THE FALL OF JERICHO (3)
(Message by Tanny Keng)
0. Introduction
a) The fall of Jericho
(Text: Joshua 6:1-27)
1. What is the text all about?
a) Why did God demand that the Israelites destroy almost everyone and everything in Jericho? He was carrying out severe judgment against the wickedness of the Canaanites. This judgment , or ban, usually required that everything be destroyed .
@.1. 2 Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places. (Deuteronomy 12:2-3 NIV)
@2. 12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 13 that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. 16 You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt, 17 and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors— 18 because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes. (Deuteronomy 13:12-18 NIV)
b) Because of their evil practices and intense idolatry, the Canaanites were a stronghold of rebellion against God. This threat to the right kind of living that God required had to be removed, if not, it would affect all Israel like a cancerous growth (as it did in the sad story told in the book of Judges). A few people and some items in Jericho were not destroyed, but this was a special case. Rahab and her household were saved because she had faith in God and because she helped the Israelite spies. The silver and gold and vessels of bronze and iron were kept, not to enrich the people, but to beautify the tabernacle and it services.
c) God's purpose in all this was to keep the people's faith and religion uncontaminated. He did not want the booty to remind Israel of Canaanite practices.
d) God also wants us to be pure. He wants us to clean up our behavior when we begin a new life in him. We must not let the desire for personal gain distract us from our spiritual purpose. We must also reject any objects that are reminders of a life of rebellion against God.
e) In return for information, Joshua's spies had promised to protect Rahab and her family from the battle (see Joshua 2:14-15).
@1. 14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.” 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. (Joshua 2:14-15 NIV)
f) Rahab kept her part of the promise, and Joshua took time from the battle to tell the spies to keep their part.
g) This curse (see Joshua 6:26) was fulfilled in 1 Kings 16:34 when a man, Hiel, rebuilt Jericho and consequently lost his oldest son and youngest sons.
@1. 26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: “At the cost of his firstborn son he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.” (Joshua 6:26 NIV)
@2. 34 In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun. (1 Kings 16:34 NIV)
2. Prayer focus
a) Pray that we would always be in constant touch with God and be pure in his sight and not let our desire for personal gain distract us from our spiritual growth in him.
The End ...
0. Introduction a) The fall of Jericho
(Text: Joshua 6:1-27)
1. What is the text all about?
a) Why did God demand that the Israelites destroy almost everyone and everything in Jericho? He was carrying out severe judgment against the wickedness of the Canaanites. This judgment , or ban, usually required that everything be destroyed .
@.1. 2 Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places. (Deuteronomy 12:2-3 NIV)
@2. 12 If you hear it said about one of the towns the Lord your God is giving you to live in 13 that troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods you have not known), 14 then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly. And if it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done among you, 15 you must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. You must destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. 16 You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt, 17 and none of the condemned things are to be found in your hands. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger, will show you mercy, and will have compassion on you. He will increase your numbers, as he promised on oath to your ancestors— 18 because you obey the Lord your God by keeping all his commands that I am giving you today and doing what is right in his eyes. (Deuteronomy 13:12-18 NIV)
b) Because of their evil practices and intense idolatry, the Canaanites were a stronghold of rebellion against God. This threat to the right kind of living that God required had to be removed, if not, it would affect all Israel like a cancerous growth (as it did in the sad story told in the book of Judges). A few people and some items in Jericho were not destroyed, but this was a special case. Rahab and her household were saved because she had faith in God and because she helped the Israelite spies. The silver and gold and vessels of bronze and iron were kept, not to enrich the people, but to beautify the tabernacle and it services.
c) God's purpose in all this was to keep the people's faith and religion uncontaminated. He did not want the booty to remind Israel of Canaanite practices.
d) God also wants us to be pure. He wants us to clean up our behavior when we begin a new life in him. We must not let the desire for personal gain distract us from our spiritual purpose. We must also reject any objects that are reminders of a life of rebellion against God.
e) In return for information, Joshua's spies had promised to protect Rahab and her family from the battle (see Joshua 2:14-15).
@1. 14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.” 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. (Joshua 2:14-15 NIV)
f) Rahab kept her part of the promise, and Joshua took time from the battle to tell the spies to keep their part.
g) This curse (see Joshua 6:26) was fulfilled in 1 Kings 16:34 when a man, Hiel, rebuilt Jericho and consequently lost his oldest son and youngest sons.
@1. 26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: “At the cost of his firstborn son he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.” (Joshua 6:26 NIV)
@2. 34 In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun. (1 Kings 16:34 NIV)
2. Prayer focus
a) Pray that we would always be in constant touch with God and be pure in his sight and not let our desire for personal gain distract us from our spiritual growth in him.
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