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Text: Joshua 5:13-6:27
Theme: God's way is the best way.
Doctrine: Providence
Image: Walls crashing down.
Need: Trust in God
Message: Trust God, and follow his leading.
*Josh and the Big Wall*
Joshua 5:13-6:7, 6:15-21
*Intro*
The Israelites have finally made it into the promised land.
They had wandered around in the desert for forty years as punishment for their refusal to trust in God to defeat the giants in the land.
Over the course of those forty years everyone who refused to enter Canaan had died.
A new generation had been born and raised in the wilderness.
The only two left were Joshua and Caleb.
Joshua had been Moses's assistant, and he took over as leader.
He was now the man in charge.
After Moses had gone up Mt.
Nebo to die, God had led the Israelites across the Jordan river.
He helped them cross the river at flood stage.
Normally the Jordan is little more than a creek with a few deep pools in it, but at flood stage it practically triples in size.
The banks of the river were deep cuts.
At flood stage the sides were practically vertical.
There was no gradual movement into the water.
One step you were on dry land, the next you were in five or six feet of water.
Well, as soon as the priests carrying the ark stepped foot in the water, it ceased to flow and the Israelites passed through on dry land, just like they had crossed the Red Sea.
As soon as they were across the Israelites do not begin their conquest of Canaan, no they perform a number of acts of devotion to God.
It would have made more military sense to have stayed on the far side of the Jordan and do them.
They could have circumcised all the males over there, been protected in friendly territory while they healed.
Instead they move over into enemy territory and make themselves useless militarily.
Then, while they are healing, they celebrate the passover to God.
Then, the day after the passover, the Israelites ate their first meals from the promised land.
When they did this, God no longer had to supply them with manna, and so that ceased.
He had led them into Canaan.
He had prepared them in the desert.
They had shown their commitment to him by following his instructions, but now they had to get to the work of clearing out the inhabitants of the land.
*Page 1: God gives weird instructions to the Israelites.*
The first place they must conquer was Jericho.
Some archaeologists claim that this is the oldest inhabited city on earth.
They think that it was settled as early as 7000 BC.
There is evidence of over 34 different walls over the course of centuries.
The city was magnificent at the time of the Israelite entrance into Canaan.
The walls had a stone base 11 feet high, topped by 35 feet of smooth stone sloping upward at thirty-five degrees.
This would have been impressive enough, but on top of this were the towering main walls of the city.
These stood anywhere from 20 to 30 feet high and were completely vertical.
After the people of Jericho had seen the Israelites cross the Jordan at flood stage, they were extremely frightened.
Rahab had told the spies that the people knew all which God had done for them, and they were extremely frightened.
The city of Jericho was locked up tight.
The gates had been closed and barred.
The walls were manned, and a constant watch was taken over the city.
No doubt the people of Jericho were rather confident in their walls.
They thought that they had the upper hand.
They had been able to settle in the land, and take the time to build up armaments, gather and store supplies, and train for battle.
The Israelites had spent the last forty years living in the desert.
The people of Jericho had the upper hand.
Perhaps they were waiting for reinforcements from the rest of the Canaanite tribes.
Perhaps they thought they could simply wait out the Israelites.
For whatever reason they seemed to be prepared for a long siege.
They had locked up the city and no one was allowed in or out.
Joshua decided he had to have a good look at the city to see what he was up against.
When he was near Jericho he suddenly came across a man standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand.
Joshua asks him, “Are you with us, or against us?”
For him there is no middle ground, you are either fighting for God's people, or against them.
The man responds, “Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”
Joshua falls on the ground in reverence.
He says, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
He realises that this man in not on his side, but that he is on this man's side.
He is Joshua's Lord.
He says to Joshua, “Look, I have already delivered Jericho into your hands, all you have to do is follow my instructions.
You are to march around it in silence once a day for six days.
Then on the seventh day, you must march around it seven times.
When you have finished that, just shout, and the walls will come down.”
We do not know what was going on in the mind of Joshua, but we know he was a great military man.
He knew that this was not a good military plan, yet he does not complain.
He does not point out to God the holes in his plan, he does not even ask how it will work.
He simply goes back to camp and tells the other Israelites what they are supposed to do.
It seems the Israelites have learned their lesson in the desert.
They do not raise a complaint.
They do not argue that this will not work.
This is the one of the only times where the Israelites actually do what they are asked to do.
Well, the Israelites may have trusted God's plan, but I am willing to bet the people of Jericho thought they were crazy.
They had the city shut up tight, expecting a protracted siege.
When they saw the Israelites break camp in the morning and come marching toward them, trumpets blaring, they probably expected an immediate attack.
The people went into their homes and huddled together.
They tried to find the best hiding spot they could, so that they would not be found.
The city was eerily quiet, and the trumpets of the Israelite priests could be heard clearly over the high walls.
But that was the only sound.
The people could hear them approach the main gate, but they did not stop there.
They turned and began to travel around the city.
As the trumpets passed by the gate all that could be heard was the sound of marching.
Hundreds of thousands of people marching in step, in silence.
The people listened as the trumpets travelled all the way around the city and reached the gate again.
They did not stop there, however.
They began to recede into the distance, and the people realised the Israelites went back to camp.
People began to venture back out of their homes.
They looked at each other incredulous, and fits of laughter broke out around the city.
All they did was march around the city!
These people sure are great tacticians.
Who gave them their instructions anyway?
Taking these instructions at face value, they seem crazy.
How many brilliant generals have marched around their opponents?
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