Jos-Lesson 7

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JOSHUA 6
Lesson #07
GOD’S PLAN GOD’S WAY

• Memory verse: Hebrews 11:30

• Read Joshua 6:1-16
• Background:
• The name Jericho means “fragrant with spices”.
• It signifies the allurement of the world. There was a fresh water spring there.
• It was not a big city, only 7 acres, but it was a mighty fortress with double walls.
• Geography:
• The city was important in warfare. On the West there were steep hills.
• Gilgal was in the Jordan Valley, and Jericho controlled the ascent to the mountains.
• The city of Ai was at the head of the ascent.
• Inhabitants:
• The people were Canaanites, first mentioned in Gen 10:18.
• They were the inhabitants of Sodom & Gomorrah. (Gen 13:13 Gen 19:1-28). God had been patient with these people and given them warning signs of impending doom through rumor.
• Remember Rahab had heard the rumors.
• The fall of Jericho is a righteous judgment for a deteriorated moral condition.
• The strategic plan:
• What was the marching plan?
• For six days they were to march one time around the city in silence except for the trumpets blowing.
• Because it was not a big city, by the time the leading people would get all the way around the city, the last group would just be starting. In this way, the city was totally surrounded.
• There were about 40,000 Israelites.
• The Ark of the Covenant was to lead the battle.
• On the seventh day they were to march seven times around the city.
• God’s intentions:
• What is interesting to notice is that every detail of God’s plan violates the Mosaic Law that God gave Moses in the wilderness. For example:
• =1= The ark was not to go to battle because it was carried by the Levites.
• =2= The priests of the tribe of Levi were not to go to war. (Num 1:3, 49)
• =3= The Israelites were not to work on the seventh day, much less than to work double on the seventh day. (Exo 12:16)
• What was God trying to accomplish through this plan?
• This was a test of obedience to God’s specific direction. God did not intend obedience to legalistic rules.
• God does not function by formula but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• God could have done it without the ritual, so why the ritual?
• It was demoralizing and confusing to the Canaanites.
• It was a test of faith and obedience for the Israelites.
• It creates a bond of unity among the Israelites.
• The blast of the ram’s horn trumpets:
• What is the significance of the blast of the trumpets of ram’s horn? (5)
• It was used to gather the people for war and for worship.
• It announced the presence of God.
• It was used to proclaim the judgment of God.
• It was used to announce of the year of Jubilee (every 50 years) and on the Day of Atonement. The year of Jubilee was a Sabbatic year of freedom and God’s rest. (Lev 25:8-13)
• For Joshua and his people, the ram’s horn represents a call to possess the Promised Land because God was with them. Therefore it was a declaration of victory by faith.
• The Ark of the Covenant is frequently mentioned in this chapter to indicate the presence of God. Remember that God’s rest is the obtaining of all of God’s blessings by faith through Jesus Christ.
• The significance of silence:
• There is a specific time to wait upon the Lord before beginning an action.
• There is a specific time to listen to God’s instruction in silence.
• When we have a tendency to do all of the talking in prayer without listening, we miss hearing God’s voice.
• Communication with God is a two-way process that can only be accomplished if we stop and listen.
• The numbers six and seven in this chapter:
• What is the significance of the number six throughout the chapter?
• Six days = man’s efforts or man’s works.
• Therefore six is the number of man that comes short of the glory of God.
• The number seven represents God’s completion or perfection.
• Seventh day = a day of rest: entering into God’s rest
• Seven trumpets = God gets the complete glory for victory
• Seventh times around the city = God’s number of completion for victory.
• The archaeological evidence of Jericho:
• Excavations of the ancient city of Jericho have given us some interesting facts about this miraculous event of the fall of Jericho.
• There was an upper city with a surrounding wall and a lower city with a surrounding wall.
• Rahab’s house was located in the lower city which was the slum area of the city.
• Evidence shows that the walls fell from beneath so as to fall completely. (20)
• When the lower wall fell, the rubble of the lower city made it possible to use the rubble as a ramp to climb to the upper city.
• Usually grain in a city was valued by a conquering army. However, in Jericho archaeologists found large jars of grain in the city that has evidence of having been burned. (24)
• Archaeological evidence of Jericho verifies the Biblical account in every detail.
• Application:
• What lessons can we learn from this passage?
• In the battles of life, there is a time to be still and wait on God. (Exo 14:13). Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.
• There is a spiritual warfare against the stronghold of our enemy, Satan (Eph 6:12-18)
• Faith and obedience are important ingredients to victory.
• Man does his part and God does the rest so that He gets the glory.
• God’s strategy is perfect.
• Spiritual warfare:
• Why do Christians need to do spiritual warfare?
• There is a personal reason. We have an inner conflict with the old flesh nature. (Rom 7:15-8:2)
• There is a positional reason. Because we are the sheep of Christ, Satan seeks to attack and devour us. (1Pet 5:8-9)
• There is a reason of preparation. We are being prepared to rule and reign with Christ (2Tim 2:12).
• Who do we fight against?
• We fight the prince of this world…Joh 12:31…because he claims a throne.
• We fight the god of this age…2Cor 4:4…because he claims worship.
• We fight the prince of the power of the air…Eph 2:2…because he claims all authority.
• What are Satan’s methods and activities?
• He seeks to blind men’s spiritual eyes…2Cor 4:4
• He changes into an angel of light…2Cor 11:14-15
• He makes men disobedient…Eph 2:2
• He accuses believers…Rev 12:10
• He deceives men…Rev 12:9

• Read Jos 6:17-27 The fall of Jericho
• Instruction to the people after the battle:
• Everything in the city was “accursed” which means = set apart and dedicated to God for destruction.
• The exceptions to the rule:
• They were not to destroy the household of Rahab for her faithfulness to the two spies.
• They were not to destroy all metal objects. (21) Metal objects could be used later for making weapons. The metal objects were put into the treasury.
• The warning: (18)
• The people were to be careful to be obedient to these rules.
• If they were not obedient, they would become “accursed”.
• If they were not destroyed, their sin would affect the whole camp of Israel.
• Joshua’s prophecy: (26)
• Joshua put a curse on the land where Jericho existed. If anyone rebuilt the city of Jericho he would reap a curse in his children.
• This prophecy was fulfilled in the reign of King Ahab.
• Read 1Kin 16:33-34
• The burning of the city (24) Why did they burn the city?
• The city was to be a burnt offering to God.
• The city was an offering to God as first fruits. The concept of first fruits was to give God a small part of the first harvest in anticipation of a larger harvest to come by faith.

HOMEWORK
JOSHUA 7
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Joshua 6:
• What is the major battle that you are fighting today?

• Is there some obedience involved that you have not done?

• Is there a step of faith involved that you have not taken?

• Is there some cooperating action involved that you need to do?

• Preparation for Joshua 7
• Read Joshua 7:1-26
• Read Malachi 3:7-12
• Why did the Israelites fail to conquer the city of Ai?

• Review Joshua 6:17-27 and Joshua 7. What important lessons (principles) did you learn about God’s ways of accomplishing things?

• Can you think of any New Testament story that parallels the story of Achan?

• Review the memorials Joshua set up in Joshua 4:3 and Joshua 4:9. What significance is the new memorial in Joshua 7:26?

• Think about it: Is the battle ever the same after sin and disobedience have been dealt with?

• Memory verse: Luke 6:38