JOSHUA - Chapter 6 - "MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN"
JOSHUA – Chapter 6
“MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN”
Tuesday Morning Bible Study
July 19, 2016, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Jericho is metaphorical of strongholds in the family; religious systems; nations; or man’s spirit, mind and body. The King of Jericho represents Satan, who is the prince and the god of this world (kosmos) system. The spirit of the King of Jericho is one of the powers and principalities who are in authority in the strongholds of Satan.
2 Thess. 2: 7-9: “The mystery of iniquity does already work; only He who now lets will let, until He be taken out of the way. Then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
Joshua receives a supernatural and illogical strategy of warfare.
God ordered such unorthodox military strategy to demonstrate His power to man; and to discourage self-reliance and pride; in so doing to bring all glory to God.
The supreme truth of this book is obstacles are no match for God and a people of FAITH.
Joshua 6:1-2: “Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said to Joshua, See, I have given into your hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.” This would be to “See” in FAITH; and the promise of FAITH because the Israelites had not yet conquered the city. Joshua by FAITH I have given with a certainty Jericho (world system) with its strongholds into your hand.
Ephesians 3:10: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.”
Church it is time to pray the Lord release the gifts and intent of the Lord that we will have the manifold wisdom of God and not use it to magnify ourselves.
6:3-5: “You shall compass the city, all you men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shall you do six days. Seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day you shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. It shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you 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.”
The perimeter of Jericho was approximately 5 miles. In order to compass the city 7 times---on the 7th day that would be 35 miles. Church compass the gates of Hell, for they shall not prevail against your onslaught (Mt. 16:18; Gen. 22:17).
“Upon this rock (You are the Christ the Son of the Living God) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
The week of waiting no doubt helped to demoralize the Jerochoans. It also tested the discipline and faith of the Israelites.
The long blast of the ram’s horn is the signal to attack.
We can compare the seven trumpets with the seven trumpets of Revelation. We can compare the six days with the six water pots of Jn. 2: 6-10. The seven priests speak of a perfected Priesthood after the order of Melchisedec. Seven trumpets reveal the message of perfection (a complete Word in fullness). The “Ram’s Horns” are “trumpets of Jubilee” (Lev. 25) and were large horns that gave forth a loud, far-reaching (world-wide) note or sound.
Today nothing remains of the “Late Bronze Age” walls and very little of the city. Jericho is a Palestinian city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho Governorate. In 2007, it had a population of 18,346. The city was occupied by Jordan from 1949-1967. It has been held under Israel occupation since 1967. Administrative control was handed over to the Palestinian Authority in 1994.
6: 6-8: “Joshua, the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, Take up the Ark of the Covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord. Joshua said to the people, pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord. It came to pass, when Joshua spoke to 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.”
We can compare the conquering of Jericho to Rev. 11:15 following the sounding of the 7th trumpet, or the last trumpet: “The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.”
The Ark of the Covenant is the Presence of the Lord Himself. In verse 8 the Ark is called the Lord.
6: 9-14: “The armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rearward came after the Ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. Joshua commanded the people, saying, You 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 you shall shout. (This is the Preparation for Faith.) The ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once; and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the Ark of the Lord. Seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the armed men went before them; but the rearward came after the Ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. The second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp; so they did six days.”
The rearward was the “gathering host”. Perhaps the greatest miracle of the Book of Joshua is that 3 million walked in the same direction with their mouths shut until it was time to shout! (1 Cor. 1:10) There is a silence which plays an important part in the ways of the Spirit.
Hab. 2:20: “The Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him.”
They circled their prey for six days, and each day returned to the camp in quiet obedience. We can see this as a type and shadow of six days of the 6000 years and the beginning of the 7th Day of the Lord which is the same as on the 3rd Day Jesus rose from the dead.
Two strategies of warfare conquered Jericho:
- The blowing of the trumpets and the shout.
- The Ark of His Presence.
Psa. 145: 10-13: “All your works shall praise you, O LORD, and your saints shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk of your power; to make known to the sons of men your mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.”
All of the blessings and power of God flow from the realm of the Kingdom of God.
6: 15-16: “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. It came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, Shout; for the Lord has given you the city.”
The seventh day DAWNED! “After the same manner” reveals the victory of FAITH on the 7th day will involve some principles walked in during days 1-6. Joshua did not tell the people the promise of CERTAIN VICTORY (6:2,5). He only gave marching orders. It was on the 7th day that he revealed the promises.
- The promise of FAITH (6:2) – (SEE in the Spirit)
- The preparation for FAITH (6: 8-9)
- The POWER of FAITH released (6:5, 10, 16, 20,)
6:17-18: “The city shall be accursed 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. And you, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, less you make yourselves accursed, when you take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
The “penalty” (herem) for the curse was the severest form of excommunication.
6: 19-20: “All the silver, gold, and vessels of brass and iron are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord. 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.”
The trumpets struck terror into the Canaanites and inspired courage in the Israelites.
This is the POWER OF FAITH released.
Jericho was the first and strongest city of Canaan. This earnest proved that God in his might was more than able to subdue the land.
Jericho was built three times and destroyed three times. The city, rebuilt by Hiel in Ahab’s reign was captured by the Herodians and rebuilt by Archelaus. This was the Jericho of our Lord’s day which was later destroyed by Vespasian (A.D. 68).
6: 21-25: “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. But Joshua said to the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out from there the woman, and all that she has, as you swear to her. The young men who were spies went it, and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brethren, and all she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them outside the camp of Israel. They burned the city with fire, and that was therein; only the silver, gold and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household. All that she had; and she dwelled in Israel even to this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”
Rahab is in the Hebrew 11 Hall of Faith: 11:31: “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.”
Joshua showed a loyalty and integrity to not forget one whom the Lord used in His Kingdom purposes. People of God if someone ever does you a kindness, don’t forget it.
James 2:25: “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way.
How do we explain that which was accursed? The whole city was accursed (devoted as first fruits offerings by fire as a consecration to God as a ban. This is the Canaanite Curse with the 13 sins of the Canaanites. (See sermon notes – Canaanite Curse on www.eastgateministries.com)
Deut 13:16: “You shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shall burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD you God; and it shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. And you shall not cleave to the cursed thing…”
When we touch or take what belongs to God, it becomes a curse to us. This will trouble the whole camp (home or church). The exceptions to this ban were:
- All the silver, gold and vessels of brass and iron, which were to come into the treasury.
- Rahab and her family. These were left “without the camp” until they had been circumcised and made clean from their idolatrous practices, and to identify with the God of Israel under the Mosaic Covenant.
6: 26: ‘Joshua required an oath of them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that rises up and builds 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.”
This solemn charge put a curse upon anyone who would build back the walls and gates of the city.
(Joshua allotted Jericho to Benjamin.)
The ban was observed for some five centuries. Five hundred and fifty years later Hiel of Bethel broke it and the curse was fulfilled.
1 Kings 16:34: “In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. He laid the foundation thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua, the son of Nun.”
FAITH beholds that which is invisible to sight and reason.
Divine promises do not render needless the discharge of responsibility.
The rank and file of God’s people must support His ministers.
When success is delayed, efforts are to be increased, not diminished.
Do not build again the things you have destroyed or renounced.
We see the daring, obedience, discipline, patience, assurance, unselfishness, and triumph of Israel’s FAITH in this chapter.
United States of America through the obedience of FAITH, we can “MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN.”
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Scripture from K.J.V. – I entered into the labors of Principles of Present Truth by Rev. Kelly Varner (1949-2009).