Joshua 6:7, commentary and pictures

The command ordered Israel's first conquest in Canaan, placing an armed guard ahead of the ark of God's presence, followed by seven priests with trumpets, the ark itself, and the army in tribal order to circle Jericho. They were to march around once daily for six days in silence broken only by trumpets, then seven times on the seventh day and shout, at which the massive walls fell flat and they took the city. The victory was won not by fighting or military skill but by Christ as Captain of heaven's armies throwing down the walls, so no human hand touched them and God alone received the glory. The ark itself held no power but symbolized God's presence, bringing victory only as Israel obeyed the law within it and fulfilled the covenant conditions. God's people today are likewise to do their appointed part in humble, implicit obedience and leave the outcome to God, trusting His Spirit rather than human wisdom or might.

Setting and Order of March

The command to pass on and compass the city with the armed men before the ark of the LORD was the divine instruction for the capture of Jericho as the first step in the conquest of Canaan. Jericho was the key to Canaan, and its taking belonged to trusting God's promise to give the land rather than thinking victory depended solely on power of arms. It came nearly forty years after the rebellion, with God's direction to go up and take Jericho and His promise to go with Israel. It was received when Joshua withdrew to meditate and pray for assurance that God would go before Israel. The command came from Christ, the Exalted One, standing before Joshua as Captain of the host of the Lord, with the assurance that Jericho with its king and mighty men of valor was given into Joshua's hand.

The march it commands set out from Gilgal, Israel's first encampment in the promised land, to overthrow Jericho. Joshua gave the people the plan for taking Jericho that had been given him, first calling the priests to take up the ark of the covenant with seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before it, then ordering the people to move forward around the city with armed men marching before the ark of the Lord. A chosen body of armed men went first before the ark of the LORD to compass the city. Next after them came seven priests with trumpets, then the ark of God borne by priests in sacred dress denoting holy office and surrounded by a halo of divine glory as a symbol of God's presence, with the Captain of the Lord's host going before it, and then the vast army following behind in perfect order in ranks arranged by tribe each under its own standard. The march followed God's instructions and placed Israel's forces in an ordered procession around the city.

All the men of war were to compass the city once each day for six days and go around it seven times on the seventh day. For six days the host made the circuit of the city, and on the seventh day with the first dawn of light in the early morning Joshua marshaled the armies to march seven times around Jericho. They compassed the city with the ark in solemn silence except for the measured tread of many feet and the peal of the trumpets, with only the tread of the host and the occasional trumpet heard. After completing the circuit they returned silently to their tents and put the ark back in the tabernacle. The ark of God was thus borne about the city for seven days in solemn silence with armed men going before it.

On the seventh day after seven circuits they were at the mighty peal of the trumpets to shout with a loud voice because God had given them the city. When the seventh circuit was completed the long procession paused, the trumpets broke forth in a blast that shook the earth, and at the peal of the trumpets and the great shout of the people the massive walls fell flat to the earth. Those walls were of solid stone with massive towers and battlements that seemed to defy siege, yet they tottered and heaved from their foundations and fell in ruin to the earth. Watchers looked on with rising fear at the mysterious movements, and the inhabitants were paralyzed with terror, so Israel marched in and took possession of the city.

God Alone Gave Victory

The armed men ordered to pass on before the ark were to lead the procession around Jericho, not to attack or employ their skill in warfare, but to believe and obey the directions given from God. A chosen body went first to compass the city, followed by seven priests with trumpets, then the ark of God borne by priests in sacred dress and surrounded by a halo of divine glory, with the vast army following behind in perfect order arranged by tribe each under its own standard. After completing the circuit they returned silently to their tents and put the ark back in the tabernacle, relying on obedience rather than their own strength. They compassed the city in solemn silence except for the tread of the host and the peal of the trumpets, once each day for six days, and on the seventh day marched seven times around and at the trumpet blast shouted with a loud voice because God had given them the city, and the walls of solid stone tottered and fell in ruin so Israel took possession.

The conquest was not to be credited to Israel's military strength, for Christ as Captain of the Lord's host commanded heaven's armies to bring down the walls and open the way for Joshua and Israel. The capture was directed by God as commander of both heavenly and human forces, not devised by a human general, and the Captain gave the orders to the heavenly army. No human hand touched the massive walls before they fell, and no human hand brought them down, so no person could claim credit for the victory. Israel was to direct its attention to God rather than take the glory for itself, and the miracle displayed God's power, strengthened Israel's faith, and rebuked earlier unbelief. The event was to be kept fresh in memory and retold to children as an example of God's power.

The battle was planned by God with such simplicity that no human could claim the glory of victory, and the Lord alone was to be magnified. It was a victory unlike any in the history of nations, won by simple means under divine direction completely different from the warfare of heathen generals, and arranged in a simple way so that God alone would receive the glory and no person would be exalted. The simple act of blowing trumpets around Jericho became effective through God's power and overthrew His enemies. God can accomplish great things through weak or unpromising means when they are divinely appointed and used with humility and faith, and He can use humble people and simple means to accomplish His work. Its success must be ascribed to God alone, glorifying His name, strengthening the faith of Israel, and bringing shame and confusion on His enemies, for the only sure ground of success is the help of God working with human effort, not human wisdom and skill. Preserving simplicity of faith through humble trust in God and faithful obedience to His will is as essential for the Christian in spiritual warfare as it was for Joshua and Gideon in the battles of the Lord.

The ark borne about Jericho for seven days by holy men, with the Captain going before it, was a symbol of God's presence and a representative of God Himself, not a source of power in itself. Its sacredness came from the law of God contained inside it, and its presence brought victory only as Israel obeyed that law and fulfilled the conditions of the covenant. Blessings depended on God rather than on the object, and at the peal of the trumpets and the great shout the massive walls fell flat to the earth in glorious triumph wrought on that condition. Victory did not come from merely having or carrying the ark, and carrying it did not by itself guarantee success. Israel later remembered that victory and the crossing of the Jordan with the ark, but strength was in obedience to the law represented by the ark.

Trust and Obedience Today

God directed the battle at Jericho and assigned His people a part in carrying out His plan, and they were to pass on and compass the city with the armed men before the ark of the LORD while He did the rest. Human agents took part, but God alone brought the victory, so the glory belonged to Him and they were to do their appointed work while depending on Him rather than claiming control or credit. The victory was unlike any in the history of nations, won by simple means under divine direction completely different from the warfare of heathen generals. The only sure ground of success is the help of God working with human effort, not human wisdom and skill. The command to march had to be implicitly obeyed regardless of worldly opinion, trusting God's promise to give the land rather than thinking victory depended solely on power of arms. Failure to trust ignored how God had already led and protected Israel. Preserving simplicity of faith through humble trust in God and faithful obedience to His will is as essential for the Christian in spiritual warfare as it was for Joshua and Gideon in the battles of the Lord, for God can accomplish great things through weak or unpromising means when divinely appointed and used with humility and faith.

The same God still works by whom He will, not by might nor by power but by His Spirit. No human hand touched Jericho, for the victory was won by the armies of the Lord's host under their heavenly General, and those heavenly armies will do many things when men move in accordance with God's will and obey their great Captain. Giving God a chance to work in His own way means not following human plans and not waiting on human direction from a central place. Such obedience requires faithful workers like Caleb, following the directions of Jesus the Captain of the Lord's host with faith in Him in warfare against unseen foes more formidable than giants, where the devil cannot be overcome by any weapon save the sword of the Spirit. The miracle displayed God's power to glorify His name, strengthen Israel's faith and rebuke earlier unbelief, and bring shame and confusion on His enemies. The event was to be kept fresh in memory and retold to children as an example of God's power, for the capture was directed by God and not devised by a human general, with the Captain of the Lord's host giving orders to the heavenly army. With God's appointed leaders directing movements under divine supervision and the ark containing His law borne before the armies, no harm could come to them, unlike going to battle without the ark and without God's appointed leader.