Winning the Battle

KEY VERSE: “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.” —Joshua 6:16

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Joshua 6:1-5, 15-20

THE ISRAELITES PITCHED their tents at Gilgal, but Joshua knew they were not to remain here, for they still had the task of conquering the land which they had now entered. Making his own investigation, “Joshua was by Jericho” when “he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?”—Josh. 5:13

We can understand why Joshua was so cautious. He was in enemy territory, and it was wise to make sure with whom he was speaking. The ‘man’ identified himself, saying: “As captain of the host of the Lord am I now come” (vs. 14), referring to the angelic forces often employed by the Lord for the accomplishment of his purposes. Their commander appeared in human form to instruct Joshua in the proper procedure for capturing Jericho.

Joshua himself had considerable experience as a military general, but he bowed worshipfully before this mighty one, and in a dependable, soldierly fashion asked, “What saith my Lord unto his servant?” (vs. 14) The answer was, “Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy.” His true spirit of obedience to the Lord is eloquently displayed in the four words, “And Joshua did so.” (vs. 15) Happy are all the Lord’s people who, when they hear his command, hesitate not to obey, but ‘do so’.

Joshua’s responsibility was great, but the Lord reassured him. God said, “See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.” The people of the city were fearful, and when they realized that the Israelites had crossed Jordan, they closed the doors in the walls so that “none went out, and none came in.”—Josh. 6:1

Joshua’s faith must have been tested when he learned from the “captain” of the “Lord’s host” the method for capturing this heavily walled city. Naturally he would think in terms of heavy and continuous assaults upon the walls, coupled with attempts to scale the walls to get as many soldiers within as possible. But no ordinary military strategy was to be employed.

All of Israel’s military men were to “go round about the city once” each day, for six days. Seven priests preceding the Ark were to accompany them, blowing upon rams’ horns. On the seventh day there were to be seven encirclements of the city. After the seventh round of the city, the priests were to blow their trumpets when commanded by Joshua, and the people were to “shout with a great shout.” (Josh. 6:3-5) The assurance was given to Joshua that with this shout the walls of the city would crumble, and the Israelites were to march right in. The walls did crumble. The ‘Lord’s host’ saw to that)

However, the part played by Joshua and the Israelites, was important. For forty years, or from the time they first heard of the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, the Canaanites had been fearful. Now that this much-feared people were encamped just outside Jericho’s walls, their hearts ‘melted’ with fear. With that final, mighty shout, to see and hear the supposedly impregnable walls of their city crumble and fall, they were paralyzed with fear, making it easier for the Israelites to march into the city and take possession. Had the people within the city been composed and alert, they might have held off the Israelites for a long time, even with their walls destroyed.

But the Lord knew how to gain this signal victory for them. It was just as Joshua had said, “The Lord hath given you the city.” (Josh. 6:16) No doubt the wickedness of the people was great, and their presence among the Israelites as captives would have been detrimental to them; so the orders were that all should be destroyed, “both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass.”—vs. 21

In the larger picture of the conquering of the citadels of sin of this world, their destruction is eventually assured through the mighty power of God acting in conjunction with all who obey the commands of a greater savior than even Joshua (whose name means ‘savior’). This will be when the kingdom of Christ is abroad in the earth.

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