Session 12:Joshua 6

Session 12: Joshua 6

Summarize

I. God gives Joshua instructions on how to defeat Jericho(1-5)

a. God promises to give victory to Israel over Jericho a strong walled city.

b. God’s instructs the Israelites to bear before them His symbol of power, presence and promise.

II. Joshua leads the people to obey God’s instructions(6-14)

a. Joshua instructs the people to carry the ark of the covenant ahead of the army

b. Joshua instructs the priests to sound the ram’s horn, a symbol of God’s provision, before the coming of the ark.

c. The people obey God’s instructions for 6 days.

III. God gives Jericho to the Israelites and commands them not to take plunder(15-19)

a. Joshua instructs the people to shout and praise God after the circling the city 7 times and the horn is sounded.

b. Joshua reminds the people to not take any plunder and to destroy every living thing in the city.

c. Joshua reminds the people to spare the family of Rahab.

IV. God allows the Israelites to destroy Jericho, but spares Rahab.(20-26)

a. The Israelites obey God and dedicate everything in the city to the Lord.

b. Rahab and her family are spared because of her faith.

c. The city is razed and Joshua curses the one who tries to rebuild Jericho

Analyze

Read 6:1-5

1. What does God tell Joshua and the Israelites that requires trust?  What would cause them to have doubt about what God said?

a. How does what God instructed the Israelites to do go against conventional wisdom in warfare? Who was supposed to lead the army?(4)

Jericho is a walled city and part of its defense would have been to have ranged weapons on the walls.  Asking the Israelites to march around the city for 6 days with no plan of attack was very risky because it exposed the army to the missiles of the enemy and telegraphed their intentions.

b. What are some things God commands Christians to do that go against conventional wisdom?(Lk 9:24, Mt. 5:44, Phil 4:6-7)

c. What kind of horns were used to signal the coming of the Ark of Covenant?(4) (Gen 22:13)

Read 1 Cor 10:13

d. How does this picture of God’s provision and deliverance both for Isaac and the city of Jericho help you understand God’s salvation?

Read Joshua 6:6-14

2. What were the priests carrying before the entire Israelite army? (8)

a. What does the Ark of the Covenant represent to the Israelites? What does it remind the Israelites about?(Ex 19) the Ark is a symbol of God’s presence and promise to make the Israelites His treasured possession if they keep his commandments and covenant.

Seven in biblical references is a symbol of completion.  Six days the Israelite army marched around Jericho but on the 7th day, the day of completion, God delivered the city into the hands of the Israelites. When the Israelites are commanded to shout on the 7th day they are shouting for joy to praise and thank God for His deliverance.

b. Why are the Israelites commanded to remain silent until the 7th day?

Read Joshua 6:15-19

3. What about the 7th day was different from the previous 6 days? Why is it that the Israelites are shouting?(16)

a. How does Rahab hiding the spies qualify her for salvation? (Joshua 2)

Read Joshua 6:20-26

4. What were the Israelites commanded to do once the city walls fell?(17-19,21)

a. Why was the city devoted to the Lord? How many cities had the Israelites taken prior to taking Jericho? How does the taking of Jericho reinforce the concept of the tithe?

Jericho is the first city/resistance the Israelites face entering the promised land. The way that the city is taken is prescriptive of how the Israelites are to defeat and face every enemy they face in the promised land. God is the one who goes before them and conquers the enemy.  The Israelites place their trust in God to defeat the enemy and honor God by giving to him the first city as a reminder that God has given them the whole land.

b. What is the consequence of the one who tries to rebuild Jericho?

c. What would rebuilding Jericho look like in your own life?

Contextualize

1. God desires His people to risk everything by placing their trust in Him

2. Everyone who places their trust in God will never be disappointed

3. God provides, protects and fulfills  His promises to those who seek His presence.

Actualize

Write a letter to God every day this week expressing your reservations about trusting Him and ask Him to give you the courage to risk everything to lean on Him.