The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-10-18
The Capture
of Jericho
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. 20. 1907
Specially Prepared 10. This Paper
LESSON rExT.-Joshua O.: 500. Mem
Specially Prepared 10. This Paper

LESSON TExT.-Joshua 9: $40. Mem
nv verse. 20.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"By faith the walls
Z Jericho fell down after they were cons
asscd about seven ~days."-Heb. II: 30.
TiME.-April, about b. c.. 1851, accord
hg to the margins OF our Bibles. Schol-
RS are divided as to the period, whether
be In the vicinity of the Tcl-el-Amarn
etters before B. C. 400, or in the century
GLOWING Ramesss ii. between b. c. 1901
nd 1900.
PLACE.-Giigai and Jericho in the
Plain on the west side OF the Jordan.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Right Of Israel to the Land
The representation Of the books OF
Joshua, Judges (2:2), and Of Dcuter-
onomy Is that the conquest OF Canaan
WIS in accordance with the plan and
shs command Of God. And God al
ways does and always commands only
what Is right. But how could 1t be
right for one nation to drive another
from their homes and destroy them?
Distinguish between a command OF
God to do a thing and the way some
people execute the command. History
abounds in good things done In a
wicked way. We can approve Of the
doing, while condemning the way 1t
was done.
The Fall Of Jericho. And 1t
came to pass" etc. Better, And It
was according as Joshua said in the
previous verses of the chapter.
The plan of the attack was for all
the men Of war ". 81 to march around
the city once q day for six days. and
on the seventh day to march around
It seven times, the last time with q
long blast of the trumpets and a great
shout from all the men when the
walls were to fall.
From the whole account We learn
the order Of procession. From what.
ever different sources the present ac-
count may have been drawn, the story
u one harmonious statement OF the
facts. The order Of march seems to
have been as follows:
First. A vanguard Of armed men
who marched in silence at the head
Of the procession Tvs. 9, 10Y. They
we're to utter no vainglorious speeches
such as Goliath did when he met
David, and De Bohun at Bannockburn
Ito give nc answer to the taunts
which the men on the walls may have
thrown at them. 1t was an ominous,
portentous silence "as deep as eter-
nifty" Silence that Expresses with too
great q weight" the silence In the
center Of the cyclone before 1t bursts
forth in it, career of devastation.
Second. VS.. 8, 10. Then followed
. company of seven priests, doubt.
less In their rich, priestly garments.
showing to the Jericho people on tho
walls that what they were doing was
In the service and with the power Of
Jehovah. who had made a path for the
~israelites through Jordan. These
were blowing "trumpets of rams
horns" the jubilee trumpets, the kind
that ushered in the new year Glow.
1920 and announced the year Of
jubilee (Lev. $3.50. These were like
the bands which lead professions In
our day with marching music to which
the people keep step.
Third. After these came the Ark
of the Covenant borne by priests. the
Ark which stood in the river-bed while
the people were crossing, the Ark
which showed that the Lord God was
leading and defending them. but on
condition that the Israelites kept their
part of the covenant.
Fourth. After these came the ".
1s) Reward" 1. e., rear guard, con.
sisting Of the rest OF the men Of 10.
rael marching in silence around the
city. No sign of triumph was to be
raised, no words Of rejoicing over the
foe, nor of conscious strength. But
in solemn, reverent silence, as II God
alone was speaking to them. In medi.
tation and silent prayer they were to
love around the city.
For Six Successive Days.-v. IA.
This was trying to their faith. and
may have seemed to some to be Z
hopeless waste of time. Some n Of
the seven days must have been a Sab
bath, and the action q breaking Of the
Sabbath; but 1t was q solemn. re-
ligious service, and no more broke
the Sabbath than does the marching
Of the Salvation Army to draw men
to their meetings.
! Tho Seventh Day.-Vs. Is. 16. 20
On this day the circuit was made
seven times in succession. At the
seventh time. while the men were
still somewhere around the city walls,
but probably not wholly surrounding
the city, the signal was given as an
nounced ". 81 by a long blast Of the
trumpets, different from the march
ing music, and all the men ". 20)
shouted with a great shout"
The ~orientals take a peculiar delight
In noise. when our people are In
dead earnest, they are generally 81
lent; but the more in earnest an orr
entail Is. the louder he shouts. Even
Arab boatmen. when in great danger,
and every man Is doing his utmost in
struggling with the waves. will waste
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