Joshua 6:2-4, 12-20
SS Lesson for 06/26/2011
Devotional Scripture: 1 Cor 15:50-58
The major outline of the lesson came from the Bible Expositor and Illumninator. This week's lesson explains how God Gives Victory. The study's aim is to show that God is a victorious God who works on the side of those who trust Him. The study's application is to teach us that when we trust God, He will make us victorious.
Victory in “Complete Surrender”
Chariots of Fire is the title of a 1981 movie. The film is a tribute to Eric Liddell (1902–1945), the “Flying Scotsman,” who won two medals in the 1924 Olympic games held in Paris: the gold medal in a 400-meter race and a bronze medal in a 200-meter race. The film vividly shows Liddell’s commitment to his faith in that he would not participate in events on Sunday. He had learned about the timing for such events several months before, but the film portrays him as acquiring this information just as he was boarding the ship to go with the team to France. His prior knowledge gave him a chance to train for the 400-meter competition instead of his specialty, the 100-meter event. He was not expected to do well, but he set a world record with a time of 47.6 seconds. Liddell was born to missionary parents in northern China. A year after the 1924 games and after graduating from college, he returned as a missionary and teacher to the country of his birth. He was interred in a Japanese prison camp during World War II, where he was assigned to be a math teacher and a supervisor for a sports program. A brain tumor eventually caused his death while in captivity. His last words were reported to be, “It’s complete surrender.” Complete surrender to God’s will is always the route to victory for God’s people, whether marching around ancient Jericho or confronting a modern evil.
Lesson Background
Following the events of last week’s lesson, the nation of Israel moved to the edge of the Jordan River and waited three days for further instructions. The people were commanded to sanctify themselves, for their quest was to be spiritual as well as physical. The people were instructed to stay at least 3,000 feet (2,000 cubits) from the ark (Joshua 3:4). It is suggested that this showed respect for God’s presence in their midst, and it allowed more people to witness the coming miracle. The Lord spoke to Joshua and said that Joshua would be magnified through what was about to happen (3:7). As the feet of the priests touched the edge of the Jordan, the waters retreated to the town of Adam (Joshua 3:15, 16), about 16 miles north of the mouth of the Dead Sea. Thus a very wide area became available to use. Some of the older Israelites had experienced the crossing of the Red Sea in their youth, and they should have had no hesitation about moving forward. This is one of the great miracles of the Old Testament, but some have tried to minimize it by finding natural explanations. It is true that the flow of the Jordan has been stopped temporarily several times when cliff banks fell into the water in upstream locations. Those instances do not account for what we see in the text: the timing when the waters receded, the timing when the waters returned, and the fact that the Israelites crossed on dry ground (Joshua 3:17). The Lord instructed Joshua to build a memorial for this event at the new campsite west of the Jordan, a place that would be called Gilgal. Twelve stones from the riverbed formed the altar (Joshua 4:1–3). Joshua then took the initiative in having a second memorial (4:9). When future generations would ask about the memorials, they were to be told what the Lord did for his people (vv. 6, 7). The rite of circumcision had not been observed during the wilderness wanderings (Joshua 5:5). So Joshua instructed the people to renew this aspect of their covenant relationship with the Lord (5:2–9). The word Gilgal is from a verb that means “to roll,” so a noun form of the word was given to this site where this distinctive shortcoming was rolled away (5:9). According to the instructions given by Moses 40 years before, the Passover was observed on the fourteenth day of the first month (Exodus 12; Joshua 5:10). The manna ceased on the next day (Joshua 5:12). Thus all the cooks in Israel had to improvise new recipes.
The children of Israel were now west of the Jordan River and encamped at Gilgal in the land of Canaan. God had miraculously dried up the river so that the people could cross over into Canaan. Memorials had been set up, manna had ceased coming from heaven, circumcision had been performed, and everybody was waiting for the next phase of conquering the land. As Joshua waited for further instructions, he decided to go out and look over Jericho and make some observations about their first challenge. How were they going to take Jericho before moving on? God is always good to give us the directions we need when we are willing to patiently wait upon Him. It might be one of the hardest things we have to do as believers, simply biding our time until He indicates clearly what steps we are to take next. But experience has taught many of us that the only thing harder than waiting on the Lord is wishing we had! The word "defeat" brings up sad thoughts of failure, which can be depressing. The opposite of that is "victory," which brings to mind images of jubilation and joy. We face battles every day with the decisions that we have to make, the choices that have to be determined, and the steps that we have to take. The devil does everything he can to make sure we fail. Our lesson this week shows us how Joshua and his men simply followed God's instructions and were victorious.
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
2 And the Lord said to Joshua: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.
3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
54 Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."
23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
121 I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber;
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.
4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
2 The Lord said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3 announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'" So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. 4 But the Lord said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." 5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." 6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7 The Lord said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.
20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
13 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak,
12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.
13 Then 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 rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets.
14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days.
61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." 62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
34 "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up.
28 "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 29 "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. 31 "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."
15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times.
16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: "Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!
17 Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
18 And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord."
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still
4 For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.'"
12 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
4 Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.
9 If you return to the Lord, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him."
21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
27 For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
6 "Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy. 7 In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.
21 Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.
The statement above is David’s comment just before he killed Goliath (1 Samuel 17:47). A prophet named Jahaziel made a similar statement to King Jehoshaphat when he was preparing to go into battle (2 Chronicles 20:14, 15). For God’s people, victory is not by sword, spear, or stone. Battles are won as they fulfill God’s goals. Reversals often precede victories. But remaining steadfast in difficult times increases spiritual strength. It must always be remembered that victories are not ultimately decided on earth, but in the judgment courts of Heaven, for the battle is the Lord’s.
The conquest of the city of Jericho by Joshua and the Israelites is one of the strangest military engagements on record. Faced with a fortified barrier to their advance into the Promised Land's interior, the Israelites did not bring up instruments of warfare such as battering rams, catapults, or incendiary arrows. They did not lay siege to the city or attempt a subterranean excavation. They did not even try any ruses, such as the Greeks supposedly did against the Trojans. What the Israelites did was simply march around the city once a day for six days and then seven times on the seventh day. As they made each day's circuit, seven priests marching in front of the ark of the covenant, which was borne by other priests, sounded trumpets made of ram's horn. After each march on the first six days was completed, everybody returned to camp. Where did Joshua get this unorthodox and seemingly pointless strategy? The procedure, of course, had come directly from the Lord, who spelled it out for him in precise detail (Josh. 6:2-5). God did not provide a rationale for the plan or explain how it would work. Making it work was His prerogative; the responsibility of Joshua and the people was simply to take Him at His word and obey. Thankfully, this is one instance in which the Israelites did obey fully and precisely. Once each day they followed the ark of the covenant one time around the city, the trumpets blowing, and then retired to camp. It was now the seventh day, and they had just completed their last of seven marches around the city, the trumpets sounding again for the final time. It was at this point that Joshua repeated the command of the Lord to raise a mighty shout (cf. Josh. 6:5). The reason for the shout was an exhilarating one: "The Lord hath given you the city." For a nation of wanderers and animal herders, the conquest of a formidable barrier was certainly cause for exultation. The loud roar of so many voices no doubt also served to melt the resolve of the enemy. We stop, however, to note that even as Joshua made the bold declaration, the walls of Jericho were still standing firm, and the Israelites were still outside. They had not yet actually taken the city. What was he talking about? As we have seen, Joshua was making a statement of faith. And since it was a statement backed by the promise of the Lord, it was a statement of certainty. Further, it was a statement to be latched onto in faith by the people and acted upon in exuberant obedience borne of that faith in the word of their all-powerful God. The enemy walls still stood before them, but they could believe Him and conquer or disbelieve and shrink back in defeat. The Israelites' shout was to be an expression of their crisis-deciding faith. In obeying the order, they gave loud and united affirmation to the promise Joshua had just reiterated. We do not know what they shouted, but it had the impact of a mighty "Amen!" It was in response to that faith that God then moved and brought the walls of Jericho tumbling down.
1. You can consider God's promises as good as done (Josh. 6:2; cf. Num. 23:19)
2. Many of God's promises are conditioned on our obedience (Josh. 6:3-4)
3. The best evidence of trust in the Lord is obedience to the Lord (vs. 12-13)
4. Never grow weary in obeying the Lord, even in mundane things (Josh. 6:14; cf. Gal. 6:9)
5. Believe in God's promises, and encourage others to do the same (Josh. 6:15-16)
6. Keep your promises; our Judge is watching (vs. 17-19)
7. God's work done God's way will always be victorious (vs. 20)
Jericho was the first and most formidable city in Canaan. It was the key to Israel's conquest of the land. What happened in this first military encounter would set the stage for that which would follow.
The Lord Himself presented the battle plan to Joshua. The strategy would not be left to a military commander. Indeed, it was not one any military leader would endorse! First, the Lord assured Joshua once again that He had given Jericho into Joshua's hand. The victory was already accomplished as far as God was concerned, but the strategy for the victory was unique. The Lord's plan called for the armed men of Israel to march around the city once on each of six successive days. They would be accompanied by seven priests, each carrying a trumpet and walking before the ark of the covenant. On the seventh day, this army would march around the city seven times, and the priests would blow the trumpets. Strangely enough, this would bring the victory (Josh. 6:5). Surely this odd strategy would test Joshua's faith! At other times, he would be counted on to employ sound military strategy, but now he was being asked to do something that had no military significance. He was simply to trust the Lord to give the victory. This battle plan, however, would make it clear to both Israel and the Canaanites that the victory came from the Lord, not from Israel's might. Sometimes we too need to be reminded that there really is no place for pride or complacency. All our "victories" come from the Lord. It is He, not us, who deserves the praise for them. So at the outset of the conquest, Israel was challenged to trust God and follow His plan. At Joshua's instruction, the people followed that plan exactly, encompassing the city of Jericho once a day for six days and then seven times on the seventh day (Josh. 6:12-16).
Here we find Joshua relating to the people the Lord's instructions regarding the destruction of Jericho, which was assured (cf. vs. 16). With the exception of Rahab, who was to be protected, all the city was to be "accursed" (vs. 17). This meant that all that was in it belonged to the Lord and was not to be spared or taken for personal use. The gold, silver, bronze, and iron were to be put into the "treasury of the Lord" (vs. 19). Everything else was to be destroyed. Jericho and its contents would belong solely to the Lord as the first-fruits of the land and a guarantee that He would give the entire land to Israel.
The city would belong to God just as the victory clearly belonged to God. When the priests blew the trumpets and the people shouted, the massive walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites entered and took the city. This supernatural victory over the mighty city told the people that indeed the Lord had given them the land. It was up to them to believe God's promise and act on it. We should view the accomplishments in our lives as victories for the Lord. He has used a lost sinner for His glory!