252 Joshua: Strategy for City-Taking

The story about how the walls of Jericho came “a-tumblin’ down” is a favorite. But it’s also the target of a great deal of skepticism. Today, we’re going to look briefly at three of the most frequently asked questions related to the battle of Jericho, and then we’ll seek to apply the events of that day to our day.

1.   Is Jericho a real historical site?

Yes! In fact, Jericho is known as the oldest continually inhabited city on earth. Archeologists have uncovered artifacts that indicate a large city did exist in the late Bronze Age—the time of Joshua.

2.  Is it possible that such complete destruction could actually occur?

Yes! Jericho is located in the Jordan Rift—one of our planet’s most seismically vulnerable places. In addition, it was built on sandy soil. Likely, an earthquake occurred, causing the walls of the city to collapse. Then the Israelite armies could enter the city through the breaches in the walls.

Suggesting an earthquake could have brought down the walls doesn’t negate the miracle. That it happened exactly when and how God said it would is the miracle!  

3.  How can we reconcile God’s order to kill all the city’s inhabitants?

This is a tough question, but that difficulty is eased some when one considers the sociological history of that region at that time.

Historians have verified that Jericho’s Canaanitish culture was unquestionably as perverse and corrupt as any in the history of our planet. Among other perversions, hideous forms of child abuse were rampant.

In light of this, if the living God, as Great Physician, determines in the interest of the larger body of the human race to perform radical surgery, to eradicate the cancer of a culture so corrupt that it can only corrupt and destroy others, then are not His actions indeed loving and just?  

They had ample time to repent. Rahab did and was saved! But they refused, and judgment fell.

HIS CITY—YOUR CITY—OUR CITY

With that groundwork, let’s consider Joshua’s city (Jericho), your personal city, and our city—the place we live. 

When God gave Joshua instructions for taking Jericho, He commanded them to use trumpets, not drums, like armies typically would. Drums are a function of hands. Trumpets are a function of breath—ruach—spirit. Breath that offers praise.

The Lord was underscoring to His people that the impossible walls they were facing would not come down through human effort, but through divine power that flowed out of obedience and praise. 

So, for six days, they walked around the city, following God’s strategy for city-taking. They walked in unity. They walked and worshiped. Then, when told to, they shouted. And the walls fell.  

Just as worship played a role in overcoming Joshua’s city, it is powerful in facing the walls in our lives.

Worship is not only glorifying to God, but it is debilitating to the forces of evil.  

We all have walls, things that defy forward movement. Those walls could be blockaded relationships, crippling emotional issues, painful physical maladies, unbreakable habits, or chronic financial challenges. 

Could it be that the strategy for your city-taking is the same as it was for Joshua?  That God is calling you to walk in faith, praising Him even before you see the walls come down?  

What about in our city, the place we live? How do we begin to see the walls come down so God’s Kingdom can break through?

What if we borrowed Joshua’s strategy for our city? Walk your neighborhoods and worship. Walk and pray—for schools, for neighbors, for streets. Who knows what might happen if we did?

Text: Joshua 6

Originally recorded on September 18, 2016, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN