Joshua 6:20, commentary and pictures

Israel circled Jericho once a day for six days in solemn silence behind priests with trumpets and the ark, then seven times on the seventh day, and at the long trumpet blast shouted as commanded until the massive walls fell flat and they went straight in and took the city. The walls fell by God's power alone and not by Israel's strength or skill, with no human hand touching them, so no warrior had cause to glory. Christ Himself as Captain of the Lord's host with His angels threw the walls down and prepared the entrance for His people. Israel took the city by believing God's promise that it was already given and by obeying His simple appointed means even when the march and trumpets seemed useless. The overthrow was judgment on a proud idolatrous stronghold that defied God, and it will be repeated when the walls of antichrist fall flat before the same Captain in the last battle of truth with error.

March Order and Collapse

For six days Israel marched once around the city each day in solemn silent order, armed men first, then seven priests with trumpets, then the ark glittering with gold under a halo of glory, then the vast army tribe by tribe under its standards with Joshua at their head, with no sound but marching feet and trumpets echoing through the city. Behind shut and closely guarded gates the watchmen of Jericho looked on in wonder and alarm, some ridiculing and others awed by the ark and the priests, remembering the parting of the Red Sea forty years before and the passage just made through the Jordan. On the seventh day they rose early and compassed the city seven times in silence, and at the seventh circuit when the priests made a longer blast Joshua commanded the people to shout because God had given them the city. At the sound of the trumpet and the great united shout the massive walls of solid stone with massive towers tottered and fell flat with a stunning crash like peals of loudest thunder.

The ark was borne before the people and carried about the city for seven days in solemn silence, then the trumpets pealed and the people gave a great shout, and the massive walls fell flat upon the earth in glorious triumph given by God through the presence of the ark. When the wall fell flat the defenders and the inhabitants with the enemy army were paralyzed with terror and offered no resistance and could offer no resistance. Israel then went straight in, every man straight before him, and entered and took the city and took possession, the city having been given by God and its massive defenses unable to withstand His word.

The taking of Jericho was the first step in the conquest of Canaan, reached by marching out from Gilgal, the first encampment in the promised land, after divine guidance sought by Joshua in prayer apart from the camp that God would go before Israel. Before the battle Christ stood before Joshua as an armed warrior with drawn sword as Captain of the host of the Lord, His glory hidden in human garb, accepted Joshua's worship, commanded him to remove his shoe because the ground was holy, and assured him that Jericho with its king and mighty men of valor was already given into his hand. He gave Joshua confidence to follow God's instruction and leave his great and perplexing burden with the Lord, a wonderful manifestation with the heavenly host present to take down the walls that Israel should never forget.

The event belongs to a chain of unrepayable blessings that ended the wandering tent-life and brought Israel to take possession of Canaan, including choosing them as His people, bringing them out of Egypt from Egyptian oppression, proclaiming His law from Sinai, dividing the Red Sea so they passed through on dry land while Pharaoh's pursuing army perished, miraculously opening a path through the waters of Jordan, giving water from the rock and bread from heaven, and rehearsing the incidents of the journey and declaring God's holy commandments under Moses before they were placed under Joshua's charge. Jericho stood not many miles from where John later baptized in the Jordan, so its nearness kept God's wonderful work before the Jews when the walls fell before the command of the Prince of heaven. That remembrance revived hope that God would again act powerfully to deliver Israel and stirred the whole nation with expectation of what the Messiah might do if He had actually come to earth.

Divine Power Alone

The walls fell by God's power alone, not by Israel's military strength or skill in warfare. The Majesty of Heaven with His army of angels leveled them before His people, so the armed warriors had no cause to glory or to claim credit for the victory. No human aid joined in the overthrow, for God by the might of His own word threw down the stronghold.

Christ Himself, the Captain of the Lord's host and mighty General of armies, with heavenly angels, was engaged in the conquest. He commanded the armies of heaven to throw down the walls and to prepare an entrance for Joshua and the armies of Israel. He with His angels attended the circuits of the ark around Jericho and delivered the city into Israel's hands. The wall fell flat and the city was placed in the hands of God's people by heavenly instrumentalities, with the heavenly host present to take down the walls.

Four heavenly angels always accompanied the ark to guard it from all danger and to fulfill every mission connected with it. Jesus the Son of God, followed by heavenly angels, attended the circuits of the ark around Jericho and finally cast down the walls.

No human hand touched the walls or cast them down. The people and the priests did their appointed part in believing and obeying, but God's word was the only weapon used. The plan was made in such simplicity that no person could take glory for the victory and God alone would be glorified. God works in His own way when men move in accordance with His will and obey their great Captain.

The victory and the conquest belonged to God alone, so the city with all that it contained was to be devoted to Him alone. Because God alone gave the victory, solemn weight was added to the command prohibiting Israel from partaking of the spoils.

Even walls of unimaginable height and strength would have fallen in the same way, so that no human warrior could claim the glory or frustrate God's will. What looks formidable God can lay even with the ground by His own power.

The ark carried around the city was only a symbol of the divine presence, not a charm and not the source of strength. The blessing and the glorious triumph came from God alone through its presence. Its presence brought blessing only as Israel obeyed the law contained in the ark, which represents God Himself.

Faith Obedience and Trust

Israel took the city by belief and obedience rather than by skill in warfare, for God had declared He would give them the country and the city had already been given to them, and they should have trusted Him to fulfill His word. The armed men’s part was to believe and obey, not to win the battle by their own strength, since taking Jericho, the key to Canaan, did not depend solely on military power.

They obeyed God’s directions though they did not see the angelic host leading them, and though the marching and trumpet blasts appeared ineffective. The repeated ceremony day after day before the walls fell tested their faith and strengthened it.

That testing taught that victory depended not on human wisdom or strength but on God as their salvation and divine Leader, requiring them to rely wholly on Him. Success comes by God’s help working with human effort, not by human wisdom or skill, so humble trust in God and faithful obedience are essential. This calls for wholehearted confidence and humble submission to the divine will without questioning or doubt, giving up all desire for self-exaltation.

The simple act of blowing trumpets around Jericho was a humble means sanctioned by God, made effectual through His power to overthrow the might of His enemies and the strongholds of Satan. It teaches simple dependence on God’s mighty arm today, for the prayer of faith offered by humble, obedient, trusting people will bring victory. God used such victories to lead Israel to rely on Him and to seek His help in every emergency.

The most complete and perfect human system apart from God’s power and wisdom will fail, while humble means God sanctions must succeed, even when the method seems unlikely. God’s wisdom in such methods is foolishness to the boastful and self-confident who do not know the mystery of godliness, for deep are the counsels of God beyond finite comprehension.

God will do marvelous things and work mightily for a faithful people who place their entire confidence in Him, helping His believing children in every emergency. The Captain of the Lord’s host directed the battle in so simple a way that God alone would receive the glory and no person would be exalted. His professed people have no strength when they trust their own wisdom and strength instead of giving the Lord opportunity to reveal His power in their behalf. His people are therefore to face seemingly overwhelming conflicts with humble faith, perseverance, and trust in His promised power, expecting supernatural help and victory rather than relying on human ability.

Judgment Memorial and Warning

The fall was God's judgment on a wealthy stronghold given to extravagant idolatry, corruption, blasphemy and wicked works, which insulted and provoked the God of heaven. That city had defied the armies of Israel and the God of heaven while trusting in its firm and high walls. The Captain of the Lord's host came Himself from heaven to lead the armies of heaven in the attack, commanding them to throw down the walls and prepare an entrance for Joshua and Israel. Angels of God laid hold of the massive walls and brought them to the ground, so that they suddenly tottered and fell with a stunning crash like peals of loudest thunder. Its people were paralyzed with terror and could offer no resistance, and Israel could enter and take the city.

The overthrow was accomplished by the might of His own word, by divine power alone and not by Israel's own strength. The victory and the conquest belonged to Him alone, and therefore the city with all that it contained was to be devoted to Him alone. That overthrow gives evidence of the destruction that will surely overtake all transgressors of God's law. Because God alone gave the victory, it gave solemn weight to the command prohibiting Israel from partaking of the spoils.

The miracle displayed God's power to defeat their enemies, strengthened Israel's faith in His power to subdue them, and rebuked their former unbelief. When the priests blew the trumpets and the people shouted as commanded, the wall fell and allowed the Israelites to go up into the city and take it. The victory was accomplished by the Lord and His angels, not by Israel's military strength or skill, and was not ascribed to Israel but to the Captain of the Lord's host with His angels engaged in the conquest. God leveled the walls without human power to impress Israel that angels under the generalship of Christ were in the camp and that heaven's army stood ready to bring them into Canaan. That army would have taken them in long before if they had been obedient, and they need not have traveled forty years in the wilderness if they had not accepted the evil report of the faithless spies and rebelled against God.

The capture was an exhibition of God's power to be kept fresh in memory and repeated by parents to their children. It was to be rehearsed together with the deliverance from Egypt, the water from the rock, the bread from heaven, and the commandments. The purpose was to teach them to serve God and keep His Sabbaths. No human general devised the plan for taking the city and no human hand touched its massive walls, for the Captain of the Lord's host gave His orders to the heavenly army and down came the walls of Jericho.

God's mighty deliverance was given to an obedient and believing Israel then walking in obedience to God. The ark carried at Jericho was but a symbol of the divine presence, not the source of blessing, for the blessings came from God alone and not from the ark itself. At that time the ark was borne by holy men in accordance with His express command, and the Captain of the Lord's host went before the repository of His law, so His arm brought deliverance for them. The verse therefore does not support a disobedient people following their own plans in opposition to divine counsel and authority who expect the symbol to make God fight for them. When they do not walk in obedience, when the ark is not so borne and the Captain does not go before them, the law under the mercy-seat condemns them to defeat, disaster, and death.

Final Battle Prophecy

The collapse of Jericho's wall will be repeated in the last battle to be fought on this earth, in the fast-approaching crisis of mind with mind, principle with principle, and truth with error. When every man who is on the Lord's side comes up to the battle of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty, the walls of antichrist shall fall flat before the Captain of the Lord's host. That coming fulfillment demands constant vigilance and unity without dissension. It demands aggressive warfare by every Scriptural and holy means, directed not against brethren nor against the Lord's anointed but against satanic agencies. It demands receiving rather than opposing the messengers and the messages God sends.

The Lord's overthrow of Jericho stands as a pledge that He will bring victory to His commandment-keeping people and defeat to all opposing elements. The walls fell when the people shouted after the priests sounded the trumpets, and Israel then entered and took the city. The same act by the Captain of the Lord's host who tore down the walls pledges that God's commandment-keeping people will triumph and every opposing element will be defeated. His servants sent with a heaven-sent message must therefore speak positively and strongly, without being condemned for doing so. God will make the ears of unwilling hearers tingle, and will denounce all who resist His Word.

Shouting to the glory of God beats back the enemy and gives victory, and singing to the glory of God often drives him off. Satan has come down in great power knowing his time is short, and the power of modern magicians has increased tenfold and is still increasing and spreading, like the magicians who opposed Moses before Pharaoh in Egypt. Unless Israel is rising and increasing in power and strength and growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth, the powers of darkness will gain the victory over them. Israel must therefore be constantly rising and must keep the ascendancy above the powers of darkness through childlike simplicity and much glorifying of God in singing and shouting.

Present Practical Applications

The fall of the wall when Israel obeyed shows how walls of racial prejudice between white and Black people will tumble down when Christians obey the commands to love God supremely and to love their neighbors impartially. The shouting at the sound of the trumpet shows how wholehearted love for God and for one another through the love of Christ can break down barriers. What God tore down at Jericho He can also build up, and applied to lack of money for churches, schools, and health institutions, He can remove financial barriers and advance His cause by His own power laying what looks formidable even with the ground without a human hand laid upon it. Yet He does nothing without human cooperation, for God works and man works together.

The casting down of the walls without human hands bringing them down shows that Christ the Captain of salvation can be with His people to give them power and grace to face opposition and trials. The Captain of the Lord's host casting down the walls shows how heavenly angels remove obstacles and help save souls. It encourages God's workers to act with courage, trusting that God can accomplish a mighty work through them.

God left human control and power out and kept the work in the hands of the great I AM, planning the taking in such simplicity that no human hand threw down the walls and no human being could take glory for the victory. So no worker is to desire power and control or seek the highest place, no one is to manage the work God should direct or take glory for what is accomplished, for people have nothing better than their fellow human beings except what God has given them, and the Lord alone is to be magnified and exalted. Men must look to God for orders and follow His directions with faith, with Jesus the Captain of the Lord's host present to lead, while God works by His might and power without waiting for the human voice to be heard. The same God still works not by might nor by power but by His Spirit through whomever He will, with faithful men like Caleb, in fighting unseen foes more formidable than giants where the devil is hard to conquer and cannot be overcome except with the sword of the Spirit. Facing seemingly overwhelming conflicts with humble faith, perseverance, and trust in promised power, His people are to expect supernatural help and victory rather than relying on finite human strength.

Israel's failure to make the most of such blessings culminated when pride, ambition, and love of applause and display hardened hearts and blinded minds so they could not discern Christ in the Man of Nazareth and would not accept Heaven's best gift in Jesus. Even their best service could never have repaid being chosen as His people, freed from Egyptian oppression, given the law proclaimed from Sinai, brought through the Red Sea on dry land while Pharaoh's pursuing army perished, and miraculously opened a path through the waters of the Jordan at the taking of Jericho.