Israel circled around the city for six days. The seventh day came, and with the first dawn of light, Joshua gathered together the armies of the Lord. Now they were to march seven times around Jericho, and at a mighty blast from the trumpets they were to shout with a loud voice, for God had given them the city.
The vast army marched solemnly around the walls. Everything was silent, except the steady tread of many feet. The watchers on the walls looked on with rising fear as the first circuit ended, and there followed a second, then a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth. What could be the purpose of these mysterious movements?
They did not have long to wait. As the seventh circuit was completed, the long procession stopped. The trumpets, which had been silent for a while, now opened up with a blast that shook the very earth. The walls of solid stone, with their massive towers and defenses, tottered and heaved from their foundations, and fell to the earth with a crash. The people living in Jericho were paralyzed with terror, and the armies of Israel marched in and took the city.
The Israelites had not gained the victory by their own power; and as firstfruits of the land, the city and all it contained were to be devoted as a sacrifice to God. The Israelites were not to fight for themselves in the conquest of Canaan; they were not to be going after riches or self-exaltation, but for the glory of Jehovah their king. The command had been given, “Abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed ... and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.”
Everyone living in the city, along with every living thing, were killed. Only faithful Rahab with those in her house was spared, in fulfillment of the spies’ promise. The city palaces and temples, its magnificent homes with all their luxurious furnishings, the rich draperies and the costly garments, were burned. Whatever could not be destroyed by fire, “the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron,” was to be devoted to the service of the tabernacle. Jericho was never to be rebuilt as a stronghold; judgments were threatened on anyone who would dare to restore the walls that God’s power had thrown down.
The total destruction of the people of Jericho was a fulfillment of commands previously given concerning the inhabitants of Canaan: “You shall conquer them and utterly destroy them.” “Of the cities of these peoples, ... you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive” (Deuteronomy 7:2; 20:16).
To many people these commands seem contrary to the spirit of love and mercy commanded in other parts of the Bible, but they were actually the instructions of infinite wisdom and goodness. God was about to establish Israel in Canaan. They were not only to be inheritors of the true religion, they were to spread its principles throughout the world. The Canaanites had abandoned themselves to degrading heathenism, and it was necessary that the country be cleared of anything that would certainly prevent God’s gracious purposes from being fulfilled.
The people in Canaan had been given plenty of opportunity to repent. Forty years earlier, the judgments on Egypt had revealed the power of the God of Israel. The defeat of Midian, of Gilead and Bashan, had further shown that He was above all gods. His hatred of impurity had been demonstrated in the judgments on Israel for taking part in the horrible rites of Baal Peor. The people of Jericho knew about all of these events. Though they refused to obey it, many shared Rahab’s conviction that the God of Israel “is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” Like the people before the Flood, the Canaanites only lived to blaspheme Heaven and defile the earth. Both love and justice demanded that these rebels against God and enemies of humanity be destroyed.
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down” (Hebrews 11:30). The Commander of the Lord’s host communicated only with Joshua, not to all the congregation. It was left with them to believe or doubt the words of Joshua. They could not see the army of angels who attended them under the leadership of the Son of God. They might have reasoned: “How ridiculous, marching daily around the walls of the city, blowing trumpets of rams’ horns—this cannot do anything to those towering fortifications.” But God wanted to impress on their minds that their strength was not in human wisdom or might, but only in the God of their salvation. God will do great things for those who trust Him. If they will place their entire confidence in Him and faithfully obey Him, He will help His believing children in every emergency.
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