THE WALLS THAT FELL DOWN FLAT
[Joshua:6:1-27 [1] Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [12] And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. [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. [14] And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [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. [27] So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country. ].
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down” (Hebrews 11:30).
The New Home
When the people came into their new country they found plenty of food, as God had said there would be. No longer was the manna given them from Heaven. God had been very kind to them and had fed them when food was hard, if not impossible, to get. Now they were in a place where they could get all they needed. We wonder if they remembered to thank God for all His goodness to them. People often forget to do that.
The Captain
One day, before the battle, Joshua saw a Man standing before him with a sword in His hand. At first Joshua must have been a little bit afraid; so he went to the Man with the sword and asked Him if He were going to help Joshua or the enemies. The Man said He had come to be the Captain of God’s people. Then Joshua knew He had come from Heaven. He called Him “lord,” and fell down and worshiped Him. We believe this “Man” was Jesus.
The People of Jericho
The people of the city that was to be taken by Joshua and his people had evidently heard that God had fed the people in the wilderness, had given them water to drink when there was none to be found, had protected them from wild animals, and had dried up the river so that they could cross it. All the things they had heard made them afraid of Joshua and his people. Perhaps they were afraid, too, of the God Who was helping Joshua. The idols, which the people of the city worshiped, could not do such wonderful things.
The city had high walls around it, and the gates were locked. People were not allowed to go out or come in. They were going to be sure that the enemy did not come inside the city. They were depending upon their walls; but Joshua and his people were depending upon God, for God had told Joshua that He would give him the city. The high walls could not keep God out, nor God’s people, when He wanted them to go into the city.
Every day for six days, the soldiers marched around the city once. Seven priests went before the Ark, blowing the trumpets. But on the seventh day they went around seven times; and when Joshua told them to do so, they shouted. The walls fell down flat, and the soldiers went into the city and took it.
They remembered their promise to this kind woman who had protected the spies, and did not destroy her house. She had put the red thread in the window as the spies told her to do, and she and her family were safe. When we do as God tells us to do, we are always safe.
The red thread makes us think of the Blood of Jesus. When we have our hearts washed clean and holy we, too, are safe and in God’s care.
1. How many times did the people march around the city on the seventh day? [Joshua:6:15And 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.
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2. What did the people do when the priests blew the trumpets? [Joshua:6:20So 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.
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3. What happened to the walls? [Joshua:6:20So 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.
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4. Who was spared, when the city was destroyed? [Joshua:6:23And 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.
], [Joshua:6:25And 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.
].
5. Why were they spared? [Joshua:6:25And 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.
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