Joshua 6:5
And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.
At the long blast of the ram's horn all the people were to shout with a great shout, and then the wall of the city would fall down flat so that every man could advance straight before him into the city. The command required the men of war to circle the city once daily for six days and seven times on the seventh day, with seven priests bearing seven trumpets before the ark and vanguard and rear guard in place, while the people kept silent until ordered to shout. The fall did not come by Israel's strength, military skill, or wisdom, but was accomplished by Christ as Captain of the Lord's host with the armies of heaven working unseen. God brought the victory through simple means in His own way so that no person could claim credit or take glory, but He alone would be magnified. Victory depended on obedience to God's directions even when the course seemed unlikely to succeed, and the same humble trust and implicit obedience is essential for Christians in spiritual warfare.
March, Blast, and Collapse
The command was that when the priests drew out the ram's-horn blast to its long, prolonged note and the trumpet sound was heard, all the people were to break their silence with a great, loud shout, and then the city wall would fall down flat so that every man could go up straight before him into the city. That shout was joined to obedient action upon God's promised gift of the city, and its fulfillment did not depend on assault or skill in battle.
All the men of war were to compass the city once each day for six days, and on the seventh day to go around Jericho seven times. Seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns were to pass on before the ark of the Lord, with him that was armed passing on before the ark and a rear guard coming after the ark, the priests blowing with the trumpets while the people remained silent until commanded to shout. Chosen armed men went in front, then the seven priests with trumpets, then the ark of God borne by priests, then the vast army by tribes under their standards.
Israel marched in perfect order with the ark of God borne among the people in solemn, dead silence broken only by the measured tread of the host and the solemn peal or occasional sound of the trumpets. Jericho stood with closed and guarded gates, and its massive walls of solid stone with towers and battlements seemed to defy siege. The watchers on the walls and the people within looked on through the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth circuits with rising terror, awe and fear. The ark was thus carried about the city for seven days in solemn silence before the trumpets pealed and the people shouted.
At the first dawn of light on the seventh day Joshua marshaled the armies of Israel and directed them to march seven times around the city. When the seventh circuit was completed the procession halted and paused. Then the trumpets broke forth in a shaking blast that shook the earth, and at the mighty peal all Israel gave a mighty shout with a loud voice because God had given them the city. The massive stone walls tottered, heaved from their foundations, and fell flat in ruin upon the earth with a crash like a thousand thunders. The inhabitants and men of war were left terrified and paralyzed with terror, offering no resistance, as Israel ascended and marched straight before them straight in and took the city and took possession of it.
That overthrow of Jericho was accomplished by marching out from Israel's first encampment in the promised land at Gilgal, beginning the campaign of conquest from there.
Victory by God's Power
Jericho did not fall by assault, and its overthrow came not by Israel's strength, military skill, wisdom, or might. It was accomplished by Christ Himself as Captain of the Lord's host, with the armies and angels of heaven working unseen to defeat the enemies of His people. The Son of God led attending angels invisible to the congregation and communicated only with Joshua, while human and heavenly agents each had their assigned parts in the plan. No human general devised the plan, and no human hand touched or brought down the massive walls; the orders came from the heavenly General, and the walls fell flat by the work of the armies of the Lord's host under Him.
The commanded daily marching around the city and blowing of rams' horns looked unscientific, useless, meaningless and ridiculous, with no power in themselves to affect the towering fortifications. Against the word that Jericho had been given into Israel's hand, human strength was powerless, and the command joined the people's obedient action to God's promised gift of the city. God arranged the victory in His own way through simple means and a simple act of obedience, and He would accomplish the rest. It was so ordered that no person could claim credit, boast, or take glory to himself for bringing down the walls, lest man take the glory of the victory. God alone was to be glorified and magnified, for He plans how the work shall be done and works through whom He will to accomplish great things.
Continuing the ceremony so long before the final overthrow developed and strengthened Israel's faith in God's power. The miracle rebuked their earlier unbelief. It taught them to rely wholly upon their divine Leader rather than upon human wisdom and might, requiring them to trust Joshua's God-given authority and to believe or doubt his words and obey or deny his authority in God's name.
Faith, Obedience, and Witness
Victory at Jericho depended on obedience to God's directions even when the commanded course seemed unlikely to succeed, and the fall of the wall followed those instructions to show that triumph comes through obedience rather than through ceremonies, display, or human methods. It did not come from merely having the ark present, but from obedience to the law contained in the ark, which represents God Himself. God Himself directed Israel to go up and take Jericho and promised to go with them, with the ark containing His law as the symbol of His presence and of Himself. Moses and Aaron as His appointed leaders were to conduct the expedition under His watchful direction, and with such supervision no harm could come to the people. The land of promise was to be gained not by warfare but through submission and unqualified obedience to His commands.
Israel was to trust God to give Jericho as the key to Canaan rather than depend on military strength alone, because He had promised the country and had already acted powerfully by bringing them out of Egypt, opening a path through the sea, and destroying Pharaoh's pursuing army. Fear about possessing the land showed unbelief and failure to trust the Guide who had led them. Like Gideon's victory, the simple act of blowing the trumpet around Jericho was made effectual by God's power to overthrow the might of His enemies, and the people were to obey in faith while God did the rest. The most unpromising divinely appointed method entered upon with humility and faith succeeds, while the most complete human system apart from God's power and wisdom fails. God thereby brought down the walls through a simple act done according to His directions so that glory went to Him rather than to human strength, showing that He can accomplish great things through humble people, weak instrumentalities, and simple means.
No human general devised the plan and no human hand brought down the massive walls, for the Captain of the Lord's host gave the orders and the walls fell by God's power. The event was to be kept fresh in memory and taught to children as a memorial of God's works. Israel later remembered this easy victory when bearing the ark of the covenant and wrongly concluded that merely bringing and carrying the ark into battle would by itself give triumph over enemies.
The fall was a victory unlike any in the history of nations, won not by military wisdom, skill, or worldly methods but by God alone working through simple means that the world despises. Divine principles and modes of working are widely different from those of the world, and the only sure ground of success is the help of God working with human effort. The same humble trust and implicit, faithful obedience required of Joshua are as essential to the Christian in spiritual warfare and in waging warfare against spiritual enemies. Workers are to depend on God while faithfully doing their assigned part in a plan where human and heavenly agents each have their parts, with no human hand touching the walls so that no person could claim credit. If men move in accordance with God's will and obey their great Captain, giving God a chance to work in His own way, the same heavenly agencies under their heavenly General will do many things for God's people. No human being is to take glory for the work accomplished, but the Lord alone is to be magnified today, for God plans in His own way how the work shall be done and works through whom He will. By studying Christ, obeying Him, drinking daily at the fountain of wisdom, seeking wisdom daily, and putting on righteousness, apart from conformity to the opinions and customs of the ungodly, the believer is assured of God's presence, protection, and willingness to accomplish great things through weak instrumentalities.