“Redemption Amid Destruction” Joshua 6:15-25

When I was a little boy, my mother’s parents came to visit us. Mom and Dad had to work, so Grandma and Grandpa were watching us.

I came in the house at one point, perhaps following my brother, maybe not. All I remember is that I didn’t shut the door. Grandpa told me to go back and close it and I said no. We argued over the matter a bit, with Grandpa ending the argument with his belt. I threatened him with, “I’m telling Mom you spanked me, then you’ll be sorry.”

Boy, was I wrong.

Much as that young boy in El Paso felt secure in his mother’s support, so must the people of Jericho have felt secure behind the strong walls that protected them from attack. Little did they know that God is greater than walls, and that God’s judgment is swift and certain.

Background

When Joshua met the commander of God’s army, he quickly learned God’s plan to destroy the town. The Israelites were to take the ark of the covenant and march around the city’s walls. Priests with horns would accompany the ark, while Israel’s army would march with them. The priests with horns were to blow the horns as they circled the walls. They were to do this once each day for six days. On the seventh day, they would march around the walls seven times. At the end of the seventh march, the priests would give a long blast on their horns, all the people of Israel would shout and the walls would collapse before them, giving them free access to the city. God’s command was that the city was devoted to Him, which meant all living things in the city were to be destroyed.

But not everyone would die at Jericho. Remembering the promise given to Rahab when she held the spies, she and her family would be spared.

Central Truth: God saves those who have faith in Him.

The fall of Jericho (15-21)

Having received the instructions from the commander, Joshua conveyed the orders to his army. The people obeyed Joshua’s orders and, on the seventh day, Joshua reminded them what was to happen.

As they marched the seventh time around the walls, Joshua gave final instructions. His first instruction was to remind them how they were going to win the battle—God has given them the city. The people needed to realize and remember that it is God that brings them the victory and that God is worthy of the praise.

The second instruction is to remember that everything in the city was devoted to God—it all must be destroyed. Except for Rahab and those with her, all would have to perish.

The third part of his instructions were equally important. The people were to stay away from the things devoted to God. The reason is that what is devoted to God belongs to Him and Him alone. God, who is giving the victory, expects the people to obey Him and carry out His instructions to the letter. The consequences of failure to obey could result in Israel’s destruction. Everything of value in Jericho was to be given over to the Lord. Nothing was to be kept by the people.

Now, understand throughout the history of warfare, when an army conquers a city, the soldiers resort to plunder of the city, taking anything and everything of value for their own possession. The soldiers believed it was their right to take these things since the city had resisted them and forced the soldiers to risk their lives. It supplemented their pay, which was usually pretty meager. For Joshua to tell them not to take one piece of precious metal or anything of value, he was telling them to fight as disciplined soldiers and to put God at the forefront of their thoughts.

What must the people of Jericho thought as they watched the parade around their walls for a week? There was no attempt to attack the city, no attempt to undermine the walls, no attempt to draw Jericho’s fighters out from the safety of the walls. There was no siege where the city was surrounded by the Israelite army. Just a parade. Every day for six days, Israel’s people would march around the city and go back to their camp.

On the seventh day, the parade started earlier than usual, but that was okay. The parade went around the city, and everyone must have thought that was that. But, no, the parade continued for another circling of the city. Then a third parade, a fourth and so on for seven circles around the city. What did it all mean?

At the end of the seventh circling, the priests blew their horns one long blast, the people shouted, and those who were standing on the walls of Jericho watching felt their world literally begin to crumble beneath them and all around them. As the walls collapsed, the army of Israel, who had marched around the city, were able to rush into Jericho with little or no resistance. I imagine the people who had thought the walls would protect them were in shock had what had happened. The battle must have been swift.

Israel had heard God’s instructions through Joshua and they killed every living thing in the city—no one and nothing was spared. The destruction of Jericho was complete. Judgment had come, and God’s judgment was swift and sure.

A promise remembered (22-24)

The signal of where Rahab lived was to be a red cord hanging from the window where Rahab had let the spies climb down the wall and escape. The spies were very clear that the cord would guarantee her safety. If it wasn’t hanging from the window, the agreement to rescue her would be void.

Now, as destruction and chaos was all around them, Joshua told the two spies to go and bring Rahab and those with her to safety.

There is no indication that Rahab failed to hang the cord. It’s possible that the cord had hung there since the night the spies rappelled down the walls to return to Joshua. If so, then everyone knew where Rahab lived.

Rahab had expressed her faith in God when she helped the spies to escape. She demonstrated her faith by hanging the cord. It is easy to say that Rahab lived out her faith by the things she did to demonstrate that faith. We know that faith is important in finding salvation. The Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God (cf. Hebrews 11:6) and that salvation is a gift of faith, not of works (cf. Ephesians 2:8-10). Rahab had a saving faith because her faith was in God and it was a faith that was shown in how she lived.

Verse 24 says Israel destroyed the whole city, reserving the treasury for God’s treasury. This treasure was to be used in specific service for God in worship and in other ways as the Lord led them.

This was the end of Jericho, the city protected by strong walls and capable fighting men. It was a city that could withstand assault and siege. It was a city that could not withstand God’s judgment. Of all that had once called Jericho home, now there was only one woman and her family who survived. She was a woman of faith and surrender to the Lord. Her redemption came in the midst of vast destruction.

Living out God’s grace (25)

This verse reiterates the tale of Rahab and her relationship with Israel. She was the one who rescued the spies, and she alone, along with her immediate family, were saved by God’s grace and Joshua’s command of the situation.

But what then? It must have been a harrowing thing to watch the destruction of the city where a person lived, watching the destruction not just of the walls and the buildings, but the friends and acquaintances she had lived with for so many years. Now it was all gone, and it was gone in a horrible, terrifying way.

All the Bible tells us about Rahab is that she acted out her faith. “She lives among the Israelites to this day.” It says a lot about her. Of all the people of Canaan, Rahab and her family were the only ones to be spared God’s judgment. They alone were allowed to live freely with Israel, to live as a part of the nation of God.

God’s grace brought Rahab into relationship with His people, and God’s grace allowed her and her family to blend into her new family of faith. That’s the way it is with God. When a person comes to saving knowledge of Him, they find themselves as a part of a new family, God’s family, and they find fellowship and common ground from that point on. The ties to the old begin to wear away, while the ties to the new are strengthened. The bond of love extends to the new convert, and they are allowed to grow in God’s grace because of His mercy and love.

Conclusion

The little boy I told you about at the beginning of the message learned a valuable lesson after his mother got home. He learned that her love for her son did not allow him to be impudent, disrespectful and disobedient. He learned that there are consequences for rebellion. It was a lesson that taught with love comes discipline.

Jericho for so long had relied on their own gods and their own devices. Only one in that city came to understand the need for a right relationship with God. As a result, when God’s judgment came to the city, only Rahab and her family were spared.

It is a lesson we all need to learn. When we call upon the Lord with faith and surrender, He will extend His mercy and grace and we will grow in our awareness and faith in Him.