The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-04
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BIBLE. STUDY. on
The Fall of Jericho
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"All things are possible to him that
believeth." MARK 9.23.
Jericho was a walled city about five
miles from the Jordan. 1t was small, as
cities are now estimated; but its wall
was a necessity, owing to frequent incur
sions from Syria and Egypt. and because
1t was situated on one of the main lines
of travel leading to mountain pass.
The Lords decree is respect to all the
cities of Canaan was that they We're de-
voted-cherum. The Israelites were not
led in Canaan to pillage. They were to
| be executioners of the Divine decree
against the people of Canaan, each city
of which constituted the center of lit
tie principality. According to history,
| they were continually at war with each
other, and atrociously corrupt, after
the manner of the Sodomites. They We're
to be destroyed as no longer advan-
tageous either to themselves or others.
In the great prison house of Sheol, the
tomb, they would wait for the more ia
vorable time of Messiah's kingdom. and
| the release from degradation and death
promised to all mankind through Abra-
| hams seed: In thy seed shall all the
| The Israelites, as executioners of the
| Divine decr6es, were to destroy the cities
of Canaan and all their Inhabitants. their
animals and property. The exceptions
We're things of metal; and these We're con-
secrated in advance to the Lord for the
| Punishment of the Tabernacle and the
Temple
Captain of the Lords Host
| After crossing Jordan, the Israelites en-
4 hot ixar a
Jericho, the latter city having shut its
gates, expecting to endure long siege.
Joshua was aware that Jericho would be
the first place of attack, but evidently
not aware of the character of the siege
and of the battle by which 1t would be
overthrown. While reconnoitering In the
| vicinity of Jericho, he came upon an
armed soldier, and at once inquired
whether he was fried or foe. The an
swed was that he was the Captain of
the Lords host. An angel had been COM
| missioned to materialize-to appear as a
human being, wearing human garments
and armor-for the purpose of commu-
nicating the Divine plans to Joshua.
Through this heavenly messenger the
Divine plan for the capture of Jericho was
revealed to Joshua He Immediately put
| 1t into execution. Every day there was
a solemn procession around the doomed
city. First went a military escort from
the various tribes Next followed a COM
pany of priests blowing rams horns. Then
came further procession-a rear guard
presumably warriors In harmony with
the explicit directions, not a voice, not
shout, was heard. Everything was
most solemn and funereal. except the
blowing of rams horns, which were
the same as were used in announcing the
new year, but especially and particularly
in the jubilee.
These solemn professions encompassed
Jericho once a day for six days. Then on
the seventh day they went about the city
seven times, the last time yociferously
shouting-the seven priests constantly
blowing upon the rams horns When they
had made the seventh circuit of the city
they stopped in front of it, still blowinS
and forthwith the wall of the city crum-
bled and fell
The translation of our Common Version,
down flat" seems too strong properly to
represent the original. The wall fell i'm
! mediately in front of the Ark of Cow
| enant But not all the wall fell; for the
account tells that the portion of the wall
where Rahab's house was built did not
| fall (Cy. Joshua 2:15-19) The wall fell tl
| such an extent that Israel's soldiers could
easily and quickly surmount it and ac-
| complish the work of destruction which
| the Lord has commanded
| Everything in the Divine purpose can
| easily enough be accomplished under the
| Divine supervision. Quite probably the
tremor of an earthquake, under Divine
| direction, caused the fall of the wall IN
| front of the Israelites. When we consider
| all the circumstances as related in the
| Bible. it does not seem impossible that
| God thus intervened to carry out His own
purposes
Professor Lawson describes similar re.