JOSHUA CHAPTER 6, “The
Conquest Of
By
Jim Bomkamp
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. In our last study, we looked
at chapter 5 of Joshua and observed a very interesting story that occurred in
Gilgal after the children of Israel had just crossed the Jordan River, and
before they went into the city of Jericho to conquer it: They were led to be circumcised, observe the
Passover, and then Joshua came before the Commander of the Host of the Lord.
1.1.1. We saw that in chapter 5 we
were still discussing those things that were preparatory for what was the real
heart of the book of Joshua: the
conquest of the
1.1.2. We saw that the children of
Israel had been backslidden and living apart from the covenant of the Lord
under Moses for their 40 years of desert wandering, and that they needed
internal renewal, renunciation of sin, and recommitment to the Lord, and that
this was to occur along with all of the males among them becoming physically
circumcised to the Lord
1.1.3. We saw that having all of
their males circumcised, the children of
1.1.4. Finally, Joshua came before
the Commander of the Host of the Lord, who was none other than the Lord Jesus
Himself appearing to Him in human form
1.1.4.1.
We saw that it was necessary for Joshua to come before the Commander of
the Host of the Lord because:
1.1.4.1.1.
The battles that Joshua would win would be won because of the battle in
the spiritual realm that would be won by the Lord Jesus
1.1.4.1.2.
Joshua needed to worship the Lord because it is those who are
worshippers who are victorious for the Lord and greatly used by Him
1.1.4.1.3.
Every man’s calling before the Lord is a holy calling (we saw that like
Moses who was called to lead the children of
1.2. In our study today, we are
going to look at the conquest of the city of Jericho
1.2.1. We have finally begun the
second section of the book of
1.2.2. We will see from the New
Testament references to this event that it was by their faith that the children
of Israel conquered the city of Jericho
1.2.3. We will see that God’s
methods are not at all what man’s carnal reasoning and wisdom would suggest to
be done
1.2.4. We will see that the enemies
in the
1.2.4.1.
The world.
1.2.4.2.
The flesh.
1.2.4.3.
The Devil.
1.2.5. We will see that it was by
remaining steadfastly obedient to the Lord and by persevering in obedience
through trial and difficulty that the children of
1.2.5.1.
Someone once remarked that this generation of people which went with
2. VS 6:1-2 - “1 Now Jericho was tightly shut
because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in.2 And the
Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king
and the valiant warriors.” - We see that the people of the
city of Jericho had closed the gates of their city ‘tightly’ because of their
fear of the children of Israel and their God who had given them great victories
and worked tremendous supernatural wonders for them
2.1. We see in this chapter and
these verses that the Lord had fulfilled the promise He had made to the
children of
2.1.1. Rahab the Harlot, when the spies of
2.2. The Lord now also confirmed
to Joshua that he would be successful in battle against all of the residents
of the city of
2.3. Now, before we begin to
discuss the strategy of warfare that the Lord is going to direct His people to
employ in conquering the city of
2.3.1. This was the judgment of God
being poured out upon a very wicked people, just as one day the Lord will judge
all of the nations who have insisted upon rebelling against Him (see Revelation 6-20 for
instance).
2.3.2. The Lord had already
announced that concerning the people of the
2.3.2.1.
Gen. 15:12-16, “12 Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep
fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him.13 And God
said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land
that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred
years.14 “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve; and afterward
they will come out with many possessions.15 “And as for you, you shall go to
your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age.16 “Then in the
fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is
not yet complete.””
2.3.2.2.
Lev. 18:24-30, “24 ‘Do not defile yourselves by any of these things;
for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become
defiled.25 ‘For the land has become defiled, therefore I have visited its
punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants.26 ‘But as for
you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not do any of
these abominations, neither the native, nor the alien who sojourns among you27
(for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these
abominations, and the land has become defiled);28 so that the land may not spew
you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been
before you.29 ‘For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do
so shall be cut off from among their people.30 ‘Thus you are to keep My charge,
that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been
practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the Lord
your God.’””
2.3.3. The people of the
2.3.3.1.
The Canaanites had known about
2.3.3.1.1.
Righteous Rahab can testify against them concerning this, for she did repent and turn
to the Lord against such knowledge.
2.3.3.2.
More recently, they had heard of
2.3.4. The nations in the
2.3.4.1.
Deut. 18:9-14, “9 “When you enter the land which the Lord your God
gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those
nations.10 “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his
daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices
witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,11 or one who casts a
spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.12 “For
whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these
detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you.13 “You
shall be blameless before the Lord your God.
14 “For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who
practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not
allowed you to do so.”
2.3.5. The scripture tells us that
it was only the peoples that were within the land of Canaan that were to be
annihilated when the children of Israel went to battle against them, for with
other nations and peoples there was a different strategy that they were to
employ.
2.3.5.1.
The tactic to be used when approaching a city and a people not within
the
2.3.5.1.1.
Deut. 20:10-18, “10 “When you approach a city to fight against it,
you shall offer it terms of peace.11 “And it shall come about, if it agrees to
make peace with you and opens to you, then it shall be that all the people who
are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you.12 “However,
if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall
besiege it.13 “When the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike
all the men in it with the edge of the sword.14 “Only the women and the
children and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall
take as booty for yourself; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which
the Lord your God has given you.15 “Thus you shall do to all the cities that
are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations nearby.”
2.3.5.2.
The tactic to be used when approaching a city and a people within the
2.3.5.2.1.
Deut. 20:16-18, “16 “Only in the cities of these peoples that the
Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive
anything that breathes.17 “But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and
the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as
the Lord your God has commanded you,18 in order that they may not teach you to
do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their
gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God.””
2.3.6. The Lord was revealing
Himself to mankind through the vehicle of the children of Israel, for it was within that
very nation that the earthly blood line of His only begotten Son would come, and
it was from the nation of Israel that the scriptures which bring the
knowledge of God for salvation would come, and, it was through that
people that the gospel message to go out for the salvation of all mankind
would come. Therefore, the Lord had
to purify the
2.3.6.1.
There was a tremendous amount at stake you see, a lot that was riding upon
the children of
2.3.6.2.
Remember, the inhabitants of the
3. VS 6:3-5 - “3 “And you shall march around
the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six
days.4 “Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the
ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and
the priests shall blow the trumpets.5 “And it shall be that when they make a
long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all
the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall
down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead.”” - The Lord tells Joshua the strategy that they
are to employ in conquering the city of
3.1. Many consider that the
city of
3.1.1. We saw in a previous study
that archeologists who have excavated the city have discovered that it had
huge and high double walls fifteen feet apart that we all around it.
3.2. They didn’t have one,
however we can imagine the strategies that the military leaders of Israel
might have suggested to Joshua had he brought them into a war room and
discussed with them how best to conquer the city of Jericho:
3.2.1. One might have suggested
that they build some very sturdy ladders which could be leaned up
against the walls of the city of
3.2.2. Another might have suggested
that they build a big battering ram that hundreds of men could get
behind and push through the gates of the city and then begin fighting.
3.2.3. Yet another might have
suggested that they cut off the water and food supplies and cause the
city to be weakened and perhaps surrender because of thirst and hunger.
3.2.4. One might have said that he
saw a movie one time where archers shot flaming arrows over the walls and set a city on fire and
then the people began to fight the fire and many fled through the gates,
allowing their enemy to enter the city and conquer it.
3.2.5. Trogan horses or rock
catapults might have been discussed.
3.2.6. And on and on…
3.3. Now
imagine that one of Joshua’s generals suggests that instead they march
around the city once a day for six days, with the priests blowing trumpets as
they go. Then, on the seventh day they
would march around the city seven times, the priests would blow their trumpets
as they went, then everyone will shout real loud, and, finally the walls of the
city will fall down and they can go in and begin fighting?! The mere thought of such a suggestion
is absurd.
3.4. The Lord’s ways are not our
ways, and throughout the scriptures we see that the Lord answers His people’s
prayers and gives them victories in ways that they never would have thought
that He would employ. For instance:
3.4.1. Gideon had to pair the people down
to 300 men equipped with lamps and trumpets.
3.4.2. Samson ties a bunch of foxes tails
together and sets them on fire in order to burn down the crops of the
Philistines.
3.4.3. The Lord defeats the
Philistine giant, the mightiest of their warriors, with a rock and sling and
the hand of a young shepherd boy named David.
3.4.4. By Namaan the Syrian general
being told that in order to be healed by the Lord of his leprosy that he must
dip seven times in the
3.4.5. Etc., etc., etc.
3.5. The method that the Lord
commands Joshua to use to conquer the city of Jericho relies, because of its utter
unconventionality, completely upon God’s might and power to be accomplished.
3.6. The Lord chooses completely
unconventional means for accomplishing victories for His people so that after
He has shown Himself strong on their behalf that all of the praise and the
glory for the victory can only go to Him.
3.6.1. The Lord declares in
Isaiah 42:8 that He will not share His glory with another creature, “8 “I
am the Lord, that is My name; I will not
give My glory to another, Nor My praise
to graven images.””
3.7.
The church today needs so desperately the power of
God mightily breaking down walls and opening effective doors for the gospel,
and yet what a reproach it is that though the churches have in the scriptures
such a heritage of seeing the hand of the Lord working mightily in His people,
yet when it comes to the accomplishing of a great work for Him in the church,
pastors and church leaders often are looking to the wisdom of this world and every imaginable gimmick, all of which
are relying upon the arm of the flesh for the victory!
3.8. The church today needs to be
committed to being true prayer warriors and praying for those effective doors for evangelism
and reaching people’s lives. But, I’m
afraid that first we are going to have to ask the Lord’s forgiveness for our
prayerlessness, and for not being attentive, fervent, and constant in prayer
for all that we are attempting to do in ministry in this world!
4. VS 6:6-14 - “6 So Joshua the son of Nun
called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let
seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.”7
Then he said to the people, “Go forward, and march around the city, and let the
armed men go on before the ark of the Lord.”8 And it was so, that when Joshua
had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of
rams’ horns before the Lord went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of
the covenant of the Lord followed them.9 And the armed men went before the
priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while
they continued to blow the trumpets.10 But Joshua commanded the people, saying,
“You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, nor let a word proceed out of
your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!”11 So he
had the ark of the Lord taken around the city, circling it once; then they came
into the camp and spent the night in the camp.
12 Now Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark
of the Lord.13 And the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns
before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the
armed men went before them, and the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord,
while they continued to blow the trumpets.14 Thus the second day they marched
around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days.” - The children of Israel marched around the
city of Jericho once each day for six days, following all of the instructions
that Joshua had received from the Lord and then passed on to them
4.1. We see that the children
of
4.1.1. In 1997, when I was pasturing the
Calvary Chapel in
4.1.2. The obedience of the people
was also tested in that they were to be quiet as they marched around the city,
so quiet they were not allowed to say a single word.
4.1.2.1.
I believe that there further symbolism here for the church in the
people being required to be quiet. As
you perform ministry for the Lord one of the things that you have to learn if
you want to be used greatly by the Lord is to be very careful about the things
you allow to come out of your mouth.
4.1.2.1.1.
People have to know that if they tell you things in confidence to get your counsel that
you will keep their trust and not tell others what you have found out about
them.
4.1.2.1.2.
Christian people can sometimes repeat something they heard from some
where or from someone that is critical of a brother or sister, or even an
unbeliever,
and then if those things get back to that person they can be very hurtful to
them.
4.1.2.1.3.
I have known of Christian people in a church make a remark that was
critical of a pastor or leader to someone, and then later be surprised when
that person they told that remark to had left the church.
4.1.2.1.4.
Jesus rebuked His disciples when they returned from their first
missionary journey because they were glorying in telling about how greatly the Lord used
them. Jesus told them that they should
be rejoicing in the fact that their names are recorded in heaven, not how
greatly they were used.
4.1.2.1.5.
If we want to be effective in ministry and not damage the work that God
is doing in the church, we need to learn to be careful “to whom we say what,
and when and where we say it.”
4.1.3. The children of
4.2. Notice in this chapter
how that the ‘ark of the covenant’ which contained the two tablets, Aaron’s
rod, and a jar of manna, is in the center of all that God is doing, being
mentioned some 8 times. We saw in
the story of the crossing of the
4.3. Note that as they marched,
the armed fighting men were in front, the ‘ark of the covenant’ was
in the middle carried by the priests who also carried their trumpets, and
the rest of the people were at the rear.
4.4. The conquest of the
4.4.1. This story gives us in the
church today hope that the Lord can give us every victory in our life!
5. VS 6:15-21 - “15 Then it came about on the
seventh day that they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around
the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around
the city seven times.16 And it came about at the seventh time, when the priests
blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given
you the city.17 “And the city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it
belongs to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the
house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.18 “But as for
you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, lest you covet them
and take some of the things under the ban, so you would make the camp of Israel
accursed and bring trouble on it.19 “But all the silver and gold and articles
of bronze and iron are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the
Lord.”20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and it came
about, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted
with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into
the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city.21 And they utterly
destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and
sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.” - The walls of
5.1. Note in this chapter that
just as often happens to us as Christians, the Lord through Joshua didn’t
reveal to the children of Israel all of the things that the Lord was planning
to do in and through them in conquering Jericho. They only had a partial understanding of God’s plans
and purposes regarding them, however they were still called to obey God’s
commands and trust in Him to do what He promised in their lives. They didn’t walk in blind faith, but they
also only knew only a small part of the story.
Yet, they knew enough for them to get the victory. The same is true for us as Christians today. We don’t know all of God’s plans for the
future nor why some things that He would want us to do are important, but in
His word He has told us enough that if we will do what He says there we too
will walk in His victory.
5.2. The text here tells us that the
children of
5.3. In our minds, we can see the
children of
5.3.1. We as Christians sometimes
just continue to go around and around in circles as we see the impenetrable
Jerichos that are in our life and over which we can’t seem to get victory. Then, finally one day we realize that if God
is on our side that we can do all things through Him, and it is at that time
that we are finally victorious over that trial or get victory in that area of
our life.
5.3.1.1.
I’ve seen this happen with people who for instance were doing things
like trying to quit smoking, trying to lose weight, quit cussing, etc., etc.
5.4. The Lord tells Joshua, and He subsequently tells
all of the people, that everything that is in the city is under the Lord’s
ban and that no one can take anything of all that is in the city for
himself. Only the gold and silver can be
taken, and that is to be designated for the Lord only.
5.4.1. The city of
5.4.1.1.
The giving of all of our “first fruits” to the Lord shows that we are
truly thankful to the Lord for the things that He gives us, and that we are
acknowledging that they come from Him.
5.5. Unfortunately, we will
see in the next chapter that in the excitement of a great victory that
there was a man who sinned and didn’t heed the Lord’s command concerning
the ban. We Christians have to learn
that we have greater temptations during times of victory than perhaps any other
time.
5.6. So, on this seventh circuit
around the city of Jericho that the priests again blew the trumpets, and now as
Joshua had instructed them, the children of Israel were told to shout with a
great shout so that the walls of the city would fall down flat, which they
did. The rest is history.
5.7. In Heb. 11:30, we get some
further insight into this event for the children of
5.7.1. By the children of
5.7.1.1.
There is no obedience without faith and visa versa.
5.7.2. By the children of
5.7.3. By the children of
6. VS 6:22-25 - “22 And Joshua said to the two
men who had spied out the land, “Go into the harlot’s house and bring the woman
and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her.”23 So the young men who
were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her
brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives, and placed
them outside the camp of Israel.24 And they burned the city with fire, and all
that was in it. Only the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron, they
put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.25 However, Rahab the harlot and
her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the
midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy
out Jericho.”
- Joshua records for us the salvation of
Rahab and those of her household
6.1. In chapter 2, we saw that because Rahab
had hidden the two Israeli spies in her house at risk of her own life, and then
begged for her salvation, that she demonstrated in her life that she had
true saving faith in the Lord. Here now
we see that the Lord honored her faith and she and all those of her
household were saved.
6.2. Now, it must have been the
case that since Rahab’s house was on the wall of the city of
7. VS 6:26 - “26 Then Joshua made them take an
oath at that time, saying, “Cursed before the Lord is the man who rises up and
builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his first-born he shall lay its
foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.”” - Joshua pronounces a curse on the city of
7.1. The city of
7.2. In 1 Kings 16:34, we
read that this curse was fulfilled centuries later during the reign of
wicked King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel, “34 In his days Hiel the
Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations with the loss of Abiram his
first-born, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub,
according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.”
7.3. There is one symbolism for
us from this that we would be wise to keep in mind here: never try to dig up that old haunt which the
Lord has judged and delivered you from in your life.
7.3.1. For instance:
7.3.1.1.
I have known a few people who looked up an old girlfriend or boyfriend
from the past, from a previous time in their life when they were living apart
from the Lord, and as a result a relationship began which just caused them to
once again stumble just like in the days of old before they had come to know
the Lord.
7.3.1.2.
I know people who have stumbled when they decided to visit that old
tavern that they used to frequent, and then ended up slipping back into their
old lifestyle.
7.3.2. What God has judged, leave
under His curse!
8. VS 6:27 - 27
So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.” – The epilogue here is just
that the Lord was with Joshua and he had great fame throughout the land
8.1. Joshua was exalted by the
Lord when He performed His mighty works through him.
9. CONCLUSION:
9.1. What are the Jerichos that
are in your life?
9.2. Are there areas in your life
that you have been struggling to get victory over, and yet have found yourself
failing time and again? Does victory
seem impossible to you?
9.3. Are you facing some
impossible situation in your life, and to you its an impenetrable defense, an
impregnable city?
9.4. Realize that there is
nothing that shall be too difficult for the Lord to do in your life if you will
just in faith trust that situation to Him and let Him have the freedom to work
it out.
9.4.1. Come to Him in faith,
believing that He can accomplish all in and through you.
9.4.2. Come to Him in obedience,
determining that you will persevere in obeying His every word, even if like the
children of
9.4.3. Step out in faith and trust
in the Lord’s promises in the scripture for you today. Claim and appropriate those promises which
are your birthright as children of God today.
9.4.3.1.
In the scriptures God never chastised someone who took a courageous
step of faith, but instead the Lord backed them up and gave them that
victory. He loves to do this when His
children step out in faith upon His promises.
9.4.3.1.1.
Peter wanting to step out of the boat and walk on the water.
9.4.3.1.2.
David volunteered to fight Goliath the giant Philistine warrior.
9.4.4. The Psalmist in Ps. 25:3
wrote about our confident hope that He has given to us that none of those who
wait upon the Lord shall be disappointed, “3 Indeed, none of those who wait
for Thee will be ashamed; Those who deal
treacherously without cause will be ashamed.”