opposite Jericho. [Joshua 3:17]
This story of the walls of Jericho is just another example of what can be done when we obey the Lord in what He instructs us to do, no matter how odd or unconventional it may sound.
Before Joshua’s name was changed, his name was Hoshea, meaning “salvation.” Hoshea was renamed Joshua by Moses and the name means “The Lord saves” or “The Lord gives victory.” [Numbers 13:8,16] You may see this name Joshua, meaning, “The Lord gives victory,” as very appropriate when you read the entire Book of Joshua since he won all his battles and the Lord gave him victory. Another thing about Joshua was that he served the Lord all the days of his life. [Joshua 24:31] Also remember the scripture, “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” [Joshua 24:15]
Okay, back to Jericho. What a way, which was certainly an “Out of the ordinary way,” that the Lord told Joshua to destroy Jericho? If you just think about it, Joshua had to have a lot of faith and a good relationship with the Lord to do what He told him to do in order to overthrow Jericho. You would normally have some military tactic and forcible plan to win the battle of Jericho or any other battle, but God had other and better plans.
But, what did God tell Joshua to do in order to over take Jericho? In Joshua 6:3; all men of war should march around the city one time for six days. Verse 6:4; Also, seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of ram horns before the ark. What a way to start a battle! But the Lord has His ways and His ways are prefect, righteous, holy and always correct.
Just as a side note, the trumpets of rams’ horns were instruments of signaling and not of music. They are used even today, especially in some Churches and other gatherings to call upon the Lord.
The other items of interest are that everything was done in sevens. Think about it.
As one commentary put it, “that was the day the Lord gave the city of Israel as the first pledge of the land of rest or perhaps the evoking of the seven days of creation to signal the beginning of God’s new order of the world.” In any event I’m not sure of the significance of the sevens, but I understand in the Bible that the number “seven” is the perfect number and the number of completion. Such as the seven days of creation.
Will be continued tomorrow, see “The Conquest for Jericho,” part II. Brother Dewey E. Fox
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