Reading Joshua 6 is one of those energy boosts I needed...it's one of the many Old Testament stories that made me want to do this year's reading challenge!! I'm sure that, long ago, our church had some felt cut-out banner on our Sunday school wall picturing the event. But studying it...that's what I've been waiting for.
The coolest thing I realized what that it wasn't so much about the walls of Jericho falling down...but how that came to happen. The battle victory was handed to Joshua BEFORE they marched. They took their forces, and were led by the ark of the covenant. They had instructions never used by an army before, yet they followed and by their faith in what God said to do the walls fell down before them and they took the city. It wasn't by the vast numbers or brute strength of their soldiers...it was already decided by God, and they just had to listen and obey.
So they took the city. But they killed everyone and everything, and were to keep nothing for themselves. Seems pretty harsh, and hard to understand why God would take life with such clear instructions to leave no man, woman, or child alive. But if you think about it in a Revelation kind of way...when Jesus returns the same thing will happen. The people of the city were a stronghold of rebellion against God and He knew that, if they were allowed to live, they would bring their sin to the people of Israel and corrupt his chosen people.
The study notes in my Bible had this to say near the end of this chapter: "We must not let the desire for personal gain distract us from our spiritual purpose". Something about that spoke to me, so I wanted to write it down. :)
