The Enemy Fears God's People Joshua 5:13-15; 6:1-5 Here a representative of the Lord appeared to Joshua and told His plans for the fall of Jericho. It reminds us of Moses' meeting of God (Exodus 3). Jericho was straitly shut up—tightly closed. It was secured behind high, strong walls, and the gates were locked. They saw the camp of Israel close to their city. They had witnessed the miraculous crossing of Jordan by the 600,000 men, besides women and children. They knew how God had helped Israel and that the spies had searched their city (Joshua 2:2-10). Jericho's defeat was already begun by fear. Joshua knew the victory was his. He had seen the Lord and had His promise. I have given into thine hand Jericho. The Lord gave Joshua His plan for compassing the city seven days. He said when the plan was carried out, the walls of the city would fall down flat. Joshua gave God's command to the people. The Plan of Attack Joshua 6:6-13 The people lined up in an orderly fashion to march around Jericho. First, were him that is armed—soldiers, then, seven priests bearing the seven trumpets, then, the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. The only sound was to be the blowing of the seven trumpets—a type of the Gospel being preached in every age of the Gospel dispensation. Not a word or any sound of the voice was to be heard until the day I bid you shout. This shouting goes forth when one has been obedient to all God has asked to be done. Thus they marched around Jericho once the first day and returned to camp. Completing the Plan Joshua 6:14-19 Each day for six days the Israelites compassed the city once. On the seventh day, starting very early, they compassed the city seven times. At the end of the seventh time, Joshua order, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city. The trumpets were blowing. The Lord through Joshua commanded that all life and property in the city be destroyed except Rahab and those with her in the house. The gold, silver, brass, and iron were to be brought back for the treasury of the Lord. The people were not to keep anything found there for themselves. To do so would make them cursed, for it belonged to the Lord. This is a type of a saint's consecration to God. He and all he has belongs not to himself, but to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Everything in Jericho must be destroyed or turned over to God. Is this a type of the Christian life in which everything bad is destroyed and everything good used for God? Daily we must decide about the many opportunities we face: 1. to cast this away as unworthy or sinful, 2. to use it for self, or 3. to use it for the glory of God. Much depends on our decisions. Fall of the Walls Joshua 6:20-24 So the people shouted ... and it came to pass ... the wall fell down flat. The Lord gets down to the very foundation of the problem. He made a way for all of the people to go in and have a part in the destruction. It fell, not from the noise; these were stone walls so thick that Rahab's house was built on them. It fell by the power of God—the same power that backed up the water and allowed them to cross the Jordan River when it was at flood stage. The people went up into the city, every man straight before him—as commanded by God in verse 5. They utterly destroyed both people and animals with the sword, except Rahab and those with her. They burned the city and all in it with fire, except those things brought back into the treasury of the house of the Lord. Do saints have battles to fight? Did Israel after entering Canaan? They were easy when Israel kept obedient. Ours will be if we keep obedient and full of faith. The sin of unbelief is one of our greatest enemies. Trials and hardship are also enemies, but they need not defeat us (1 Corinthians 15:57; Romans 8:35-39). If we are continually defeated or even discouraged, there is a remedy: go God's way. The Terms of Victory Jericho was conquered easily in an overwhelming victory. It was not by strength of arms or numbers that threw down the walls. It was not the marching and shouting. The Lord took the city. They marched and shouted because without the obedience and faith of the people, the power of the Lord could not work. The faith of the people released the power of God, which conquered the city. The victory of Israel was conditional. Look what happened when Achan sinned (Joshua 7). Some would have us believe we are saved unconditionally, that when once saved we remain saved whether we obey God or go into sin. This is not true. Israel was defeated at Ai, and thirty-six men were killed because of Achan's sin. Only when the sin was cleansed away could they have victory again. Is this true in our spiritual lives? Always we should love people while hating the evil principles controlling them. Jericho was a wicked city. As such, it was a type of sin, which must be completely destroyed from the individual life. Hence, to provide a true type, God must destroy Jericho. JUST A THOUGHT Can one praise God with unclean lips?
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