And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
God through the Captain of the host instructed Joshua, withdrawn in prayer for guidance on taking Jericho as the first step in conquering Canaan, that all the men of war should circle the city once each day for six days with no assault, in simple obedience to His directions. Israel carried it out in solemn order with an armed vanguard, seven priests with rams' horns, the ark bearing God's law as the sign of His presence and leadership, and the host tribe by tribe in silence, returning to camp until the seventh day of seven circuits and shouting. The plan was foolishness by human military judgment against high and strong walls, yet no human hand threw them down, for Christ with His angels and the armies of heaven overthrew the city so that God alone would be glorified and no one could boast in human strength or wisdom. The long ceremony before the fall was purposed to increase faith, to teach Israel to put self out of the question and rely wholly on their divine Leader, and to prove that obedience, not ceremony or human methods, was the condition of victory. The same test of implicit faith and obedience comes to Christians in spiritual warfare and to professed keepers of God's commandments now, who must obey simply under their great Captain rather than follow human reason and plans, lest like unbelieving Israel they fail to enter the heavenly Canaan.
Command and Daily March
The instruction to circle the city was given to Joshua by the Captain of the host of the Lord, who was Christ Himself, after Joshua had withdrawn from the camp to meditate and pray for divine guidance because the reduction of Jericho was the first step in the conquest of Canaan. It came together with the assurance that Jericho with its king and mighty men of valor had been given into his hand, and the work that followed was accomplished by Christ rather than by Joshua. The course Christ Himself instructed was for all the men of war to compass the city once each day for six days, and on the seventh day to go around seven times.
The order was that all the men of war should march once around the city each day for six days, with no assault, as an act of obedience to God's directions rather than an attack by force or by their own skill. Israel carried out this first step while the walls remained standing, circling solemnly in preparation for the seventh day when they would circle seven times, the trumpets would sound, and the walls would fall. The people were to follow God's simple instructions while God would bring down the walls and receive the glory, for the conquest depended not on Israel's military strength but on God's promise and power.
The circling was performed in solemn order as Israel marched out from Gilgal, its first encampment in the promised land to begin the conquest. A chosen armed body went first, not to use skill in warfare but to believe and obey, followed by seven priests with trumpets of rams' horns, then the ark of God borne by priests in sacred dress and surrounded by a halo of divine glory, then the vast army following in perfect order tribe by tribe each under its standard. There was no sound but the tread of the host and the solemn peal of the trumpets echoing among the hills and through the streets, in pomp and majesty, and after completing the circuit the army returned silently to camp. For six days the circuit was performed this way to prepare for the seventh day of seven circuits, trumpet sounding and shouting when the walls fell.
The daily circuit in its mysterious majesty struck the watchmen, priests, rulers and people of Jericho with wonder, alarm, terror and awe as they marked every move and could not understand its purpose. Many ridiculed the manner of attack and any harm from it, while others were awed by the ark and the solemn procession and trusted their high, strong, firm walls to resist, keeping the gates tightly shut and carefully guarded by mighty warriors at each gate. Some remembered the Red Sea parted forty years before and the passage just prepared through the Jordan. When the walls suddenly tottered and fell flat with a crash like loudest thunder, terror left the people paralyzed and unable to fight or resist.
One account describes the priests bearing the ark about the city in solemn silence going round once each day for seven days, then the trumpets pealing and the people giving a great shout, after which the massive walls fell flat upon the earth. It was a wonder wrought by God when the ark went before the people and a glorious triumph that Israel afterward remembered as proof of victory through the ark. The ark containing God's law and borne around the city was the symbol of God Himself, of His own presence, promise and appointed leadership going with Israel under His watchful direction and care, so that no harm could come to them. The easy victory did not come from merely having the ark present but from obedience to the law contained in it, a point Israel later forgot when it remembered bearing the ark at Jericho and at the passage over Jordan and wrongly supposed that bringing the ark into battle alone would give triumph over the Philistines.
Victory Through Divine Power
To human military judgment the order to circle the city once a day for six days was unscientific and inconsistent, with no scientific method or skill in warfare in it. Its simple agency and long-continued ceremony looked like unmeaning, meaningless and ridiculous movements, humanly powerless against strong and towering fortifications. The principles and modes of working it embodied were widely different from the maxims and customs of the world, so that no heathen general ever waged war this way and the proud and worldly-wise would despise it.
The conquest did not depend on Israel's military strength, wisdom or might but on God's promise, power and battle plan. Christ, the Captain of the Lord's host, with His angels and the armies of heaven threw down the walls and prepared an entrance for Israel, so that not a human hand touched the city or its walls. God directed the battle and led both heavenly and human agents while human agents carried out only their assigned part. Those same heavenly armies will do many things now if men move in accordance with His will, obey their great Captain, and give God a chance to work.
God made the order so plain and simple and united human and heavenly agencies in such a way that no person could take credit, boast of overcoming the city by human power, strength or talent, or take the victory to himself. No human being is to take glory for the work accomplished but God alone was to be glorified and magnified, to keep men from lifting themselves up in pride of intellect. God Himself, the mighty General of armies and great I AM, planned how Jericho would be taken and how His work should be done, and lest man take the victory to himself no human hand was to bring down the walls. He can accomplish great things through simple means when men follow His directions and trust Him to do what they cannot.
Every human being must understand that capabilities and endowments are from the Lord, who plans how His work shall be done, instructs His servants, and works through whom He will without consulting human preferences about who shall bring His message. He will use men of highest intelligence if they let Him mold them as well as men high or low, learned or ignorant, if willing to be used. Human beings desire too much power and control and feel qualified for the highest place, but the managing work belongs in God's hands, and man's work is to obey His voice and let Him manage and guard His own work.
Continuing the ceremony so long before the overthrow was purposed to give time and opportunity for increase and development of faith. It was meant to impress thoroughly that the land was not to be gained by warfare in their own might and will but only by the God of salvation, whose strength rather than human wisdom or might gives success. It was meant to accustom Israel to put self out of the question and rely wholly on their divine Leader in submission and unqualified obedience, in contrast to going up without God's command, without the ark containing His law as the symbol of His presence, promise and appointed leadership, and without Moses and Aaron conducting the expedition under His watchful direction. Obedience, not ceremony or human methods, was the condition of victory, and the miracle strengthened faith in God's power to subdue enemies and rebuked former unbelief.
Faithful Obedience for Today
The circling of the city once a day for six days was a test of faith and obedience delivered through Joshua alone. The Captain of the Lord's host revealed Himself only to Joshua, so the congregation had to believe Joshua's report of what had been revealed to him and follow commands given in the Captain's name. They could not see the host of angels marshaled under the Son of God leading their van, yet they had to choose whether to trust and obey or to doubt, rebel and deny his authority. The long continuance of the ceremony before the overthrow was purposed to afford opportunity for increase of faith. It was meant to impress thoroughly that strength is not in the wisdom of man nor in his might but only in the God of salvation, and to accustom Israel to put self out of the question and rely wholly upon their divine Leader.
God's commands must be implicitly obeyed irrespective of the world's opinion. His principles and modes of working are widely different from the maxims and customs of the world, and no heathen general ever conducted warfare this way. The order to have all the men of war go around Jericho once a day for six days was a simple agency that the proud and worldly-wise would despise. Yet humble trust in God and faithful obedience are as essential to the Christian in waging spiritual warfare as they were at Jericho. The only sure ground of success is the help of God working with human effort, and such a victory glorifies God's name, strengthens faith, and brings enemies to shame and confusion.
The same lack of faith is tested in professed keepers of God's commandments upon whom the ends of the world are come. They must let supreme duty wield authority over human reason and obey simply instead of following their own plans. They are not to seek ways that reflect glory on self, nor to question how a mighty city could be conquered thus or how the work can be done thus. Lest like unbelieving Israel they lose heavenly Canaan, as rebellious Israel failed to enter earthly Canaan.
The capture of Jericho as the key to Canaan was to be kept fresh in memory and retold to children as an exhibition of God's power. The victory was not devised by a human general or achieved by human strength, for the Captain of the Lord's host gave the orders and not a human hand touched the city or its walls. The city was compassed in obedience to God, and the victory was wrought by the armies of the Lord's host under their heavenly General. God works in His own way when men move in accordance with His will and obey their great Captain, and those same heavenly armies will do many things now if men obey and give God a chance to work.
God through the Captain of the host instructed Joshua, withdrawn in prayer for guidance on taking Jericho as the first step in conquering Canaan, that all the men of war should circle the city once each day for six days with no assault, in simple obedience to His directions. Israel carried it out in solemn order with an armed vanguard, seven priests with rams' horns, the ark bearing God's law as the sign of His presence and leadership, and the host tribe by tribe in silence, returning to camp until the seventh day of seven circuits and shouting. The plan was foolishness by human military judgment against high and strong walls, yet no human hand threw them down, for Christ with His angels and the armies of heaven overthrew the city so that God alone would be glorified and no one could boast in human strength or wisdom. The long ceremony before the fall was purposed to increase faith, to teach Israel to put self out of the question and rely wholly on their divine Leader, and to prove that obedience, not ceremony or human methods, was the condition of victory. The same test of implicit faith and obedience comes to Christians in spiritual warfare and to professed keepers of God's commandments now, who must obey simply under their great Captain rather than follow human reason and plans, lest like unbelieving Israel they fail to enter the heavenly Canaan.
Command and Daily March
The instruction to circle the city was given to Joshua by the Captain of the host of the Lord, who was Christ Himself, after Joshua had withdrawn from the camp to meditate and pray for divine guidance because the reduction of Jericho was the first step in the conquest of Canaan. It came together with the assurance that Jericho with its king and mighty men of valor had been given into his hand, and the work that followed was accomplished by Christ rather than by Joshua. The course Christ Himself instructed was for all the men of war to compass the city once each day for six days, and on the seventh day to go around seven times.
The order was that all the men of war should march once around the city each day for six days, with no assault, as an act of obedience to God's directions rather than an attack by force or by their own skill. Israel carried out this first step while the walls remained standing, circling solemnly in preparation for the seventh day when they would circle seven times, the trumpets would sound, and the walls would fall. The people were to follow God's simple instructions while God would bring down the walls and receive the glory, for the conquest depended not on Israel's military strength but on God's promise and power.
The circling was performed in solemn order as Israel marched out from Gilgal, its first encampment in the promised land to begin the conquest. A chosen armed body went first, not to use skill in warfare but to believe and obey, followed by seven priests with trumpets of rams' horns, then the ark of God borne by priests in sacred dress and surrounded by a halo of divine glory, then the vast army following in perfect order tribe by tribe each under its standard. There was no sound but the tread of the host and the solemn peal of the trumpets echoing among the hills and through the streets, in pomp and majesty, and after completing the circuit the army returned silently to camp. For six days the circuit was performed this way to prepare for the seventh day of seven circuits, trumpet sounding and shouting when the walls fell.
The daily circuit in its mysterious majesty struck the watchmen, priests, rulers and people of Jericho with wonder, alarm, terror and awe as they marked every move and could not understand its purpose. Many ridiculed the manner of attack and any harm from it, while others were awed by the ark and the solemn procession and trusted their high, strong, firm walls to resist, keeping the gates tightly shut and carefully guarded by mighty warriors at each gate. Some remembered the Red Sea parted forty years before and the passage just prepared through the Jordan. When the walls suddenly tottered and fell flat with a crash like loudest thunder, terror left the people paralyzed and unable to fight or resist.
One account describes the priests bearing the ark about the city in solemn silence going round once each day for seven days, then the trumpets pealing and the people giving a great shout, after which the massive walls fell flat upon the earth. It was a wonder wrought by God when the ark went before the people and a glorious triumph that Israel afterward remembered as proof of victory through the ark. The ark containing God's law and borne around the city was the symbol of God Himself, of His own presence, promise and appointed leadership going with Israel under His watchful direction and care, so that no harm could come to them. The easy victory did not come from merely having the ark present but from obedience to the law contained in it, a point Israel later forgot when it remembered bearing the ark at Jericho and at the passage over Jordan and wrongly supposed that bringing the ark into battle alone would give triumph over the Philistines.
Victory Through Divine Power
To human military judgment the order to circle the city once a day for six days was unscientific and inconsistent, with no scientific method or skill in warfare in it. Its simple agency and long-continued ceremony looked like unmeaning, meaningless and ridiculous movements, humanly powerless against strong and towering fortifications. The principles and modes of working it embodied were widely different from the maxims and customs of the world, so that no heathen general ever waged war this way and the proud and worldly-wise would despise it.
The conquest did not depend on Israel's military strength, wisdom or might but on God's promise, power and battle plan. Christ, the Captain of the Lord's host, with His angels and the armies of heaven threw down the walls and prepared an entrance for Israel, so that not a human hand touched the city or its walls. God directed the battle and led both heavenly and human agents while human agents carried out only their assigned part. Those same heavenly armies will do many things now if men move in accordance with His will, obey their great Captain, and give God a chance to work.
God made the order so plain and simple and united human and heavenly agencies in such a way that no person could take credit, boast of overcoming the city by human power, strength or talent, or take the victory to himself. No human being is to take glory for the work accomplished but God alone was to be glorified and magnified, to keep men from lifting themselves up in pride of intellect. God Himself, the mighty General of armies and great I AM, planned how Jericho would be taken and how His work should be done, and lest man take the victory to himself no human hand was to bring down the walls. He can accomplish great things through simple means when men follow His directions and trust Him to do what they cannot.
Every human being must understand that capabilities and endowments are from the Lord, who plans how His work shall be done, instructs His servants, and works through whom He will without consulting human preferences about who shall bring His message. He will use men of highest intelligence if they let Him mold them as well as men high or low, learned or ignorant, if willing to be used. Human beings desire too much power and control and feel qualified for the highest place, but the managing work belongs in God's hands, and man's work is to obey His voice and let Him manage and guard His own work.
Continuing the ceremony so long before the overthrow was purposed to give time and opportunity for increase and development of faith. It was meant to impress thoroughly that the land was not to be gained by warfare in their own might and will but only by the God of salvation, whose strength rather than human wisdom or might gives success. It was meant to accustom Israel to put self out of the question and rely wholly on their divine Leader in submission and unqualified obedience, in contrast to going up without God's command, without the ark containing His law as the symbol of His presence, promise and appointed leadership, and without Moses and Aaron conducting the expedition under His watchful direction. Obedience, not ceremony or human methods, was the condition of victory, and the miracle strengthened faith in God's power to subdue enemies and rebuked former unbelief.
Faithful Obedience for Today
The circling of the city once a day for six days was a test of faith and obedience delivered through Joshua alone. The Captain of the Lord's host revealed Himself only to Joshua, so the congregation had to believe Joshua's report of what had been revealed to him and follow commands given in the Captain's name. They could not see the host of angels marshaled under the Son of God leading their van, yet they had to choose whether to trust and obey or to doubt, rebel and deny his authority. The long continuance of the ceremony before the overthrow was purposed to afford opportunity for increase of faith. It was meant to impress thoroughly that strength is not in the wisdom of man nor in his might but only in the God of salvation, and to accustom Israel to put self out of the question and rely wholly upon their divine Leader.
God's commands must be implicitly obeyed irrespective of the world's opinion. His principles and modes of working are widely different from the maxims and customs of the world, and no heathen general ever conducted warfare this way. The order to have all the men of war go around Jericho once a day for six days was a simple agency that the proud and worldly-wise would despise. Yet humble trust in God and faithful obedience are as essential to the Christian in waging spiritual warfare as they were at Jericho. The only sure ground of success is the help of God working with human effort, and such a victory glorifies God's name, strengthens faith, and brings enemies to shame and confusion.
The same lack of faith is tested in professed keepers of God's commandments upon whom the ends of the world are come. They must let supreme duty wield authority over human reason and obey simply instead of following their own plans. They are not to seek ways that reflect glory on self, nor to question how a mighty city could be conquered thus or how the work can be done thus. Lest like unbelieving Israel they lose heavenly Canaan, as rebellious Israel failed to enter earthly Canaan.
The capture of Jericho as the key to Canaan was to be kept fresh in memory and retold to children as an exhibition of God's power. The victory was not devised by a human general or achieved by human strength, for the Captain of the Lord's host gave the orders and not a human hand touched the city or its walls. The city was compassed in obedience to God, and the victory was wrought by the armies of the Lord's host under their heavenly General. God works in His own way when men move in accordance with His will and obey their great Captain, and those same heavenly armies will do many things now if men obey and give God a chance to work.