The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-12-27
BENTON, LOUISIANA, THURSDAY. DECEMBER u, 1900

BENT
70 feet high, completely demolish
those poor Asraelites down In the
river?" I will tell You why. God had
made promise and He was going to
keep it. There shall not any man
be able to stand before thee all the
days Of thy life."
But this is no place for the host to
stop. Joshua gives the command:
Forward, march!" In the distance
there is long grove of trees, and at
the end of the grove is city. It is q
city with arbors, q city with walls
seeming to reach to the heavens. to
buttress the very sky. 1t is the great
metropolis that commands the moun-
tain pass. 1t is Jericho. That city
was afterward captured by Pompey
and once by Herod the Great and
once again by the Mohammedans, but
this campaign the Lord plans. There
shall be no swords, no shields, no bat
tering ram. There shall be only one
weapon of war, and that rams
horn. The horn Of the slain ram was
sometimes taken, and holes were pune
tured in it, and then the musician
would put the instrument to his lips.
and he would run his fingers over this
rude musical instrument and make .
great deal of sweet harmony for the
people. That was the only kind Of
weapon. Seven priests were to take
these rude, rustic musical instru-
mcnts, and they were to 60 around
the city every day for six days-once
q day for six days-and then on the
seventh day they were to go around
blowing these rude musical instrt-
ments seven times, and then at the
close of the seventh blowing of the
rams horns on the seventh day the
peroration Of the whole scene was to
be shout, at which those great walls
should tumble from cspstone to base.
The seven priests with the rude mu-
sical instruments pass all around the
city walls ON the first day and. score .
failure. Not 60 much as q piece OF
plaster broke loose from the wall, not
so much as . loosened rock. not SO
much az q piece Of mortar lost from
its place. There" say the unbeliev-
ing Israelites, "did / not tell you so?
Why. those ministers are fools. The
idea of going around the city with
those musical instruments and ex-
pecting in that way to destroy It.
Joshua has heen spoiled. He thinks
because he has overthrown and con-
quered the spring freshet he can over
throw the stone wall. Why, it is not
philosophic. Do you not see there is
| no relation between the blowing OF
these musical instruments and the
knocking down OF the wall2 1t is not
philosophic.' And I suppose there
were many wiseacres who stood with
their brows knitted and with the fore
finger 81 the right hand to the fore.
4 finger Of the left hand arguing 1t ali
ont and showing that II was not pos,
sible that such cause could produce
such an effect. And suppose that
night in the encampment there was
plenty of caricature, and il Joshus
had been nominated for any high mil
itary position he would not have re
ceived many votes. Joshua's stock
was down. The second day the priest.
blowing the musical instruments &c
around the city and again failure
The third day and failure, fourth
day and failure, fifth day and {
failure, sixth day and q failure. Tha
seventh day comes, the climacteri.
day. Joshua is up early in the morn
ing and examines the troops, walks
all about, looks at the city wall. TIL,
priests start to make the circuit 9
the city. They go all around once, al
around twice, three times, four times
five times, six times,aseve times, ans
r. failure. There is only one NOR
thing to do, and that is to, utter ,
great shout. see the Israelitisl
army Strengthening themselves up
filling their lungs for q vociferatio1
such as was never heard before ant
never heard after. Joshua feels tha
the hour has come. and he cries ou
to his host: "Shout, for the Lor'
hath given you the city," All to
gether the troops shout: Down
i Jericho! Down, Jericho!" And tn
long line Of solid masonry begins Z
quiver and to move and to rock. Stan
from under! She falls! Crash g
the walls and temples. the towers
the palaces. the air blackened wit
the dust. The huzza of the victoriou
Israelites and the groan Of the cor
:quered Canaanites commingle. an
Joshua, standing there in the debri
Of the walls. hears . voice saying
ssThere shall not any man be able t
stand before thee all the days Of tn
life"
Only one house spared. Who hvs
, There? Some great king? No. Som
woman distinguished for great kindl
deeds? No. She had been conspict
ous for her crimes. It is the hous
, lot Rahab. Why was her house spared
Because. she had been ; great sinner
No, but because she repented, demol
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