Transcendence 3

Eighteen: The Fall of Jericho

The crossing of the Jordan was, to say the very least, a huge deal. First, God miraculously stopped the river - a huge, mighty, flowing river, that was normally at flood state that time of year. Then the people of Israel passed through on dry ground. Millions of people, animals, women and children.  An amazing event! A miracle proving God is real and proving He provides a way when there seems to be no way. (Nothing is impossible for God!)

The priest began their cross over the bed of the Jordan ahead of the rest. They carried the Ark and they stopped in the center of the river, remaining there on dry ground with a mound of water behind them like a huge wall. They waited there as the rest of the Israelite nation crossed over. Once the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan the Lord told Joshua to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, and have him take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests stood, and carry the stones over and put them where they were going to spend the night. The stones - carried from the bed of a river - were meant to be a memorial, a representation of the miracle God performed. The stones would remind them of the dry ground where they crossed to the promised land beyond. The rocks were sat down on the ground where they camped that night and Joshua told them they should tell the generations to come about the significance of the stones, how God had prepared their crossing by stopping the waters just as he had parted the Red Sea. He did it so all the people of the earth might know that it was the Lord's mighty and powerful hand that cared for them, protected them, and provided a way. The stones were to also be a reminder that they should always fear the Lord.

Just as directed Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh had crossed over ahead of the others and were dressed for war. About forty thousand armed men from those tribes crossed ahead of the other Israelites to the plains of Jericho.

The priest who stood in the river until everyone else crossed over, came up out of the river bank last and everyone watched as they carried the Ark of the Covenant. No more than they had set foot on dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to its normal flowing place and ran at flood stage as before.

That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel. (From then on they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.)

When the Amorite kings west of the Jordan, and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how God had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites in battle.

At that time the Lord told Joshua to circumcise the new generation of Israelites. This was necessary because all the soldiers who had been circumcised previously had died off. There hadn't been another circumcision in the desert during the 40 years they roamed around. It was time for them to circumcise all the children who had grown up in those years. The entire nation went through the circumcision and then remained near Gilgal until they were healed. The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you."

While camped at Gilgal the Israelites celebrated the passover, just as God commanded them to continue to do. It was a very important remembrance of everything God had done for them when He brought them out of Egypt.  The day after Passover they ate some of the produce of the land. (Imagine the taste of the fresh produce given to them by God in the abundant land, a taste they looked forward to for many years.) They also had unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna God had sent down for them to eat while they were in the desert miraculously stopped the day after they ate this food from the new land. Of course manna was no longer needed, they instead happily and eagerly ate the produce of Canaan. (Manna was necessary for survival in the desert, but in the nutrient rich soil of the promised land the Israelites were able to gather and grow their own food. God was still providing - just in a different way.)

When Joshua was near Jericho he looked up and saw a man with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua, being a brave and mighty soldier himself,  went up and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"

The man answered, "Neither, but as commander of the Lord's army I have now come." ( This was an angel of the Lord's army!)

Joshua fell face down in reverence and asked, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"

The Lord's commander replied, "First take off your sandals, for the land you stand on his holy." Joshua did so.

Joshua and his army surrounded the city of Jericho. Because of this the city was tightly shut up, no one came in and no one went out. The Lord told Joshua, "I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and all the armed men. For six days March around the city once with all the armed men. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven more times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout, then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up. Every man straight in." ( God showed his power in mighty ways, here an entire city's walls will collapse by the mere marching of the Israelite army. Their faith wasn't in themselves, not in their march nor in their battle cry. It was in God!)

Joshua did as the Lord said. He told the people not to give a war cry, not to raise their voices, not a word until the day he tells them to shout, then they should shout! He had the ark of the Lord carried around the city, circling it once then returning to camp. Early the next morning the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed on the second day, then again and again they repeated these actions for six days. On the seventh day they got up at daybreak and marched around the city in the same manner, except on that day they circled the city seven times. When the priests sounded the trumpet blast Joshua commanded the people, 'Shout! for the Lord has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab and all who are in her house shall be spared because she hid the spies we sent. Keep away from the devoted things, otherwise you will bring destruction and trouble on all of us. All of the silver, bronze and gold articles are sacred to God and must go into his treasury."

When they let out their mighty shouts at the sound of the trumpet blast, the walls of Jericho crumbled. (What a miracle! And what faith it took for them to know that just by marching around the city the walls would come down, not because of their strength, but because of God's! Joshua may have wanted to go in and attack in his own way, but instead he held onto faith and did it God's way. God showed up and showed off again through a miracle that only He could perform.) Then just as God said they would, they marched straight into the city and every living thing was killed. Men, women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys were all slaughtered. All that was spared was Rahab and her family. The Israelites put her family in a place outside the came of Israel.

They put all the gold, bronze and silver in the treasury of the Lord's house, then burned the entire city and everything in it - just as God commanded.

Joshua pronounced this solemn oath, "Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations, at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates. (Joshua's curse was fulfilled literally later when a man attempted to rebuild the city of Jericho in the days of King Ahab.)

The Lord was with Joshua and his fame spread through the land.

(Life Question: Has God ever provided a way in your life when there didn't seem to be a way? Did you see it as the true miracle it was? Did you notice God's real presence in your life? Did you see how much he cares for you and how he wants to open doors that only He can open, or heal disease that no doctor can cure, or fight a battle you most certainly would have lost otherwise? God is real, he is mighty and he LOVES BIG!)