seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Joshua 6:20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
This is from the easy English site.
Some people ask, ‘Why did God demand the death of innocent people?’ Deuteronomy 20:18 tells us the answer. The people who lived in Canaan were very bad people. They might teach the Israelites to do bad things. They did bad things when they worshipped their gods. They might teach the Israelites to sin. The people who lived in Canaan were not innocent. They were guilty of very bad things that made God unhappy. God had given them time to change. But they refused to do the right things. So God had to punish them.
God wants us all to confess our sins to him. Jesus died so that God would forgive us. But, if we do not invite God into our lives, God will be our judge. Then, God will punish us too, for our sins.
Hebrews 11:30 says, ‘By faith the walls of Jericho fell.’ Joshua had faith. He believed that God would do something great.
The people had faith. They walked round the city. They did not know why. They believed that something would happen. Something did happen! The walls fell down!
God wants us all to confess our sins to him. Jesus died so that God would forgive us. But, if we do not invite God into our lives, God will be our judge. Then, God will punish us too, for our sins.
Hebrews 11:30 says, ‘By faith the walls of Jericho fell.’ Joshua had faith. He believed that God would do something great.
The people had faith. They walked round the city. They did not know why. They believed that something would happen. Something did happen! The walls fell down!
Localized earthquake or noise and vibration.... the instructions were to walk around Jericho in silence once a day for six days, and then seven times and a shout on the seventh day. I know it sounds absurd. It worked though.
I think this story is enriched by the act of saving Rahab and her family. God has a nack for saving people who show faith. Lot was in a horrible place when God rescued him from Sodom right before leveling it with fire and brimstone. Lot was extremely human. He was a good man but he was no where near a perfect man. Lot's cousin cared about him so he must have had redeeming value. Now Joshua ordered his men to go in and save Rahab while this wall shattering event was going on. Rahab put herself and her family at risk when she hid those two Israelite spies. It's of Biblical significance.
