The Fall of Jericho: Victory Through Faith
Have you ever wondered how an entire fortified city could crumble at the sound of trumpets and shouting? The story of Joshua leading the Israelites to bring down the walls of Jericho is a powerful account that demonstrates the faithfulness and might of the Lord. This narrative is part of the fulfillment of the greater promise that God made to the Israelites that they indeed would enter the Promised Land. Before Moses died, he declared that Joshua would be his successor and lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Upon crossing the Jordan, Jericho is the first city the Israelites conquer with Joshua as their leader. This ancient biblical passage is full of relevance for believers today.
The account of the walls of Jericho falling down is a significant part of God’s promise coming to pass that the Israelites would indeed enter into and possess the Promised Land. This incredible passage in the Book of Joshua holds many valuable lessons that we as Christians can learn from and apply to our lives and understanding of God. But what is the true significance of the Victory Through Faith that was achieved at Jericho?
The Story of the Walls of Jericho
The account of the walls of Jericho falling is found in the Book of Joshua, which is one of the historical books in the Old Testament. It is named after Joshua, the worthy successor of Moses, who led the Israelites. This book contains action-filled conquests of the Israelites defeating the Canaan cities and obtaining the Promised Land. Jericho was the gateway city to Canaan that the Israelites came to when they entered the Promised Land. The city of Jericho was surrounded by walls so that no one was able to get in, and the walls served as solid protection against attacks. The gates had been locked to keep the Israelites out. The fallen walls of Jericho became a key affirmation that God was fulfilling His promise to them, and that God would be with them as they took possession of the Promised Land.
How Did the Walls of Jericho Fall?
God had given Joshua very specific instructions on what to do to cause the walls of Jericho to collapse, so that the Israelites would defeat Jericho and claim the city. For the first six days, the armed men marched around the city once while the priests had trumpets and carried the ark of the covenant. On the seventh day, as God instructed, they marched around the city seven times, the priests blew their trumpets, and the army gave a loud shout. According to the Lord’s promise, and the Israelites being obedient to what God instructed, on the seventh day the walls of Jericho fell in an amazing victory for the Israelites by the power of God.
Lessons from the Fall of the Walls of Jericho
The walls of Jericho should have been impenetrable. What Joshua and the Israelites were up against may have seemed impossible to overcome. But they followed God anyway with full trust and hope in His promise, and faithfulness that He would indeed fight for them to claim the land that was promised to them. All believers can rest assure that even if the path seems impossible, or is not what we expected, when we prayerfully follow God’s good plans for us, it will be worth every step of the way. This biblical story reminds us how crucial it is to lean on God and put our trust in Him, because that is when the impossible can happen.
Obedience to God Matters
If the Israelites had resisted the instructions given by God to Joshua, the walls of Jericho would not have come down. Their obedience to God mattered. This is still true for believers today. Living righteously according to God’s ways, rather than our own ways, makes a difference. We find encouragement from this narrative to be obedient to God and the assurance that obedience will result in blessing.
Victory through faith in the fall of Jericho Joshua 6:20
The Israelites could have marched around the walls of Jericho a million times, they could have blown a thousand horns, and shouted until they lost their voices, but without God’s power, the walls of Jericho never would have fallen. The apostle Paul assures us that the description of the complete obliteration of Jericho was recorded in Scripture in order to teach us several lessons. Most important is that obedience, even when God’s commands seem foolish, brings victory. When we are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, we must learn that our Jericho victories are won only when our faithful obedience to God is complete.
Trusting and Obeying God’s Word
Sometimes we may not understand God’s ways or His purposes in our lives, but we know that He always has our good and blessing in view. God gave Joshua explicit instructions as to how the battle of Jericho was to be won, though this battle plan must have seemed bizarre and incomprehensible to human logic or military strategy. To the people of Jericho, God’s strategy undoubtedly must have seemed weak and contemptible, perhaps even insane, until their fortified walls fell down flat. As with the Israelites, we can claim no merit for our salvation – it’s all of God’s grace and redeeming power. Our response to God must be unquestioning obedience, just as Joshua faithfully repeated God’s instructions to the people.
When God’s People Face Enemies, God Provides A Battle Plan
In the study of Joshua’s encounter with the Canaanites at the Battle of Jericho, God provides the battle plan of marching around the city once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. Instructions from God included having seven priests carry seven ram’s horn trumpets in front of the ark while circling the city, with the walls set to collapse upon a mighty shout from the people. The strategy to defeat Jericho was unique and incomprehensible from a human perspective, relying solely on obedience to God’s word.
When God’s Instructions Are Followed, Victory Is Assured
By faith, the Israelites followed God’s instructions exactly. They marched around the city as commanded, with the priests carrying the ark and blowing the trumpets, and the people remaining silent until the seventh day when they shouted. When God’s people follow His instructions, victory is assured. The Israelites’ victory over Jericho was a powerful testimony to the saving grace and act of God, just as our salvation is all of Him and nothing of us except our obedience to, and faith in, His word. Though sometimes we cannot understand God’s ways, our response must be unquestioning obedience, for when we trust and obey God’s word, the victory is guaranteed.
Conclusion
The account of the walls of Jericho falling down is a significant part of God’s promise coming to pass that the Israelites would indeed enter into and possess the Promised Land. This incredible passage in the Book of Joshua holds many valuable lessons that we as Christians can learn from and apply to our lives and understanding of God. Perhaps you are waiting on God, or maybe you are wondering if He’ll come through. Whatever your situation, the fallen walls of Jericho remind us of God’s power and Victory through faith that we can believe in and put our hope in.
The Victory through faith in the fall of Jericho as recorded in Joshua 6:20 is a powerful testament to the faithfulness of our God. Just as He kept His promise to the Israelites, we can trust that He will be faithful to us as well. When we follow His instructions, even when they may seem unconventional or impossible, we can be assured of Victory through faith.
The story of Jericho reminds us that our God is a mighty and faithful God. He can do the impossible, and when we trust and obey Him, we will see His power manifested in our lives. Let us be encouraged by this powerful account and continue to walk in faith, knowing that our God is with us and will bring us to victory.
