After the death of Moses, Joshua, the son of Nun, took over Moses’ leadership. Joshua was chosen and appointed by God to lead His people into the promised land and to take the promised land as an inheritance. Joshua witnessed God’s greatness and contrary to the others, Joshua had faith in God and had proven his faith in God by trusting in God and obeying the words of God, which were spoken through the mouth of Moses, and by his actions. And so Joshua took over Moses’ leadership and led the people into the promised land. After they crossed the river Jordan and entered the promised land of Canaan, Jericho was the first city they conquered. The gates of Jericho were closed. Why were the gates of Jericho closed? Because of the people of Israel. But the closed gates didn’t stop the people of Israel to conquer Jericho. When the walls of Jericho fell, the Israelites were able to conquer Jericho. But how did the walls of Jericho fall down?
As God was with Moses, so would God be with Joshua
After Moses died, God promised He would be with Joshua, whose name was originally Hosea. God commanded Joshua to cross the river Jordan and to possess the promised land. Every place Joshua would put the sole of his foot had God given to Joshua, as God said to Moses. The only thing Joshua and the people had to do was to enter and possess the land, which the Lord had promised and given them.
No one would be able to stand before Joshua all the days of his life. Because as God was with Moses, so God would be with Joshua. God would not fail Joshua nor forsake Joshua.
Joshua had to be strong and of good courage
God commanded Joshua thrice to be strong and of good courage. Joshua had to be strong and of good courage for unto the people he had to give as a possession the land, which God had sworn unto their fathers to give them.
Joshua had to be strong and of good courage to observe to do according to all the law, which Moses the Lord’s servant commanded, and not to turn to the right hand or to the left, so that Joshua would prosper where ever he would go.
The Book of the Law could not depart out of the mouth of Joshua but had to be constantly in his mouth. Joshua had to meditate therein day and night, so that Joshua could observe to do according to all that is written in the Book of the law, because then Joshua’s way would be prosperous and he would have good success.
God had given Joshua and the people His Word, but it was up to Joshua and the people if their way would be prosperous or not and whether he would have good success. God was not responsible for this, but Joshua and the people were (Basahin din: 'Daan ba ng Diyos ang iyong paraan?’ and ‘Itigil ang pagsisi sa Diyos!').
Joshua had to be strong and of good courage and not be afraid and neither be dismayed, for the Lord his God was with him, wherever he would go.
Joshua and the people obeyed the words of God
Joshua walked in obedience to the words of God and kept His commandments and informed the people. The people promised that as they obeyed Moses, they would also obey Joshua and they would do everything that Joshua commanded them to do. And whosoever would not obey Joshua, would be put to death.
This promise was done by the people, which means that everyone, na kabilang sa bayan ng Diyos, agreed.
The city of Jericho
The city of Jericho was the first city, which Joshua and the people conquered. After the city was searched out by the two spies and they returned to Joshua and told Joshua what happened and that the Lord had delivered all the land into their hands, because all the inhabitants of the country were afraid for the Israelites, they prepared to enter the promised land and take in possession the city of Jericho.
Joshua informed the people and commanded them to sanctify themselves. The people obeyed the words of Joshua and sanctified themselves and prepared themselves to enter the promised land.
After God had spoken to Joshua and informed him about the way they had to go, Joshua spoke the words of the Lord to the people
The priests and the people did according to the words of Joshua.
They went to the river Jordan and when the priests, who carried the ark of the covenant, put the soles of their feet in the waters of Jordan, the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed and were cut off, and the people passed over right against Jericho.
During their journey, God gave Joshua commandments, which Joshua obeyed.
After the crossing of the river Jordan, and the twelve stones, which were taken out of Jordan and were set up in their lodging place at Gilgal as a memorial, and after the circumcision and after the keeping the Passover, while Joshua was by Jericho, there appeared to Joshua the captain of the host of the Lord with his sword drawn in his hand.
Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped and inquired, what his lord had to say unto his servant? But before the captain of the Lord’s host spoke, he commanded Joshua to loose his shoe from off his feet for the place where he stood was holy. And Joshua obeyed his words.
Jericho had closed his gates because of the children of Israel
Now Jericho had closed his gates because of the children of Israël. No one could go out and no one could come in. But nothing is impossible for our God!
The Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into your hand Jericho, and the king of Jericho and the mighty men of valour. And you shall march the city all you men of war and go round about the city once. Thus shall you do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams horns: and the seventh day you shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets. And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you 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 (Joshua 6:2-5).
God’s people obeyed his words and compassed the city of Jericho
Joshua called the priests and informed them what the Lord had spoken to him and what they had to do and also instructed the people.
As soon as Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests, who bore 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. The armed man went before the priests and the reward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
Joshua had commanded the people to not shout nor to make any noise with their voice, nor speak any word until the day Joshua would bid the people to shout. Only then would the people shout.
The people obeyed the words of Joshua and the people and the ark of the Lord compassed the city and did this for 6 araw.
On the seventh day, they rose early and compassed the city of Jericho, in the same manner, seven times, according to the words of God. Only that day, they compassed the city seven times.
At the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua told the people:
“Shout, for the Lord had given them the city. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the Lord: they shall come into the treasury of the Lord” (Basahin din: 'What happened in the valley of Achor?').
The people did according to the words of Joshua and while they shouted and the priests blew with the trumpets, it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall of Jericho fell down flat.
The walls of Jericho fell
The walls of Jericho fell and the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, as Joshua had commanded and they took the city. They destroyed the city and burned all that was therein, except for the silver, gold, and vessels of brass and iron, which were put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
And as promised Rahab, her father, mother, and her brethren and all that she had, were saved. They brought her and her relatives out and left them outside the camp of Israel (Joshua 1-6).
The fall of Jericho
The city of Jericho was destroyed and Joshua warned the people by saying, “cursed be the man before the Lord, that rises up and builds this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it”
And so it came to pass, during the reign of king Ahad, that the Bethelite Hiel rebuild the city of Jericho and laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, ayon sa salita ng Panginoon, which He spake by Joshua the son of Nun (1 Mga hari 16:34).
How did the walls of Jericho fall?
In the natural (visible) realm it seemed impossible that the walls of Jericho would fall. But what seems impossible in the natural realm is possible with God.
The walls of Jericho didn’t fall per se by compassing the city, by blowing the trumpets of rams’ horns nor the shouting of the people on the seventh day. But the walls of Jericho fell by faith in God and the obedience to the words of God by God’s people
God sent His word and Joshua received the word of God and obeyed His word and did what God had commanded him to do, just like the rest of the people.
The obedience was the result of Joshua’s faith in God. Joshua believed God and His might and feared God and because of that Joshua trusted in God and stayed faithful to His words and did according to what God had commanded him to do. Through his obedience and acts (gumagana), which derived from his faith in God, the walls of Jericho fell.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. (Hebrew 11:30)
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Magkaroon ka ng pananampalataya sa Panginoon. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Tanggalin ka na, at itapon ka sa dagat; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith (marka 11:22-23)
By faith in God and His Word, which caused them to obey the words of God and compassed the walls of the city for seven days, the walls of Jericho fell. By faith in God and His Word, this great miracle happened and many more miracles happened and by faith in God and faith in Jesus Christ and faith in His Name miracles still happen. Miracles, which seem impossible and inexplicable in the natural realm but are possible and explicable with God.
Joshua, who belonged to the generation of the old man, didn’t put his trust in his own action, in this case, in compassing the city, but Joshua had put his trust in God.
More faith and trust in formulas than in God
Unfortunately in this age, many believers have more faith in their words and actions (gumagana) than in God. They have more faith in speaking the right words and following the acquired strategies, paraan, and technics than in God and His Word.
Although they say they believe in God and have faith in Jesus Christ and His name, many times their actions speak otherwise.
Because if you really believe in God then you trust Him and you do what He says and you obey His words.
Bukod diyan, if you really believe in God then you know that what you will say will come to pass, if it is according to the will of God.
You will hold on and persevere and don’t give up and don’t doubt and question yourself whether you have spoken the right words or used the right methods and technics and followed the right strategies. You shall not wonder whether you have done something wrong and search for other (magical) words and formulas.
Faith is not believing in a formula and speaking the right words and using the right methods and technics and following the right steps and strategies. But faith is knowing God and to know His will and believing in His Word, which He has sent, and His power and trusting Him and doing what He says.
All the works Jesus did, He did by faith in God and through faith in His Name. If you believe in God then everything is possible. But you have to know Him and you only can get to know Him by His Word and do what the Word says.
‘Maging asin ng lupa’
