Our Daily Dose
Day 160 of 365 · Week 23 · Daniel’s Prayer and Deliverance
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The Battle of Jericho
Joshua 6:1-14
Scripture · Joshua 6:1-14
1Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2And the LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have delivered Jericho into your hand, along with its king and its mighty men of valor. 3March around the city with all the men of war, circling the city one time. Do this for six days. 4Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns. 5And when there is a long blast of the ram’s horn and you hear its sound, have all the people give a mighty shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse and all your people will charge straight into the city.” 6So Joshua son of Nun summoned the priests and said, “Take up the ark of the covenant and have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark of the LORD.” 7And he told the people, “Advance and march around the city, with the armed troops going ahead of the ark of the LORD.” 8After Joshua had spoken to the people, seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9While the horns continued to sound, the armed troops marched ahead of the priests who blew the horns, and the rear guard followed the ark. 10But Joshua had commanded the people: “Do not give a battle cry or let your voice be heard; do not let one word come out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you are to shout!” 11So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. And the people returned to the camp and spent the night there. 12Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests took the ark of the LORD. 13And the seven priests carrying seven rams’ horns kept marching ahead of the ark of the LORD and blowing the horns. The armed troops went in front of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the LORD, while the horns kept sounding. 14So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain.
The fall of Jericho is a significant event in Israel’s history, marking the beginning of their conquest of the Promised Land. This battle, however, is unique because it is won not by conventional military means but by following God’s specific instructions.
- “Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.’”
Exegesis and Study
- The Unconventional Battle Plan: God’s instructions to Joshua to march around the city for seven
days with the priests leading the procession would have seemed highly unusual from a military perspective. However, this plan was designed to demonstrate that the victory belonged to God alone. By following these instructions, the Israelites showed their complete reliance on God’s power rather than their own strength or strategy.
- The Role of Faith and Obedience: The Israelites’ willingness to obey such unconventional instructions is a testament to their faith in God and trust in Joshua’s leadership. Their faith and obedience were crucial to the victory at Jericho, reinforcing the principle that success in God’s kingdom often comes through trust and obedience, rather than conventional wisdom or human effort.
Prayer Guide
- Pray for Faith to Follow God’s Plans: Ask God to give you the faith to follow His plans, even when they seem unconventional or challenging. Pray for the courage to trust in God’s ways, knowing that His plans are always for your good and His glory.
- Pray for Obedience in All Circumstances: Reflect on areas of your life where you might be struggling to obey God’s instructions. Ask God to strengthen your resolve to follow His commands fully, and to trust that His ways are higher and better than your own understanding.
This devotional is one day from Our Daily Dose, a 365-day journey through Scripture by Armstrong & Zanele Ogwuche.
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Scripture is shown in public-domain translations, so you can share it freely. The study text is from Our Daily Dose by Armstrong & Zanele Ogwuche.
A daily devotional from KingdomOS. Share freely; every card links back here.
A daily devotional from KingdomOS. Share freely; every card links back here.