A New “OnFire Cafe” Book Club series The Study of Scripture. Come Study with us in a two episode duology. We will look at Episode 01 Rahab the Harlot and Episode 02 the Walls of Jericho. This is the Second Episode Post in our Duology…
Twelve Memorial Stones
Joshua told the twelve tribes to choose one man from each tribe as they crossed the river Jordan. He instructed that one man from each tribe take a single stone from mid-Jordan. Take a stone from the place where the priests feet were standing who were holding the ark of the Covenant. Take a total of twelve stones.
Joshua told them to go on ahead of the ark into mid-Jordan and each take one stone on his shoulder. These stones corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel.
Taking these stones as a sign among the people. The waters of the River Jordan separated before the ark of the Covenant of the Lord. The stones are an everlasting reminder of this to the Israelites.
And the Israelites did as they were instructed. The twelve carried back twelve stones and set them down in the camp where they passed the night. Joshua then erected twelve stones in mid-Jordan. He erected them on the spot where the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the Covenant had stood.
The End of the Crossing
The Sons of Ruben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh crossed in battle formation at the head of the Israelites. Some forty thousand warriors ready for battle.
When the people had finished crossing, the ark of the covenant then crossed the River Jordan. It crossed with the priests to the head of the people. No sooner had the soles of the priests feet touched the solid ground, than the waters of the Jordan returned flowing as it had before.
The Camp at Gilgal
Now they had set up camp at Gilgal on the Eastern border of Jericho. And they set up those twelve stones taken from the Jordan River at Gilgal. Joshua told them it was as a reminder. God dried up the waters of the River Jordan in front of them. It was dry until they had crossed. So all the people may know the Mighty Hand of God!
West of the Jordan the People Feared
When the people heard that God had dried up the waters of the River Jordan allowing the Israelites to cross on dry land their hearts failed. And they lost their courage to resist them.
The story was told to all the kings of the Amorites living westward across the Jordan. It was also known to the Kings of the Canaanites living on the seaboard.
The Circumcisions of the Hebrews
It had come to pass that all of the males of age to bare arms who came out of Egypt had died in the desert. This happened on the long desert journey. All those who had come out of Egypt had been circumcised. But none of those born in the desert had been circumcised. For the Israelites had walked the desert for forty years until the whole nation had died out. Disobedience to God forbid them the promise land.
So God told Joshua to make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again. When the circumcision of the entire nation was finished they lay resting in the camp until they were well again.
And then God said that he had taken the shame of Egypt away from them. Hence the place was called Gilgal ever since.
Celebration of Passover
The Israelites kept the passover there in Gilgal where they had their camp. On the fourteenth day of the month, at evening, in the plain of Jericho. And on the very next day they ate of the land, unleavened bread and roasted ears of corn. And the Manna stopped the day after they had eaten of the land. The Israelites then ate the produce of Canaan and had no more Manna.
The beginning of Jericho’s Conquest near the walls of Jericho
Joshua was near Jericho when he saw a man standing in front of him grasping a naked sword. Approaching Joshua asked if he was on their side or on the side of their enemies?
The response was that he was not on either side but was the Captain of God’s Army.
Joshua fell to his knees worshiping God. He asked what message God had for his servant. And the captain of God’s army answered that he should remove his sandals for he stood on Holy Ground. And Joshua did so.
Joshua 6 :1-27
Introducing the Walls of Jericho
Capturing Jericho
1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
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.
6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.
7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord.
8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the Lord, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them.
9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
11 So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.
13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.
A Curse of Destruction – The fallen Walls of Jericho
17 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
The Preservation of Rehab’s House After the fall of the Walls of Jericho
22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Rebuilding of Jericho Cursed after the fall of the Walls of Jericho
26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.
27 So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.
This concludes the duology of Rehab the Harlot and the Walls of Jericho.
