The Walls Of Jericho Fell Down!

wise seeker · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2003 10:57 pm Post subject: The Walls Of Jericho Fell Down!

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. Hebrews 11:30

In the bible we see that miracles occurred when there was direct obedience to the Words of God spoken by God or His true prophets. As a result by faith the impregnable walls of Jericho upon which chariots could be ridden fell down after they were encircled for seven days. The bible also tells us that whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:1-4) signifying that just like by faith the walls of Jericho fell down so will any walls or barriers in our lives will fall if we use our faith. For God’s word is unchanging:

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. Matthew 21:21

Joshua, who wholly followed the Lord along with Caleb, is the Hebrew name for Jesus. He took over after Moses died, and lead the People of God into the promised land, finishing the work started by Moses 40 years before, with the second generation. Joshua was careful to heed the voice of the Lord and do as he was instructed. The bible records from day one:
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them-the children of Israel. "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. "From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Joshua 1:1-6

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" Then the Commander of the LORD'S army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:13-15

Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. "You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. "And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. "It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him." Joshua 6:1-5

Joshua was a General who not only gave orders but took orders from his Commander-in-Chief – Jesus Christ the War God or Man of War who cast into the sea Pharaoh's chariots and his chosen captains and army as described in Exodus 14 & 15. By His right hand, the ORD dashed the enemy in pieces. In the greatness of His excellence He had overthrown those who rose against Him by rising against His people. He sent forth His wrath and consumed them like stubble. The Book of Joshua not only recounts the invasion and occupation of Canaan, the distribution of the land to the tribes, and the renewal of the covenant but also the four miraculous signs that the LORD did including:

- The Jordan River became dry and allowed all the Hebrews to cross (3:12-17).
- The fall of the walls of Jericho (6).
- Rahab, the prostitute, was miraculously spared. (6:22-23)
- The sun and moon were stopped for a day (10: 13-14).

Jordan River became dry and allowed all the Hebrews to cross, as it happened with the Red Sea and Moses (3:12-17, 3-5). Through Joshua God instructed the Hebrew army to walk around the walled city once a day for six days with seven priests walking ahead of the Ark. On the seventh day, they were to walk around the city for seven times with the priests blasting on ram's-horn trumpets, finally giving one long, loud blast with all people shouting. This caused the walls of Jericho to crumble, so that Jericho was defeated. Some have speculated that the children of Israel had used sonic technology to destroy the impregnable walls, and not simply through chance, or miraculous intervention of God. But this is ridiculous because the sonic technology would not have spared Rahab and her family but only God’s miraculous protection and power. The bible records:

So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, "Go into the harlot's house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her." And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father's household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Joshua 6:20-25

Rahab, the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her were miraculously spared because she hid the Hebrew spies. She lives among the Israelites to this day for she became the grand-mother of David! (Matthew 1:5) as well as the direct lineage to Jesus signifying that all of humanity could be miraculously redeemed and saved just like Rahab was!
One of the great miracles of the bible occurred when the sun and the moon stopped so that Joshua could destroy all his and the Lord’s bitter enemies. The bible records for our profit and instruction:

Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it. And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, "Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us."
So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you."

Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: "Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. 10:5-14

Since Jesus doesn’t change and He is the same yesterday, today and forever, including being a great Man of War who is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war and He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God (Revelations 19:11-16), is a great Defender of those who put their trust in Him as well as a Miracle Working God and with God all things are possible, thereby God’s trusting ones can use their faith to obtain victory over any and every enemy and to see any and every mountain be moved into the sea. God’s word is unchanging:

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Hebrews 11:30-34

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. 1 John 5:4