John Kitto Morning Bible Devotions: May 22

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John Kitto Morning Bible Devotions: May 22

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Fall of Jericho

Joshua 6

The Israelites commenced their military operations in Canaan in a very extraordinary manner. No city was ever besieged or conquered after the mode which they were directed to adopt. But there were reasons. It was highly important that the Israelites should succeed in this enterprise—to them a difficult one—because their failure would embolden the enemy and discourage themselves; and yet, on the other hand, there was great danger that in the event of success in the use of ordinary means, their deeply-seated presumption might induce them to cry, in total forgetfulness of the Lord of Hosts—“Our sword, and the might of our arm, hath gotten us the victory.” It was therefore the Lord’s purpose to assure them the victory, and yet to do this in such a manner as should exclude all high notions, and leave to himself the undivided glory. The whole army was to march around the city once daily, for six days together. They were to be preceded by the ark, before which were to march seven priests, bearing “seven trumpets of rams’ horns.” These trumpets were the same that were used in the sacerdotal services, and particularly in proclaiming the Jubilee. It has been disputed whether they were really made of the horns of rams, or merely in the shape of such horns. In favor of the latter opinion it may be remarked, that with us a well-known musical instrument of brass is called “a horn,” from its shape; and another “a serpent,” for the same reason. One reason urged for supposing this to have been the case, is that no one ever heard of trumpets really made of rams’ horns, which seem unsuited for the production of musical sounds. But this is somewhat hastily affirmed. We cannot indeed call to mind an instance of a ram’s horn trumpet, but we can of a goat’s; and in Syria, as well as in Greece, the horns of the common breeds of rams and goats are very similar. Dr. E. D. Clarke relates, that when at Corinth, he saw “an Arcadian pipe, on which a shepherd was playing in the streets. It was perfectly Pandean, consisting simply of a goat’s horn, with five holes for the fingers, and a small aperture at the end for the mouth. It was extremely difficult to produce any sound whatever from this small instrument; but the shepherd made the air resound with its shrill notes.” It is probable that instruments of this sort were originally of horns of animals, and retained the original names when they came to be made of metal in the same shape.

Every day the Israelites, having accomplished their march, returned to the camp, without any apparent result from their strange procedure, which must have been most amazing to the people of the beleaguered city. We do not, with some, think that the proceeding was likely to awaken their mirth—more likely was it to make a solemn impression upon their minds—as the host, preceded by that which was regarded with awe as the symbol of the presence of that God so terrible to the enemies of Israel—marched firmly on, silent, save from the stately tramp of their numerous feet, and the sound from the sacred trumpets. The people of Jericho had seen and heard too much already of the great results connected with the seemingly strange proceedings of the Israelites, to find much amusement in a measure which, whatever its exact meaning might prove, was clearly leveled against their city.

But why this delay? The six days’ operations seem to contribute nothing to the result, which might as well have been accomplished the first day. So men judge. So perhaps many among the Israelites themselves judged; for men, at least men in large bodies, are ever prone to precipitate measures; but God moves deliberately, and he would have his people abide in patient faith His time. “He that believeth shall not make haste.” In the present case, the time seems to have been lengthened out, both to afford a continual exercise of the faith and patience of the people, and that both the besieged and the besiegers might be the more deeply impressed by the supernatural power by which the result was to be accomplished. The delay also afforded time for the news of this extraordinary proceeding to spread through all the country around; and the result was no doubt watched for with intense solicitude and curiosity by the princes of Canaan; and upon whom it must have made a deep impression when it actually occurred.

The seventh day was the great day. On that day the city was compassed not once, but seven times; and on the completion of the seventh circuit, the priests blew a peculiarly long blast, on hearing which the army, as instructed, raised a mighty shout, and the wall of the city fell down flat, affording free and open access to the Israelites.

The faith of the people was throughout rigorously tried and exercised in this matter—not only in the march and the delay, but in their implicit obedience to the directions they received, the precise object of which they do not appear to have then seen. For, even as the people do not seem to have been informed how they were to cross the Jordan until they came to the river’s brink, so now Joshua, seems to have forborne disclosing to them how they were to become masters of the city until they had compassed it six times, or till he gave the final command—“Shout, for the Lord hath given you the city.” Their implicit obedience, therefore, in this case, is worthy of all commendation, and gives us a favorable impression of the spirit by which the new generation was animated. Indeed, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews bears distinct and strong testimony on this subject—“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about seven days.” Heb_11:30.

The fact, that the Hebrew host made the circuit of the city seven times on the seventh day, proves that the town could not have been very large. It proves, also, that the whole host could not, as some have fancied, have been engaged in this operation. As the fighting men alone amounted to 600,000, and the mass of the people could not well have been less than two millions more, it is obviously impossible that this could have been the case. No doubt a select body of men, sufficient for the occasion, was alone employed. This was not only the most obvious course of proceeding, but that which was distinctly said to have been followed in other cases, as in the wars with the Amalekites and the Midianites and in the siege of Ai. It was therefore probably followed in all other cases, although the fact is not particularly mentioned. Indeed, in the subsequent operations, it appears clear that the great body of the people remained encamped at Gilgal, until some progress had been made in the conquest of the country, the men-at-arms serving in turns in the different expeditions. No occasion appears to have arisen in which they could all have been employed at once.

It may be well to point out, that the siege of Jericho had commenced in due form before this remarkable course had been taken. We are told that “Jericho was strictly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.” In fact, they had commenced a blockade; and but that they were supernaturally helped, they would probably have wasted months before the town, until they had starved it into a surrender. This was the usual course of ancient sieges; and is still the common course in many parts of the East. Thus it is recorded, that when the Mahrattas intend to besiege a town, they generally encamp around the walls; and having by that means deprived the garrison of all external means of assistance, the besieging army waits with patience, sometimes for several years, until the garrison is starved into a capitulation. Note: Forbes’ Oriental Memoirs, ii. 63. From such protracted operations the Israelites could in this case scarcely have been spared by less than a miracle.