Posted by Chester Morton / Friday, 19 May 2017 / No comments
The fall of Jericho
The fame of the Israelites had spread across the land of
Canaan and many of the cities in the region were in great fear of them. One of
those cities was Jericho. It was a fortified city with very thick and high
walls.
For fear of the Israelites, the people of Jericho had
barricaded themselves inside the city. Nobody was coming out and nobody was
going in. It was humanly impossible for the people of Israel to conquer Jericho.
God told Joshua that he had given the land of Jericho into
the hands of the Israelites together with their kings and men of valour. God
instructed Joshua to take seven priests, carrying seven trumpets of ram’s horn
going before the Ark of the Lord and they should march round the city of Jericho
once every day for six days. On the seventh day, they shall march round the
city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets in front of the Ark of
the Lord. On the seventh time, Joshua should give a signal and the people must
shout a great shout and the walls of Jericho shall fall down. After that, the
people shall enter the land and conquer it.
After this encounter with God, Joshua told the priests to
take out the Ark of the Lord and get seven priests bearing one ram’s horn
trumpet each and to blow them in front of the Ark of the Lord. Joshua said armed men should be in front of the seven priests and another group of armed men at the
back of the Ark of the Lord. Joshua cautioned them not to make any noise or
shout until he gave them the signal to do so.
One morning, Joshua told the people to move in the formation
he had given them and to march round the walls of Jericho once. After that,
they went into their camp and spend the night. The second day also they did the
same thing and spent the night in their camp. They marched round the city of
Jericho in this same fashion every day for six days.
One the seventh day, they marched round the city seven times
with the priests still blowing the trumpets continually. On the seventh time,
as the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua signaled the people to make a great
noise because God had given the land of Jericho into their hands. He said everything
in the city must be destroyed but they should spare Rahab, the harlot who
helped the two spies he had sent into Jericho to spy the land.
Joshua warned the people not to touch anything that had been
devoted for destruction, otherwise, they may bring a curse upon the land and
Israel may be opened for destruction. The only things they were to take were
the gold, silver, bronze and iron which were to be placed in the treasury of the
Lord.
When the people shouted, according to the instruction of
Joshua, the walls of Jericho fell down flat. Then Joshua instructed the two
spies whom he had earlier sent into the land, to go and fetch Rahab and her family
based on the agreement they had made with her. After they had fetched Rahab and
her entire family, father, mother, sisters and brothers, the city of Jericho
was burnt down to ashes. Everything within the city was destroyed except the
gold, silver, bronze and iron, which were dedicated to the Lord.
Joshua placed a curse on the city of Jericho so that nobody
shall attempt to rebuild it in the future. He said anybody who shall rebuild
the city shall lose his eldest son after laying the foundations of the city and
after erecting the gates of the city he shall lose his youngest son.
The Lord was with Joshua and his fame spread across the
lands.
MORAL LESSONS THAT CAN BE DRAWN FROM JOSHUA'S LEADERSHIP
1. We must be willing to step forward when the mantle of leadership falls on us.
2. We be ready and willing to follow a true leader.
3. Our character as leaders must make people willingly follow us.
4. A leader must be able to encourage his followers and give them hope for a better future.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. What circumstances led to the fall of the walls of
Jericho?
2. Give a detailed account of the fall of Jericho.
