Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:00 — 3.7MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
Do you know this old song? “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho. Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came a tumbling down.” The conquest of Jericho is one of the better-known Bible stories. It tells us the Israelite army circled the city once a day for six days. Priests blowing ram’s horns and the ark of the covenant led the way. On the seventh day, they circled the city seven times. Then the priests blew a long blast on the horns, signaling all the people to shout. The walls fell. The Israelites then went in and destroyed the city, burning it.
Archaeology has discovered Jericho and it’s fallen walls. The ruins also include a three-foot-thick layer of burnt ash and debris.* So, how did the walls fall? Some archaeologists believe it was caused by an earthquake. That’s possible. God could have used an earthquake to coincide with the actions of his army.
Earthquake or not, faith was involved. Hebrews 11:30 says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.”
Sometimes God wants us to do things in a certain way. The Israelites trusted God and followed his directions about marching around the city. We must have the same faith. Is there something God’s word has instructed that you need to do? If so, then do what another old song says – trust and obey.
*Bryant G. Wood, PhD, “The Walls of Jericho,” Associates for Biblical Research, June 9, 2008, https://biblearchaeology.org/research/conquest-of-canaan/3625-the-walls-of-jericho.
Please provide feedback and suggestions at: https://www.sparkingfaith.com/feedback/
Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.