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.
(1) How to Deal with the City and its Inhabitants – v.17a
The city and its inhabitants were to be a “herem” – devoted to the Lord for destruction. Why would God require this? He required this so as to keep Israel pure from the influence of the inhabitants of the land and to punish the Canaanites for their wickedness. This is all apart of God’s long war against sin and Satan.
(2) How to Deal with Rahab and Her Family – v.17b
Rahab and her family were to be spared because of her faith to God’s grace.
(3) How to Deal with the Material Possessions Found in Jericho – v.18-19
These items were not to be destroyed by fire instead they were to be placed in the Lord’s treasury. Jericho and all of its people and treasures were a kind of firstfruits offering to God, as a guarantee of the rest of the harvest or conquest to come. Later Israel would be able to share in the spoils of victory, but not here because everything in Jericho belonged to God. If anyone disobeyed, they themselves would become a “herem.” In the next chapter we will see that this actually does occur.
Verses 20-21, 24 describe the actual battle of Jericho and its destruction (v.20 picks up where v.16 left off). This was a visual reminder of Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 4:15-24.
15 "So watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire,
16 lest you act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky,
18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth.
19 "And beware, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.
20 "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today.
21 "Now the LORD was angry with me on your account, and swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
22 "For I shall die in this land, I shall not cross the Jordan, but you shall cross and take possession of this good land.
23 "So watch yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you.
24 "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.(NAS)
“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire”
Joshua 6:24
And they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it.
As a consuming fire God is revealed to be holy! Although He is loving, merciful and gracious, He is also holy, righteous and just, and He hates sin.
Element #4 – The Scene of Salvation – v.22-25
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.
Often as we study Scripture we come across passages were themes of judgment and destruction stand side by side with themes of salvation and deliverance. For example,
· In Genesis 6-9 you have the story of the salvation / deliverance of Noah and his family interwoven in the context of the judgment and destruction of the world by flood.
· In Genesis 18-19 you have the story of salvation / deliverance of Lot interwoven in the context of judgment and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
· In Exodus 11-12 you have the story of the salvation / deliverance of Israel at the Passover interwoven in the context of judgment and the destruction of Egypt in the plagues.
It should not surprise then, that in the midst of the judgment and destruction of Jericho we find the scene of salvation and deliverance involving Rahab and her family. In an act of grace God spared the house of Rahab when the walls had fallen down. It seems apparent that the section of the wall that housed them did not fall down. It wasn’t even necessary for the two spies to look for the scarlet cord! In the midst of utter destruction standing alone was the house of the woman and her family, perfectly preserved by God! Note the gracious words of v.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
Because of the faith of one woman (Hebrews 11:31) a whole family was able to experience the deliverance of Jehovah. Although the text does not say so, it would seem consistent with God’s salvation that she had led her family to trust in Jehovah, prior to the attack.
“These Gentile believers were rescued from a fiery judgment because they trusted the God of Israel, for “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). They were “afar off” as far as the covenants were concerned (Eph. 2:11-12), but their faith brought them into the nation of Israel; for Rahab married Salmon and became an ancestress of King David and of the Messiah! (Matt. 1:5) (Wiersbe)
Once they were rescued we are told that they were
Placed…outside the camp of Israel
Why? Because as Gentiles they were still ritually unclean and “outside the camp” was
the place designated for the unclean (Numbers 5:1-4; Deuteronomy 23:9-14). The
camp of Israel itself was to be a holy place and Rahab and her family needed to be made ritually clean. This would no doubt include the circumcision of the males and the washing of the clothing and a submission to the Law of Moses. After which, they would be received into the congregation of Israel. This is what v. 25 indicates happened.
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.
Warren Wiersbe sees God’s grace written all over this event.
What grace that God spared Rahab and her loved ones, and what abundant grace that He chose her, an outcast Gentile, to be an ancestress of the Savior!
Like Jericho of old, our present world is under the judgment of God (John 3:18-21; Rom. 3:10-19); and His judgment will eventually fall. No matter what “walls” and “gates” this present evil world will try to hide behind, God’s wrath will eventually meet them. God has given this lost world plenty of evidence so that sinners can believe and be saved (Josh. 2:8-13; Rom. 1:18ff). The tragedy is, lost sinners willingly reject the evidence and continue in their sins (John 12:35-41).
Think about it, they willingly reject His awesome grace.
Element #5 – The Serious Declaration – v.26-27
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.
In essence Joshua pronounces a curse against anyone who would seek to rebuild the city of Jericho and its walls. Instead, Jericho was to remain an object lesson of God’s hatred of sin and His great victory that He gave Israel at the beginning of the conquest. This curse had severe consequences.
"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."
Interestingly enough, the curse was fulfilled many years later in the life of a man named Hiel.
1 Kings 16:34
In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho; he laid its foundations with the loss of Abiram his first-born, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun. (NAS)
Verse 27 serves as another reminder of God’s faithfulness to Joshua (Joshua 3:7).
What are some of the lessons that we can learn from this chapter?
Lesson #1 – The Importance of Faithful Obedience
The strange and specific instructions given by God were obeyed faithfully as Israel marched around Jericho as they were told. God always rewards obedience.
Lesson #2 – The Importance of Holiness
This is seen in the “herem” and in the way that Rahab and her family were quarantined until they could be made ceremonially clean.
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?
16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
17 "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.
18 "And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me," says the Lord Almighty.
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.(NAS)
Lesson #3 – The Importance of Having a Right View of God
In Joshua 6, God gives us special insight into who He is. It is an awesome revelation of Himself. Irving L Jensen suggests some of the attributes of God we see in chapter 6 (Rest Land Won, pp. 61-63).
(1) His Constant Presence
As was the case when Israel crossed the Jordan, the Ark of the Covenant has a prominent place in the procession. The ark symbolized God’s constant presence among His people. It must have been reassuring to those involved in the solemn possession to know that God was in their midst.
(2) His Sovereignty
Jensen Writes:
The battles of Israel were God’s battles against His enemies, fought through His people for His people. The ram’s horns blown by the priests were not military trumpets, but jubilee trumpets, such as were usually associated with the year of jubilee, for this was a religious, not a military undertaking
(3) His Thoroughgoing Demands
Jensen tells us that “the Israelites were learning again and again that there were no halfway measures with God.”
He promised all of Canaan to Israel. He punished all unbelievers in the wilderness for their disobedience. He demanded that all tribes help in the conquest. Circumcision was to be restored to all male Israelites. All the law must be kept. All the heart must seek after God. Here, at Jericho, all the people were to shout, the city was utterly destroyed, even to the extent of pronouncing a curse on its future restorer (6:26).He goes on to say,
The number seven, a number of wholeness and completeness, symbolized this aspect of God’s nature. There were to be seven days of marching, seven encirclings on the seventh day, and seven priests blowing seven horns…
(4) His Holy Wrath
The decision to engage in the conquest of the land was not Israel’s but Gods. According to Jensen knowing God’s reason for punishing the Canaanites gave Israel better insight into God’s holiness.
Some of the practices that God intended to purge from the land for Israel’s benefit were paganism, polytheism, religious prostitution, infant sacrifice and other corrupt and brutal practices. Jensen writes,
Furthermore, the slaughter of all the inhabitants of Jericho—young and old, with the exception of Rahab and her household (6:21-22) – was totally justifiable on the basis of the sovereign right of the holy Creator to design life from its beginning to its end, which design included the unmixability of sin and holiness. The wars of Israel against the idolatrous nations of Canaan were God’s holy wars, and their disposition of the prisoners was the fulfillment of God’s orders. If only Israel had learned for her future days that her idolatry would reap the vengeance of the same holy God.Remember in all of this talk about God holy wrath that God had known what He was going to do to the Canaanites, yet patiently and graciously waited for over four-hundred years for them to repent.
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. NAS
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