Jericho

The walls of Jericho fell after seven days of doing the Lord's will. They did not once stop during those seven days, but were obedient to what Joshua instructed, who received his authority from the Lord.

---

Exodus 20:11

11

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

---

Did Israel not ignore the Sabbath? The ark of their covenant was uncovered, visible, and an active part of the encounter. The priests themselves were part of the daily encounter, and the guards were as a tent of protection from the front and the rear. For seven straight days they were active, and carrying the covenant among them, so how then was the Sabbath followed?

We learned from Jesus that the Sabbath was to remain holy, but included doing acts of love. The act of love that Joshua's encampment supplied each day of the seven days, was a love for the Father, showing their obedience. So although the Sabbath was not a normal Sabbath, it did include a loving act of faithfulness.

---

Joshua 6:18

18

But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.

---

We know this because the raiding party was warned to keep away from devoted things. These 'things' were what was worshipped by the population of Jericho, things, that put other gods before the God of Israel. So without question, this destruction was an act of God, being performed by His obedient, and done in faith. And the covenant was not broken, because by doing what they were instructed was showing Love for the Father.

---

Joshua 6:17

17

The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.

---

Rahab was spared because of her faith. She showed mercy and was shown mercy. But everything else was destroyed, all living things and all things detestable to the Lord. All this as part of obedience to the Lord, through Joshua. So through this mercy we know the Lord was also honored, as through Joshua, righteousness was shown.

---

1 Kings 16:34

34

In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

---

Joshua completed his purging of Jericho.

---

Joshua 6:26

26

At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:

“At the cost of his firstborn son

he will lay its foundations;

at the cost of his youngest

he will set up its gates.”

---

Joshua's oath was Prophetic. This speaking of prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit upon those who do the Father's will. So we know that completion of this act of God was confirmed with holiness.

We are not the people of the path of righteousness, we are the people who walk in their transgressions. What is righteous comes through us by our acts of faith, just like Rahab.

We do not have leaders who are set apart from us, instead we are all equal in our belief. Instead of the Sabbath, we have 'Today' to honor the Father with love. Each day we set ourselves apart from the world, and live to bear fruit from the kingdom, which supplies glory to the Father through the authority of His son. Our leader is the mind of Christ, the Holy Spirit which is in us that councils us, guiding us to do what is holy.

The lesson here is, the unseen qualities of God are met in our acts of faith. Our love for the Father is shown in perseverance in our denial of ourselves. We are Jericho, and we are also the Israelites. Our worldliness is bound in a wall that sustains its sin and iniquity. And our acts of faith serve the unseen quality of God in our day to day, breaking down these walls, so that when the will of God has been completed, we can destroy what is in us that is detestable to the Lord.

The decimation of the living inside the walls are those who we covet and envy and set above our love for God. We do not set out to destroy them, instead we love them, because they are not to blame for our weakness. What then is destroyed is the influence they have had in our lives. As for Rahab and her kin, we show mercy when we can, because mercy has been shown for us, having received the promise of salvation ourselves.

Seven days a week, blow your trumpet with silent prayers. Seven days a week, carry love forward in your selfless acts, a love that keeps your walls down and destroys what is detestable in you. Seven days a week, show mercy, and remain faithful, so the Lord can be glorified by the authority you honor in your belief.

-