Joshua 6:1-9
Jos 6:1
Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children
of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
The king of Jericho knew that the Israelites were at
their door and it was only a matter of a short time before they moved on it.
They knew that God had already given the city into the hands of Israel
yet they did what they could to resist that reality by closing up the city
tightly so no one could go in or go out.
This meant that the all the gates were now closed and secured and
well-guarded. Thick walls were a
normal setting within the city kingdoms throughout the Middle East at that time.
Jos 6:2
And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into
thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
Known unto God are
all his works from the beginning of the world. (Acts 15:18)
Since God knows the beginning from the end, he tells Joshua that he has
given Jericho into his hands along with the king and all his fighting men.
In other words, no matter what kind of defense or offense they mount, it
will be to no avail because it has already been divinely decreed that they are
to be taken.
Jos 6:3
And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war,
and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
Then God gives Joshua the means by which the city would
fall into their hands. They were to
compass or encircle the city completely once each day for a period of six days.
The order was given to them after the Feast of Unleavened Bread was
completed. This would have been on
the 22nd day of Nisan.
They were to march only once around the city, no more or no less, for the first
six days.
Jos 6:4
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.
Then seven priests were to have rams horns which were to
be in front of the Ark. The Ark represented the presence of God plus it
contained the law of God which the people were to follow.
The trumpets were blown at the year of Jubilee which was every fifty
years.
Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the
jubile to sound on the tenth day
of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound
throughout all your land. (Leviticus 25:9)
Then on the seventh day it was to be a different procedure.
On that day they were to compass the city seven times instead of once and
when they completed the seventh pass, then the priests were to blow the
trumpets.
Jos 6:5
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.
Then when they hear the long sound which is normally what
is heard at the end of a musical piece or when they hit the crescendo, then at
that time the people are to make a great shout and when they do that the wall
will fall down flat and then the Israelites will be able to have access to the
city and take it. Some
archeologists which have dug around Jericho have stated that the wall actually
fell outward from the inside and fell flat making for easy entry.
By the wall falling outward, it shows that it was God who was the one who
brought down the walls because there is no way that Israel could have done that.
Jos 6:6
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.
Then Joshua begins to put into action the plan which God
gave him. He called the priests to
himself and told them to take up the Ark of the Covenant.
It may have been the same ones who bore the Ark through the Jordan River.
Then he tells them to get seven more priests and to give them a Ram’s
horn or trumpet and they were to go before the Ark or in front of it in the
procession.
Jos 6:7
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.
Then Joshua told the people that the armed men would lead
the procession in front of the Ark.
The people were to compass the city following the Ark, the priests, and the
armed men. This included the men
under twenty years of age, the women and children.
The armed men were poised and ready for action in case the need arose.
Jos 6:8
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.
Then the procession started with the priests who had the
trumpets were continually blowing them and behind them were the priests who bore
the Ark of the Covenant which represented the presence of God and that is how
they passed before the LORD.
Jos 6:9
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.