The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-10-19
The Capture
Of 5eriCho
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. 20. 1897
Specially Prepared fer This Paper

GOLDEN TEXT. by faith the walls
OF Jericho fell down after they were com
passed about seven days" Heb. II: 80.
TIME.-April about B G. 145l. accord
ing 70 the margins Of our Bibles, Schol-
ars are divided as to the period, whether
II be in the vicinity Of the Tel-el-Amarna
letters before b. c. 1400, or in the century
following Rameses ii. between B. G. l20e
aud 1906
PLACE. .-Giigal 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 q
Joshua Judges (2:2), and Of Deuter
Aonomy is that the conquest Of Canaan
WAS In accordance with the plan and
the command of God And God al
ways does and always commands only
what is right But how could it be
right for one nation 70 drive another
from their homes aud destroy them?
Distinguish between a command OF
Z God to do a thing and the way some
people execute the command History
aboands in good things done in a
wicked way. We can approve Of the
doing, while condemning the way It
was done.
The Fall Of Jericho - And it
came to pass" etc Better. And it
was according as Joshua said in the
i previous verses Of the chapter.
The plan Of the attack was for all
the men of war (v. 81 to march around
the city once day for six days, and
on the seventh day to march around
{ it seven times, the last time with a
long blast of the trumpets and a great
shout from all the men when the
walls We're 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
is 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, 8, 1O). They
were to utter no vainglorious speeches
such as Goliath did when he met
David, and De Bohun at Bannockburn
Ito give no answer to the taunts
which the men on the walls may have
thrown at them. 1t was an ominous.
Aportentous silence "as deep as eter-
nifty" silence that oppresses with too
great a weight" the silence in the
8center of the cyclone before it bursts
forth in its cal eer of devastation.
Second. VS.. 8, 13. Then followed
ia 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
sIsraelites through Jordan. These
were blowing trumpets of rams
horns the jubilee trumpets, the kind
that ushered in the new year (Lev. |
1920 and announced the year Of
aanbilee (Lev 25:9). These were like
Khe bands which lead professions In
our day with marching music to which
the people keep step.
Third. After these came the Ark
pf the Covenant borne by priests, the
Ark which stood in the river-bed while
abe 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 (v.
13) Reward" /. e., rear guard, con-
sistlng Of the rest Of the men Of Is
fael marching In silence around the
City. No sign of triumph was to be
Taised, no words Of rejoicing over the
foe, nor of conscious strength. But
Ia solemn, reyerent silence, as If God
alone was speaking to them, in medi-
fation and silent prayer they We're to
move around the city.
For Six Successive Days.-V. IA.
This was trying to their faith, and
sblay have seemed to some to be
.Aopeless waste of time. Some one of
the seven days must have been Sab
bath, and the action a breaking Of the
Sabbath; but it was a solemn, re-
hgious service, and no more broke
the Sabbath than does the marching
cf the Salvation Army to draw men
10 their meetings.
The Seventh Day.-vs. Is. 16, 20.
On this day the circuit was made
seven times in succession. At the
seventh time, while the mer were
still somewhere around the city walls,
but probably not wholly surrounding
he city, the signal was given as an
'kpunced w. 81 by long blast Of the
'rumpets, different from the march
ne music, and all the men ". 29)
shouted with a great shout"
M The orientals take a peculiar delight
ia noise. when our people are in
lead earnest they are generally ST.
emit: but tho more in earnest an ori-
sntal is, the louder he shouts. Even
Arab boatmen, when in great danger.
nd every man is doing his utmost in
struggling with the waves. will waste
& lot of strength and breath IN shout
lng."-Hon. Selah Merrill