The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-08-24
TEACHING POINTS.

INTRoDUCTIoN.-The object of this lesson, as
we conceive, will be to give to the scholars a
reasonable Interpretation of Bible story which
has passed into literature as symbolic marvel.
The essential historical fact is that Jericho was
without battle, by the force of CONSERVATION
and some hidden strategy. captured by the
Israetes.
10 V.S-11 and the previous context. The
Plan of the Siege. The imam with his sword
drawn" seen by Joshua when accommodating
the wall of the besieged city, gives the clue to
the story. That this man. afterward speaks
with the authority OF Jehovah signifies, accord
ing to the Jewish method of thought, simply
that he spoke in friendship to the people who
worshipped Jehovah. That Joshua "wor-
shipped" this imam" signifies only that he gave
him the customary Oriental obeisance. That
the imam" required of Joshua that he take off
his sandal in token that the ground he trod was
holy, signifies that there was already some wor-
ship ofiJehovah here established,-as there was
at Jerusalem before Abraham's day. The
"man" conspired with Joshua for the betrayal
of the Canaanitsh city. 1t can be said, in justi-
icaton of this traitor to his people. that he was
of the same moral quality as Rahab. who was
honored by the Israelites as a friend of Jeho-
vahs people.
(2) VS.. 1916. The Ominous Marching about
the Wall. The strange spectacle. beheld from
the doomed city. helped to increase the paraly-
sis already existing in Jericho. Six hundred
thousand soldiers marching silently around the
little city, the priests bearing the ark of the
covenant and alone breaking the silence by
blowing their symbolic jubilee trumpets; the
unparalleled pageant repeated for six days.
truly it was novel piece of military strategy.
the superstitious Canaanites. SILENCE
of the encircling army as opposed to the noisy
Orientals in general, is point to note.-Con-
sternation is powerful weapon against an eff
Terminate population. We have in our day seen
Japan conquer China almost entirely by panic.
Yet China had prided itself on being able to
frighten the senses out of the world by the Use
of its tom-toms. The Israelites against the Ca
NANTES were much like the Japanese against
the Cinnamon.
81 VS.. 1920. The City Captured and De-
stroyed. There must have been preparation in
some way made for the final catastrophe. e.
While some notable endeavors have been made
to scientifically prove that the natural effect of
the regular tramping Of the soldiers and the
blare of the trumpets may have been to loosen
and weaken the wall, las the regular tramp of
soldiers across bridge will endanger the sta
bility of the strucuure.-it is more plausible to
believe that the wall of Jericho was under
miDed.-The mighty shout" which followed
the seventh march around the city ON the sew
enth day, was such shout as was scarcely ever
heard in the history of the race. The city
was ''cursed" or devoted; that is, the order
went forth that every living thing, save Rahab
and her friends and the silver ana gold and YES
sells of brass and iron, were to be destroyed by
death or fire. The barbarity of this proceeding
cannot be by the Christian standard justified; II
pertains to a lower order of civilization. which
Christianity has largely superseded. The
story of Rahab showing favor to the spies.-for
which she and her party were exempted from
the doom of the city,-is told In the second
chapter of Joshua.