JOSHUA LESSON 6

     We will begin this lesson in Joshua 6:1 "Now Jericho was straitly
shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none
came in."

     Jericho had locked their gates, and they were not letting anyone
in or out. Rahab had mentioned to the two spies that the whole town
was terrified of what might happen. They had all heard of the
destruction of Og and Sihon just across the Jordan from them. Now,
they have heard about the Jordan River opening to allow them to cross.
They are afraid of Israel's God, not of Israel.

     Joshua 6:2 "And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into
thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, [and] the mighty men of
valour."

     The Captain of the Lord's host and the Lord here are probably the
same. This is assurance from the Lord that Jericho will fall into the
hands of the Israelites. Jericho had a mighty army, that would match
any army that came against them, except the army of the Lord. God does
not say, "Perhaps I will give, but I have given" It is already settled
that Jericho is theirs.

     Joshua 6:3 "And ye shall compass the city, all [ye] men of war,
[and] go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days."

     The entire army, which were literally hundreds of thousands of
men, should walk around the city wall once each day for six days.

     Joshua 6:4 "And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven
trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city
seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets."

     It appears, that each day the priests went with the trumpets of
ram's horns around the city once for six days. They blew the ram's
horns, as they walked around the wall. Again, the priests with the
horns were in front of the ark of the covenant going around with them.
"Seven" means spiritually complete. Notice, the seven priests, with
seven horns, walked seven days around the city wall. The seventh day
they went around seven times. This is a spiritual war that God will
complete.  These trumpets were like jubilee. They were the sound of
victory.  These are not the silver trumpets, but of ram's horns.

     Joshua 6:5 "And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long
[blast] with the ram's horn, [and] when ye hear the sound of the
trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall
of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every
man straight before him."

     The horn of jubilee was to sound with a long blast with the ram's
horn. When the people hear the blast from the horn that is long, then
they give out with a shout from all of the hundreds of thousands of
warriors. Some writers compare the horn that blows here and topples
the walls of Jericho, with the trumpet that Jesus blows and calls the
people to Him in the sky. In both cases, the people ascend.

     Joshua 6:6  "And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and
said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests
bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD."

     Just as the priests carrying the ark of the covenant led the way
into the Jordan River, they go with the army here. The main difference
is there are seven priests with rams' horns trumpets.

     Joshua 6:7 "And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the
city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD."

     The priests, possibly, passed the message on to the troops as
they passed them. It appears from this that, Reuben's, Gad's, and the
half tribe of Manasseh's armed men went before the priests with the
horns, and then the ark, and then the other members of the army.

     Joshua 6:8  "And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the
people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams'
horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the
ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them."

     This is the order of the march around the city wall. It seems,
the priests blew the trumpets for the march.

     Joshua 6:9  "And the armed men went before the priests that blew
with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, [the priests]
going on, and blowing with the trumpets."

    This is very similar to the march through the wilderness. The Ark
was between the tribes. The blowing of the trumpets gave the army of
Israel courage, and frightened the people of Jericho.

     Joshua 6:10 "And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye
shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall
[any] word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout;
then shall ye shout."

     The people were not to speak at all, while they were marching
around the city. They would give the shout of victory at the precise
time that Joshua told them to. Their obedience to the will of God is
what really wins this victory for them. The order that this march was
done in, makes the people inside the wall even more frightened. They
feel the wall around the city will protect them for a time, but they
know they are doomed eventually. The people of the city have seen the
ark of the covenant, which professed the presence of God with this
people. They know God is about to do a miracle, but they have no idea
what.

     Joshua 6:11 "So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going
about [it] once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp."

     The procession has begun here. Just once around the city the
first time.

     Joshua 6:12  "And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the
priests took up the ark of the LORD."

     It seemed one group of priests carried the ark, and another group
walked in front of it with the trumpets made of rams' horns.

     Joshua 6:13 "And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams'
horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with
the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward
came after the ark of the LORD, [the priests] going on, and blowing
with the trumpets."

     The armed troops, that we know about, are the troops of Reuben,
Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. It appears, they were in front of
the priests. The next in procession would be the priests with the
trumpets, then the priests carrying the ark. The rest of the troops of
Israel followed the ark.

     Joshua 6:14 "And the second day they compassed the city once, and
returned into the camp: so they did six days."

     This strange procession went around the city once each day for
six days. The troops were silent. The only sound was the blowing of
the trumpets. The people inside the wall had never seen a battle
conducted like this before. They knew in their hearts something was
about to happen, but they did not know what.

     Joshua 6:15 "And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they
rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after
the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city
seven times."

     This waiting had to be hard on both sides of the wall. The fear
was mounting inside Jericho. The marching of the troops on the outside
of the wall was teaching them to be obedient to the commands of God.
It would have been foolhardy to try to break into the walls ahead of
time. Perhaps, the LORD was showing them to follow in His ways, which
are not understood by common man. They should learn from this, that
there is a time to wait patiently before acting. This may be the
hardest lesson for any of us to learn. We have discussed the number
seven meaning spiritually complete. It is interesting that this is
done on Sabbath. The early rising was to afford them time to compass
the city seven times in one day. The spirituality of this day,
perhaps, entered in here.

     Joshua 6:16 "And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the
priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout;
for the LORD hath given you the city."

     At the command of Joshua, this entire mass of people shouted in
victory. The trumpets of the priests were blowing. This had to be an
enormous sound all at once.

     Joshua 6:17  "And the city shall be accursed, [even] it, and all
that [are] therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she
and all that [are] with her in the house, because she hid the
messengers that we sent."

     The entire city full of people will be destroyed, except for
faithful Rahab and those of her household. Over and over, we have seen
the faithful saved in the middle of the tumult. Rahab is no different.
She believed in God, and it was counted unto her as righteousness.
Just as Noah's family was saved by Noah's act of faith, Rahab's family
was saved by her act of faith. She had been a friend to God.

     Joshua 6:18 "And ye, in any wise keep [yourselves] from the
accursed thing, lest ye make [yourselves] accursed, when ye take of
the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble
it."

     The entire city, except Rahab and her household, was accursed.
This meant everything, as well as everyone, was accursed. The
Israelites were to be a holy people separated from worldliness. They
were not to desire anything of this city, because some of the
sinfulness of the city would be on those things. These people had
worshipped false gods and practiced all sorts of evil. The things of
this city would need to be destroyed, to cleanse the city.

     Joshua 6:19 "But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass
and iron, [are] consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the
treasury of the LORD."

     The precious metals could be heated and melted. They belonged to
God.  They would be purified, because they were holiness unto the
LORD.

     Joshua 6:20 "So the people shouted when [the priests] blew with
the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of
the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall
fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man
straight before him, and they took the city."

     Whether this large army of people walking around the wall had
weakened the foundation, or whether God sent a small earthquake, or
whether the shout from so large a number shattered the walls, we do
not know. Whatever happened, it was a miracle of God. The entire wall
fell at once. The army did not trickle into the city. They all entered
at once. It is interesting that, Rahab's house was in the city wall,
and it did not fall. It was not difficult for them to take the city.

     Joshua 6:21 "And they utterly destroyed all that [was] in the
city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass,
with the edge of the sword."

     This was total annihilation of every living thing, except Rahab's
household. One of the reasons for them not taking booty, is that this
was a holy war. They were not to make war for personal gain. This was
a holy war. The purpose of war is very important.

     Joshua 6:22 "But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied
out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the
woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her."

     This is so beautiful to me, because it verifies the following
Scripture. Psalms 91:7 "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten
thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee."  God
has saved Rahab and her household in the middle of this destruction.
Notice, Joshua did not say go, and see if you can find her. She was in
her own house {a portion of the wall which was unharmed}. The two she
had befriended were to come, and get her and her household, and carry
them to safety.

     Joshua 6:23 "And the young men that were spies went in, and
brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren,
and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left
them without the camp of Israel."

     They were supernaturally protected by God, Himself. They were
left outside the camp of Israel, because they were Gentiles. The Jews
classed them as unclean.

     Joshua 6:24 "And they burnt the city with fire, and all that
[was] therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass
and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD."

     The sin of this city was burned away in the fire. The precious
metals belonged to God, and were taken to the treasury of the house of
the LORD. We discused how metals are purified and made clean for
another use, by heating them until they melt.

     Joshua 6:25 "And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her
father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel
[even] unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua
sent to spy out Jericho."

     Rahab, not only was saved, but all her household. She was
accepted into Israel, because of her faith in the LORD, which caused
her to hide the spies.

     Joshua 6:26  "And Joshua adjured [them] at that time, saying,
Cursed [be] the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this
city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn,
and in his youngest [son] shall he set up the gates of it."

     Even unto this day, Jericho has never been rebuilt. "Adjured", in
this verse, means caused them to swear.

     Joshua 6:27 "So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was
[noised] throughout all the country."
                         Joshua 6 Questions


1.  Why was Jericho shut up, so no one could enter or leave?
2.  Who are they afraid of?
3.  The Captain of the LORD's host is the same as the ________.
4.  What positive statement does God make about Israel and Jericho?
5.  How many times each day, were they to go around the city for six
    days?
6.  Who go before the ark?
7.  What do they have with them?
8.  The number "seven" means ___________ _________.
9.  How many times were they to go around the city on the seventh day?
10. The trumpets were the sound of __________.
11. What were the horns made of?
12. How large was Israel's army?
13. When do the people shout?
14. What do some writers compare the horn that blows on the seventh
    day with?
15. What effect does the shout of the people have?
16. What is different about the priests that carried the ark into the
    water, and the priests, here, that go with the troops?
17. Who were the armed men, probably?
18. How does the marching order around the city remind us of the march
    across the wilderness?
19. What had Joshua commanded these troops not to do, until he gave
    the order for the shout?
20. When they were not marching around the city, what did they do?
21. What was the order of the march?
22. What lesson can be learned by this seven day march?
23. The city shall be __________, even it and all that are therein.
24. Why was Rahab and her household saved?
25. All the metals are to be saved for what?
26. What are some of the possibilities why the walls fell?
27. What did the Israelites utterly destroy?
28. Who did Joshua send to get Rahab and her household?
29. Quote Psalms chapter 91 verse 7.
30. After they brought Rahab out, what did they do with the city?
31. What does "adjured", in verse 26, mean?