The Fall of Jericho

Text: Joshua 6:1-6

1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its mighty warriors.

3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.

4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.

5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse, and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.”

God, the Creator, chose a people—the people of Israel—and through them, He intended to reveal His power, authority, greatness, and love to all humanity. To fulfill this purpose, God allowed the Israelites to be held captive as slaves in Egypt for over 400 years. He delivered them from Pharaoh’s hand with great miracles and wonders through Moses, making His power and majesty known to other nations on earth.
As Israel journeyed through the wilderness, God performed many signs and wonders in their favor, driving out powerful kings before them. By doing so, He struck fear and terror into the hearts of the other nations, who had heard of Him and His people. The story of Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho, teaches us much about the terror that had already gripped Jericho before the Israelites even arrived to confront them.

Joshua sent two spies to explore Jericho, and they came to Rahab’s house. She not only sheltered them but also risked her life to hide and protect them from the king of Jericho. Why would she put her life on the line for strangers?

Rahab told the spies: “We (the people of Jericho) have heard all that God has done for Israel, and we know that He has delivered this city into your hands.”

Joshua 2:9-11

9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that the terror of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.

10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.

11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear, and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”

This passage speaks of a very important event well known to all Christians—the fall of the walls of Jericho. In verse 1, the Bible tells us that the inhabitants of Jericho initiated the hostility by closing their city gates, blocking Israel’s passage to the land God had promised them. Jericho positioned itself as an enemy to God’s plan and would pay the price.
As a child of God, you must remain at peace in faith and witness how every obstacle raised by the devil, his demons, and those he uses will fall and be destroyed by the power of God, who has promised to complete the work He has begun in your life. Christ never promised us a life without suffering or obstacles. But through trials caused by our enemies, God delivers us and displays His power in our lives—for us to see and for our enemies to witness.

Hebrews 11:30 teaches that the fall of Jericho’s walls was a result of Israel’s faith:
“By faith, the walls of Jericho fell after the army had marched around them for seven days.”

We must understand that true and authentic faith comes from God’s promises in a given situation, from His Word, as Romans 10:17 states:
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

Joshua, the new leader who succeeded Moses, had a habit of seeking God’s guidance in every situation Israel faced (except in the case of the city of Ai). God spoke (He made a promise), the Israelites obeyed by faith, and the miracle happened. The sequence of God’s instructions in this passage is very important.

In verse 2, God declares that He has already handed Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to Israel. From God’s perspective, it was an accomplished fact (in the spiritual realm); Jericho was already delivered. It was His will and His plan. However, for this plan—already accomplished in the spiritual realm—to manifest physically, the Israelites had to collaborate by demonstrating their obedience through an act of faith. God instructed them to march around the city behind the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant and to sound the trumpets.
Thus, it was not their actions that prompted God to decide to bring down the walls. The fall of Jericho was entirely God’s sovereign will. Their obedience (actions) followed.

When we speak of God’s promises for us today as Christians, we must understand that all His promises to us are already fulfilled in Christ and already exist within us, in our reborn spirit. Everything God has promised, is promising, and will promise is already accomplished in Christ and resides in us (2 Corinthians 1:20).

The faith we have—the active faith (given to us by God)—is not merely an act (work) but is demonstrated through actions. However, we must be cautious: faith cannot be copied, nor can works of faith be imitated. If your faith is based on certain Old Testament practices or on imitating another Christian’s actions to bring God’s intervention in your prayers, you are on a slippery slope toward disappointment. These things, unfortunately, will disappoint you and will not produce the expected results.
Faith is always accompanied by a process. The great advantage for Christians in the New Covenant is that the Holy Spirit, who now dwells within us (unlike believers in the Old Testament), inspires our steps of faith, helps, sustains, and accompanies us. We have faith in the Grace of Jesus. Faith in Grace activates the Holy Spirit and His power, which support us through the process of faith until the promise manifests. It is up to us to collaborate with the Spirit of Christ.
The Holy Spirit first reveals God’s will in a given situation, guides us, speaks to us, and gives us the strength to carry out the necessary actions for the fulfillment of His promises. This is why deepening our personal relationship with Christ is strongly recommended—to better understand and collaborate with the Holy Spirit.
A minister or a fellow believer may instruct you to do something for your miracle or may receive a revelation, but it is your responsibility to first submit it to the approval of the Spirit of Christ within you before acting. Do not do anything the Holy Spirit has not told you to do, or you will fail. It is by doing exactly what the Spirit tells you, with faith, that results come.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us remember this:

While in the Old Covenant, people were called to obey God’s commandments (the Law of Moses), in the New Covenant, Christians are called to obey faith in Christ. In the kingdom of Christ, everything begins and ends with faith. Our obedience to faith (in Grace) prepares us and enables us to fulfill God’s greatest and ultimate commandment—the commandment of Love.
As ministers of God, we must be careful not to constantly preach about “ten things to do to receive this or that” or to focus only on the commandments of the Law. We must ensure that we preach faith in Christ, Grace, and all the benefits of salvation. The Spirit of Christ will then help our congregations live according to God’s will.
This will produce a church filled with saved believers—healthy spiritually, materially, financially, and rationally—wise believers who fear God, love Him, and reflect the character of Christ. Christians filled with the Holy Spirit will bring God’s will and spiritual realities into the physical world.
It is faith in Grace that saves, heals, and works miracles. Amen and Amen!

We are blessed; have a wonderful weekend, everyone!