And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
On the second day and on each of the six days Israel circled Jericho once and returned to camp, as the Lord had instructed. They went in solemn, quiet order with armed men first, then seven priests with trumpets, then priests bearing the ark, then the host following tribe by tribe, with no sound but the tread of the march and the peal of the trumpets. The circuit was directed by Christ as Captain of the Lord's host, and heaven attended it, with Jesus and angels present with the ark to guard it and fulfill its mission. No human hand touched the city or threw down its massive walls, for Christ with the angels and the armies of heaven cast them down and gave Jericho into Israel's hands. The repeated single circuit and return teaches that success comes only as God directs His work and His people carry out their part in humble trust, faithful obedience and simplicity of faith, giving Him the glory rather than relying on human strength.
The Daily March Described
On the second day and on each of the six days Israel compassed Jericho once and returned into the camp, repeating this as the Lord had instructed. The procession went out in perfect order, with a chosen body of armed men first, not to use skill in warfare but to believe and obey rather than to fight, then seven priests with trumpets, then the ark of God borne by priests in sacred dress and surrounded by divine glory, then the vast army following tribe by tribe under its standard, the people arranged by tribe. The march was solemn and quiet, with no sound but the measured tread of the host and the solemn peal of the trumpets echoing in the hills and streets, broken only by footsteps and occasional trumpet sounds.
The march set out from Gilgal, Israel's first encampment in the promised land, for the overthrow of Jericho. The conquest was undertaken after seeking divine guidance and receiving instructions from Christ as Captain of the Lord's host, with the assurance that Jericho had been given into Israel's hand, and it was directed by Christ Himself rather than achieved by Joshua or by Israel's strength or leadership, to whom no glory belonged.
Heaven attended the daily circuit of the ark around Jericho. Jesus the Son of God followed by heavenly angels was present with the ark in its circuit, and four heavenly angels always went with the ark on all its journeys to guard it from danger and to fulfill any mission connected with it. The fall was the work of the armies of the Lord's host under their heavenly General, the Captain of the Lord's host giving His orders to the heavenly army, with no human hand touching the city or its massive walls and with the plan for compassing day after day devised by no human general.
The daily circuit in pomp and majesty with ark and priests filled the watchmen and people of Jericho with wonder, alarm and terror. They were awed because they remembered God parting the Red Sea and opening a passage through the Jordan, and not knowing what further wonders He would work they watched in fear, unsure what the repeated circuits meant. They inspected their strong defenses and kept the gates carefully closed and guarded by mighty warriors. The daily march alarmed the city, though many ridiculed the idea of harm from it and all trusted their strong walls.
God Alone Gave Victory
No human hand touched Jericho or brought down its massive walls day after day as Israel compassed it without touching the city. Christ with the angels cast down the walls and delivered the city into Israel's hands, commanding the armies of heaven to bring them down and open the way for Israel. The fall was the work of the armies of the Lord's host under their heavenly General, the Captain of the Lord's host giving His orders to the heavenly army. Jesus the Son of God followed by heavenly angels was present with the ark in its daily circuit, and four heavenly angels always went with the ark on all its journeys to guard it from danger and to fulfill any mission connected with it. God directed the battle plan for both heavenly and human agents, with the people carrying out their part while the victory remained God's work.
God planned the battle in a way so simple and so different from the warfare of the world that its means were unpromising. The trumpet blast was effective not through human strength or a powerful method or finite strength, but through God's power when obeyed and trusted, so that obedience to God's direction and trust in Him could make an unpromising means succeed. Because the plan was so simple no person could claim glory for the victory, and the Lord alone was to be magnified and exalted rather than human agents seeking glory for themselves. God can accomplish His warning and great things through simple means when His people obey and trust Him, and the same lesson applies to mission work to follow Christ's directions and have faith that God will act rather than relying on human strength. The capture was a work accomplished by Christ Himself, not by Joshua, and Israel was to give God the glory rather than claim it for human strength or leadership.
The ark was only a symbol of the divine presence given to an obedient and believing people, not the source of blessing which God alone can bestow. At Jericho the ark was carried by holy men according to God's express command, and the Captain of the Lord's host went before the repository of His law, so God's arm brought deliverance for them. The strength in that marching was not in the mere presence of the ark but in obedience to the law contained in the ark, which is a representative of God Himself. This stands in wide contrast to Israel's later state when, following their own plans in opposition to divine counsel and authority, the ark was carried presumptuously by men doomed to destruction while the law under the mercy-seat condemned the people to defeat, disaster, and death, yet they expected God to fight for them. Though Israel afterward remembered Jericho's seven days of solemn marching and the walls falling after the trumpets sounded and the people shouted, and this victory inspired hope, the conquest while bearing the ark did not mean the ark itself could secure victory apart from obedience to God's law.
The miracle strengthened Israel's faith in God's power and rebuked their earlier unbelief. The plan for compassing the city day after day was not devised by any human general. The day-by-day compassing was to be kept fresh in memory and repeated by Israelites to their children as an exhibition of God's power.
Lessons for Obedient Trust
The repeated circling once and returning to camp day after day in implicit obedience to command irrespective of the world's opinion shows conquest by simple means widely different from the warfare of the world. God directed the battle plan and the people carried out their part, yet no human hand touched the city walls, so the victory was God's work and the glory belonged to Him alone. This teaches that the only sure ground of success is the help of God working with human effort. Humble trust in God, faithful obedience to His will, and simplicity of faith are as essential to the Christian in waging spiritual warfare as they were to Joshua and Israel in taking Jericho.
God works in His own way, and the fall of Jericho with not a human hand touching the city was the work of the armies of the Lord's host under their heavenly General. He will do many things for His people if they move in accordance with His will, obeying their great Captain and giving Him a chance to work. Israel was not to treat the taking of Jericho as depending solely on military strength, but to trust God to fulfill His promise to give Canaan. The same lesson applies to mission work, for marching around once each day for six days following God's directions shows that God can accomplish great things through simple means when His people obey and trust Him. Follow Christ's directions and have faith that God will act, rather than relying on human strength, and the victory comes from God so He receives the glory.
On the second day and on each of the six days Israel circled Jericho once and returned to camp, as the Lord had instructed. They went in solemn, quiet order with armed men first, then seven priests with trumpets, then priests bearing the ark, then the host following tribe by tribe, with no sound but the tread of the march and the peal of the trumpets. The circuit was directed by Christ as Captain of the Lord's host, and heaven attended it, with Jesus and angels present with the ark to guard it and fulfill its mission. No human hand touched the city or threw down its massive walls, for Christ with the angels and the armies of heaven cast them down and gave Jericho into Israel's hands. The repeated single circuit and return teaches that success comes only as God directs His work and His people carry out their part in humble trust, faithful obedience and simplicity of faith, giving Him the glory rather than relying on human strength.
The Daily March Described
On the second day and on each of the six days Israel compassed Jericho once and returned into the camp, repeating this as the Lord had instructed. The procession went out in perfect order, with a chosen body of armed men first, not to use skill in warfare but to believe and obey rather than to fight, then seven priests with trumpets, then the ark of God borne by priests in sacred dress and surrounded by divine glory, then the vast army following tribe by tribe under its standard, the people arranged by tribe. The march was solemn and quiet, with no sound but the measured tread of the host and the solemn peal of the trumpets echoing in the hills and streets, broken only by footsteps and occasional trumpet sounds.
The march set out from Gilgal, Israel's first encampment in the promised land, for the overthrow of Jericho. The conquest was undertaken after seeking divine guidance and receiving instructions from Christ as Captain of the Lord's host, with the assurance that Jericho had been given into Israel's hand, and it was directed by Christ Himself rather than achieved by Joshua or by Israel's strength or leadership, to whom no glory belonged.
Heaven attended the daily circuit of the ark around Jericho. Jesus the Son of God followed by heavenly angels was present with the ark in its circuit, and four heavenly angels always went with the ark on all its journeys to guard it from danger and to fulfill any mission connected with it. The fall was the work of the armies of the Lord's host under their heavenly General, the Captain of the Lord's host giving His orders to the heavenly army, with no human hand touching the city or its massive walls and with the plan for compassing day after day devised by no human general.
The daily circuit in pomp and majesty with ark and priests filled the watchmen and people of Jericho with wonder, alarm and terror. They were awed because they remembered God parting the Red Sea and opening a passage through the Jordan, and not knowing what further wonders He would work they watched in fear, unsure what the repeated circuits meant. They inspected their strong defenses and kept the gates carefully closed and guarded by mighty warriors. The daily march alarmed the city, though many ridiculed the idea of harm from it and all trusted their strong walls.
God Alone Gave Victory
No human hand touched Jericho or brought down its massive walls day after day as Israel compassed it without touching the city. Christ with the angels cast down the walls and delivered the city into Israel's hands, commanding the armies of heaven to bring them down and open the way for Israel. The fall was the work of the armies of the Lord's host under their heavenly General, the Captain of the Lord's host giving His orders to the heavenly army. Jesus the Son of God followed by heavenly angels was present with the ark in its daily circuit, and four heavenly angels always went with the ark on all its journeys to guard it from danger and to fulfill any mission connected with it. God directed the battle plan for both heavenly and human agents, with the people carrying out their part while the victory remained God's work.
God planned the battle in a way so simple and so different from the warfare of the world that its means were unpromising. The trumpet blast was effective not through human strength or a powerful method or finite strength, but through God's power when obeyed and trusted, so that obedience to God's direction and trust in Him could make an unpromising means succeed. Because the plan was so simple no person could claim glory for the victory, and the Lord alone was to be magnified and exalted rather than human agents seeking glory for themselves. God can accomplish His warning and great things through simple means when His people obey and trust Him, and the same lesson applies to mission work to follow Christ's directions and have faith that God will act rather than relying on human strength. The capture was a work accomplished by Christ Himself, not by Joshua, and Israel was to give God the glory rather than claim it for human strength or leadership.
The ark was only a symbol of the divine presence given to an obedient and believing people, not the source of blessing which God alone can bestow. At Jericho the ark was carried by holy men according to God's express command, and the Captain of the Lord's host went before the repository of His law, so God's arm brought deliverance for them. The strength in that marching was not in the mere presence of the ark but in obedience to the law contained in the ark, which is a representative of God Himself. This stands in wide contrast to Israel's later state when, following their own plans in opposition to divine counsel and authority, the ark was carried presumptuously by men doomed to destruction while the law under the mercy-seat condemned the people to defeat, disaster, and death, yet they expected God to fight for them. Though Israel afterward remembered Jericho's seven days of solemn marching and the walls falling after the trumpets sounded and the people shouted, and this victory inspired hope, the conquest while bearing the ark did not mean the ark itself could secure victory apart from obedience to God's law.
The miracle strengthened Israel's faith in God's power and rebuked their earlier unbelief. The plan for compassing the city day after day was not devised by any human general. The day-by-day compassing was to be kept fresh in memory and repeated by Israelites to their children as an exhibition of God's power.
Lessons for Obedient Trust
The repeated circling once and returning to camp day after day in implicit obedience to command irrespective of the world's opinion shows conquest by simple means widely different from the warfare of the world. God directed the battle plan and the people carried out their part, yet no human hand touched the city walls, so the victory was God's work and the glory belonged to Him alone. This teaches that the only sure ground of success is the help of God working with human effort. Humble trust in God, faithful obedience to His will, and simplicity of faith are as essential to the Christian in waging spiritual warfare as they were to Joshua and Israel in taking Jericho.
God works in His own way, and the fall of Jericho with not a human hand touching the city was the work of the armies of the Lord's host under their heavenly General. He will do many things for His people if they move in accordance with His will, obeying their great Captain and giving Him a chance to work. Israel was not to treat the taking of Jericho as depending solely on military strength, but to trust God to fulfill His promise to give Canaan. The same lesson applies to mission work, for marching around once each day for six days following God's directions shows that God can accomplish great things through simple means when His people obey and trust Him. Follow Christ's directions and have faith that God will act, rather than relying on human strength, and the victory comes from God so He receives the glory.