Joshua 6:1-9

Jos 6:1

Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

 

The king of Jericho knew that the Israelites were at their door and it was only a matter of a short time before they moved on it.  They knew that God had already given the city into the hands of Israel yet they did what they could to resist that reality by closing up the city tightly so no one could go in or go out.  This meant that the all the gates were now closed and secured and well-guarded.  Thick walls were a normal setting within the city kingdoms throughout the Middle East at that time.

 

Jos 6:2

And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.

 

Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. (Acts 15:18)  Since God knows the beginning from the end, he tells Joshua that he has given Jericho into his hands along with the king and all his fighting men.  In other words, no matter what kind of defense or offense they mount, it will be to no avail because it has already been divinely decreed that they are to be taken.

 

Jos 6:3

And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

 

Then God gives Joshua the means by which the city would fall into their hands.  They were to compass or encircle the city completely once each day for a period of six days.  The order was given to them after the Feast of Unleavened Bread was completed.  This would have been on the 22nd day of Nisan.  They were to march only once around the city, no more or no less, for the first six days.

 

Jos 6:4

And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

 

Then seven priests were to have rams horns which were to be in front of the Ark. The Ark represented the presence of God plus it contained the law of God which the people were to follow.  The trumpets were blown at the year of Jubilee which was every fifty years.  Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. (Leviticus 25:9)  Then on the seventh day it was to be a different procedure.  On that day they were to compass the city seven times instead of once and when they completed the seventh pass, then the priests were to blow the trumpets.

 

Jos 6:5

And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye 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.

 

Then when they hear the long sound which is normally what is heard at the end of a musical piece or when they hit the crescendo, then at that time the people are to make a great shout and when they do that the wall will fall down flat and then the Israelites will be able to have access to the city and take it.  Some archeologists which have dug around Jericho have stated that the wall actually fell outward from the inside and fell flat making for easy entry.  By the wall falling outward, it shows that it was God who was the one who brought down the walls because there is no way that Israel could have done that.

 

Jos 6:6

And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.

 

Then Joshua begins to put into action the plan which God gave him.  He called the priests to himself and told them to take up the Ark of the Covenant.  It may have been the same ones who bore the Ark through the Jordan River.  Then he tells them to get seven more priests and to give them a Ram’s horn or trumpet and they were to go before the Ark or in front of it in the procession.

 

Jos 6:7

And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.

 

Then Joshua told the people that the armed men would lead the procession in front of the Ark.  The people were to compass the city following the Ark, the priests, and the armed men.  This included the men under twenty years of age, the women and children.  The armed men were poised and ready for action in case the need arose.

 

Jos 6:8

And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing 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.

 

Then the procession started with the priests who had the trumpets were continually blowing them and behind them were the priests who bore the Ark of the Covenant which represented the presence of God and that is how they passed before the LORD. 

 

Jos 6:9

And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

 

The armed men had gone in front of the priests to protect the Ark and the people if the need had arisen.  Then behind the Ark came the rereward which was the rear guard.  As they went along the priests were continually blowing the trumpets.  The rear guard was made up of the tribe of Dan.  All that were numbered of the camp of Dan were a hundred thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred. They shall set forth hindmost by their standards. (Numbers 2:31)

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