------------------------------------------------------------------ Joshua E-Mail Bible Study ------------------------------------------------------------------ Lesson 4 - Joshua 5:13 - 6:27 THE WALLS FALL DOWN The Battle of Jericho ------------------------------------------------------------------ To study the Conquest of Canaan we'll need to do some background reading. I've prepared five articles that delve into various important aspects. Why don't you read them as you study this lesson. They are linked to the main Joshua page. The Peoples of the Promised Land http://www.jesuswalk.com/joshua/peoples.htm The Detestable Religion of Canaan http://www.jesuswalk.com/joshua/canaanite-religion.htm Whose Land Is the Promised Land? http://www.jesuswalk.com/joshua/promised-land.htm Warfare in the Late Bronze Age http://www.jesuswalk.com/joshua/warfare.htm Why the Slaughter of Jericho? Devoted to Destruction - Herem http://www.jesuswalk.com/joshua/herem.htm The Battle of Jericho is one of those stories that we remember from our Sunday School days. But what is happening here? What does it mean? What are the lessons for us today? Let's go deeper. MONDAY, OCTOBER 19 ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------ LEVEL 1: OBSERVATION QUESTIONS. WHAT DOES THE TEXT SAY? ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.1 Describe how the people of Israel circled the city? Who was involved in the march? What were their instructions for the march? What role did the ark play in this? TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20 - 21 -------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ LEVEL 2: INTERPRETATION QUESTIONS. WHAT DOES THE TEXT MEAN? ------------------------------------------------------------------ COMMENT: The expression "commander of the army of the LORD" (NIV, 5:14) is translated in the KJV as "captain of the host of the LORD." The word translated "host" and "army" is Hebrew saba. The plural sabaot used about 213 times in the phrase "the LORD of hosts" (KJV). The NIV's "LORD Almighty" misses the military aspect of the term. 2.1 EXTRA CREDIT. (5:14) The "army of the Lord" is more than Joshua's fighting force. Look up: Genesis 32:1-2; 1 Samuel 17:45; 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Kings 6:14-17; Psalm 24:7-10; 148:2; Isaiah 13:4- 5; Luke 2:13; Revelation 19:14. What is the significance of this Commander's appearance to Joshua? 2.2 (5:14) Who is this "Commander of the army of the LORD"? Do you think he is an angel? The Lord himself? What does the passage indicate? 2.3 (5:13-14). EXTRA CREDIT. When Joshua asks the Commander whether he is "for us or for our enemies," why does the Commander answer "neither"? What does he mean? THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 -------------------- 2.4 (6:8-9) What is the significance of the ark in the procession around the city of Jericho? (HINT: See Psalm 99:1 in a newer translation such as the NIV, NASB, RSV, etc. Also read my article at http://www.joyfulheart.com/kingdom/thrones.htm) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 ------------------ 2.5 Why did God have the trumpets and silence, and then the final shouting? What was the effect on the Israelites? On the inhabitants of Jericho? What did this have to do with God's glory? 2.6 If you were looking for a "natural" cause for the walls of Jericho to collapse, what would it be? Sound waves? If it can be explained naturally, what is the miracle? What about Jericho's location gives us a clue? (HINT: Look up the word "rift valley" in your dictionary.) MONDAY, OCTOBER 26 ------------------ 2.7 The Israelites have entered the "Promised Land" and are now taking it away from its inhabitants. What right do they have to do that? Is this just? (Read my article at http://www.jesuswalk.com/joshua/promised-land.htm as you frame your own answer.) TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27-28 ------------------------------------ COMMENT: The word translated as "devoted" to the Lord (KJV "accursed") in 6:17 is the Hebrew word herem. The word is closely related to our word "harem" (from Arabic harim) which refers to a secluded area of a house allotted to women. In Arabic the word literally means "sanctuary," a "forbidden" area, since the women in a harem are exclusively the property of the husband and off- limits to all others. The Hebrew word herem used in our passage refers to "the exclusion an object from the use or abuse of man and its irrevocable surrender to God" (TWBOT 1:324). 2.8 (6:18-19) What in the city was said to be "devoted" to the Lord? Why were the people prohibited from plundering the city for themselves (as was the customary compensation for soldiers in that day)? EXTRA CREDIT: What do these "devoted" things have to do with the Commander (5:14) and the ark (6:6-9)? 2.9 The Israelites slaughtered all the inhabitants of Jericho (except Rahab and her family) -- and the inhabitants of all the other major cities in Palestine, for that matter. This grates on our Christian sense of mercy. How are we to understand this? How can the God of mercy be this brutal? (Read my article at http://www.jesuswalk.com/joshua/herem.htm before you answer.) CHAT SCHEDULED ON "WHY THE SLAUGHTER OF JERICHO?" on TUESDAY, October 27: 5:30 pm Pacific Standard Time, 6:30 pm Mountain, 7:30 pm Central, and 8:30 pm Eastern. For our international friends this is Wednesday morning, September 29, 1:30 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the wee hours of the morning for you in Europe and Africa. This is 9:30 am Wednesday in Singapore, Hong Kong, and western Australia, and 10:30 am in Korea and Japan -- I think :-) THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29-30 ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ LEVEL 3: APPLICATION QUESTIONS. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME? ------------------------------------------------------------------ 3.1 The theme of the Battle of Jericho seems to be Joshua 1:9. Can you share with us any times when you have found that the Commander of the Army of the Lord has been with you in a time of trouble? ------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 1998, Ralph F. Wilson, all rights reserved. Joyful Heart is a trademark of Joyful Heart Ministries. For reprint permission contact pastor@joyfulheart.com