The Fall of Jericho – Trusting God’s Unusual Plan (Joshua 5:13-6:27)
When the people of Israel entered the land that God had promised them, one of the first big challenges they faced was the city of Jericho. It was a strong, well-protected city with huge walls. Taking it down seemed impossible. But what happened next showed that when you trust God—even if His plan seems strange—amazing things can happen.
A Mysterious Warrior Appears
Before the battle even started, Joshua, the leader of the Israelites, saw a man standing in front of him holding a sword. Joshua asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” The man replied, “Neither. I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” Joshua immediately realized this was a divine messenger sent by God. He bowed down in respect. The commander told him to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground—just like when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush.
A Very Unusual Battle Plan
Now that Joshua had received this special visit, God gave him the plan to conquer Jericho. But it wasn’t anything like a normal military strategy.
Here’s what God told them to do:
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March around the city once every day for six days.
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On the seventh day, march around it seven times.
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Have the priests blow their trumpets, and then all the people should shout loudly.
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When they do, the city walls will fall down.
No weapons. No ladders. Just marching, trumpets, and shouting. It sounded strange, but Joshua and the people trusted God.
Obeying Without Question
Joshua passed the instructions to the people. They followed God’s plan exactly. Every day, they quietly walked around the city once. On the seventh day, they walked around it seven times. Then the priests blew their trumpets, and the people gave a great shout.
And just like God said—the walls of Jericho came crashing down.
Rescue for Rahab
Before this battle, Rahab, a woman in Jericho, had hidden two of Joshua’s spies and helped them escape. Because of her courage and kindness, she and her whole family were saved when the city fell. The Israelites kept their promise and brought Rahab to safety, letting her live among them from then on.
A City Not to Be Rebuilt
After Jericho was destroyed, Joshua gave a warning. He said that anyone who tried to rebuild the city would be cursed. Jericho wasn’t just any city—it was an example of how God was leading His people and clearing the way for them in this new land.
A Lesson in Trust
This story isn’t just about a wall falling down. It’s about faith. The Israelites didn’t argue or question God’s odd instructions. They just did what He said—and they won a victory they could never have won on their own.
Sometimes, God’s way doesn’t look like our way. But when we trust Him, even when things don’t make sense, He shows us that He’s in control.
Joshua 5:13-6:27 (WEB)
5:13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood in front of him with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our enemies?”14 He said, “No; but I have come now as commander of the LORD’s army.”Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and worshiped, and asked him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”15 The prince of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals, for the place on which you stand is holy.” Joshua did so.6:1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in. 2 The LORD said to Joshua, “Behold, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the mighty men of valor. 3 All of your men of war shall march around the city, going around the city once. You shall do this six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day, you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the city wall will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, every man straight in front of him.”6 Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD’s ark.”7 They said to the people, “Advance! March around the city, and let the armed men pass on before the LORD’s ark.”8 It was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the LORD’s covenant followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the ark went after them. The trumpets sounded as they went.10 Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout.” 11 So he caused the LORD’s ark to go around the city, circling it once. Then they came into the camp, and stayed in the camp. 12 Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the LORD’s ark. 13 The seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the LORD’s ark went on continually, and blew the trumpets. The armed men went in front of them. The rear guard came after the LORD’s ark. The trumpets sounded as they went. 14 The second day they marched around the city once, and returned into the camp. They did this six days.15 On the seventh day, they rose early at the dawning of the day, and marched around the city in the same way seven times. On this day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! 17 The city shall be devoted, even it and all that is in it, to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it. 19 But all the silver, gold, and vessels of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD. They shall come into the LORD’s treasury.”20 So the people shouted and the priests blew the trumpets. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight in front of him, and they took the city. 21 They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword. 22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.” 23 The young men who were spies went in, and brought out Rahab with her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. They also brought out all of her relatives, and they set them outside of the camp of Israel. 24 They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only they put the silver, the gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. 25 But Rahab the prostitute, her father’s household, and all that she had, Joshua saved alive. She lives in the middle of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.26 Joshua commanded them with an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed is the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho. With the loss of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he will set up its gates.” 27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.