CORPORATE SOLIDARITY PT. 1 - JOSHUA 7:1-9

Joshua is a book of successes, recounting the Lord’s faithfulness in bringing Israel into the land. Joshua 7 however, is an exception to that theme. In fact, the first word in the chapter signals that something is not quite right. “But,” a word of contrast is used to illustrate that we are going to go from the mountain top of victory at Jericho to the valley of defeat at Ai. The positive end of chapter 6 is quickly shattered by the sin of Achan in chapter 7.

The corporate consequences of this one man’s sin are nearly devastating to the nation and Joshua, its leader. As we look at this story it becomes clear that God takes sin seriously and that He often holds the entire body accountable for the actions of individuals. This concept is called “corporate solidarity” and we find it throughout the Old Testament (2 Chronicles 7:14; Nehemiah 1; Daniel 9) and the New Testament as well (1 Corinthians 5).

We will be discussing the implications of this concept as the story of Achan’s sin unfolds before us. There are six elements on which we will be focusing.

LET THE CONQUEST BEGIN PT. 3 - JOSHUA 6:22-27

Josh 6:22-27
22 And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the harlot's house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her."
23 So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives, and placed them outside the camp of Israel.
24 And they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
25 However, Rahab the harlot and her father's household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
26 Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, "Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his first-born he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates."
27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land.(NAS)

This is the third and final post on Joshua chapter 6, also known as the “Battle of Jericho.” There are five points of focus or emphasis in the story. We have looked at three, and in this post we will look at the last two.

Emphasis #1 – The Specific Instructions – v.1-7
Emphasis #2 – The Solemn procession – v.8-16
Emphasis #3 – The Shout of Destruction – v.17-21, 24

Verses 17-19 is a parenthetical section that that summarizes additional instructions given to Israel about how to deal with various people and things in this specific battle.

LET THE CONQUEST BEGIN PT. 2 - JOSHUA 6:17-21

Many people today are embarrassed and repelled by passages like Joshua chapter six. For them, the supernatural nature of the walls falling down taxes their credulity. In addition, they balk at the idea that a loving and just God could require the total annihilation of a group of people. For example, in an article entitled, Joshua, Calvin and Genocide, R. Goetz wrote,

“The book of Joshua is embarrassment enough, with its ferocity and its religious advocacy of mass murder”

Goetz goes on to speak of the “guilt of the living God” because of His activities recorded in places like Joshua six (Quoted by David M. Howard, NAC: Joshua, pp. 184).

It is not surprising that some people would walk away from Joshua chapter six with that opinion, because the story recorded here for us is stark and severe. The problem is in the approach. Most people approach passages like this from a human perspective, whereas they are meant to be looked at from a divine perspective.

LET THE CONQUEST BEGIN PT.1 - JOSHUA 6:1-16

Joshua 6:1-7
1 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. 3 And you shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. 4 Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And it shall be 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 will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead."
6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." 7 Then he said to the people, "Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the LORD." NAS

Finally, after much preparation, it was time to actually begin the conquest of the land. The next six chapters in Joshua are going to describe this conquest occurring in three phases or campaigns.

Phase #1 – The Central Campaign – Chapters 6-8
Phase #2 – The Southern Campaign – Chapters 9-10
Phase #3 – The Northern Campaign – Chapters 11

It is not a coincidence that the invasion begins at Jericho and the central campaign is first. Looking at a map, you would think they would enter the land in the south and then storm their way through the land. However, there was a strategic reason for beginning at Jericho and splitting the land in two.

The invasion of Jericho was important because of the city’s strategic location. Here, nomadic tribes entered the land through several valleys leading from the city to the central ridge of the land. Furthermore, by entering the land at Jericho, Israel could divide the land in two, prohibiting any significant alliances between the northern city-states and the southern inhabitants (Paul Enns, Joshua, Bible Study Commentary, pp. 55).

This strategy prevented the Canaanites from banding together, and taking Jericho was the key. If the battle of Jericho was meant to do anything, it was meant to remind Israel that God was in control.