The Battle of Jericho

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

There’s a gospel song, perhaps what used to be called a Negro Spiritual, “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho.”

An unusual use of the word “fit”.

But there’s a passage in the King James Version that refers to “the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.”  I think that just means the vessels of wrath that will be destroyed.

When Joshua “fit” the battle of Jericho, he put it on, he conducted it, he directed it, he fought the Battle of Jericho with his people.

Actually, there wasn’t a whole lot of directing to do because God had already given them a plan.  All they had to do was carry out God’s plan, and God would give them the victory over Jericho.

Moses, of course, led the Children of Israel out of Egypt.  But it was Joshua that led them into the promised land, after the death of Moses.

Joshua had sent spies into Jericho.  They stayed overnight in the house of Rahab.  In exchange for that favor, Rahab was spared from destruction in the downfall of Jericho.

Here is the narrative from the book of Joshua, in the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version, (Amazon.com).

___Joshua chapter 6

1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel, no one went out, and no one came in.

2 And the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I've given into your hand Jericho, and its king, and the mighty men of valor.

3 And you shall circle the city, all you men of war, and go around the city once.  You shall do that six days.

4 And seven priests shall carry before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns, and the seventh day you shall circle the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

5 And 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, and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him."

6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord."

7 And he said to the people, "Pass on, and circle the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the Lord.

8 And when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord, and blew with the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them.

9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, nor shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you shout, then you shall shout."

11 So the ark of the Lord circled the city, going around it once, and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.

12 And Joshua got up early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord.

13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets, and the armed men went before them, but the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

14 And the second day they circled the city once, and returned to the camp, they did that six days.

15 And on the seventh day, they got up early at about the dawning of the day, and circled the city, in the same way, seven times, only on that day did they circle the city seven times.

16 And at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout, for the Lord has given you the city.

17 And the city shall be accursed, it, and all that are in it, to the Lord, only Rahab the prostitute shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

18 And you, be sure to keep yourselves from the accursed thing, so you don't make yourselves accursed, when you take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

19 But all the silver, and gold, and brass and iron pots, are consecrated to the Lord, they shall come into the treasury of the Lord."

20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets, and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man directly before him, and they took the city.

21 And they completely destroyed everything that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

22 But Joshua had said to the two men that had spied out the country, "Go into the harlot's house, and bring out from there the woman, and all that she has, as you swore to her."

23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brothers, and all that she had, and they brought out all her family, and left them outside the camp of Israel.

24 And they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it, only the silver, and the gold, and the brass and iron pots, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

25 And Joshua saved Rahab the prostitute alive, and her father's household, and all that she had, and she lives in Israel until this day, because she hid the messengers, that Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 And Joshua warned them at that time, saying, "Cursed be the man before the Lord, that rises up and builds this city Jericho, he shall lay the foundation of it in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it."

27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was spoken of throughout all the country.

But I heard some teaching on this subject.  Someone received a revelation that if the walls of Jericho had been just pushed over, that would have left a lot of rubble for the Children of Israel to climb over in attacking Jericho.

According to the revelation I was told about, the walls didn’t just fall over, the angels actually pushed the walls straight down into the earth so that the Children of Israel would have a flat surface to go forward across.

Chapter 2

God often made things easy for his people, the Children of Israel.  Even today, God is providing for Israel.  Otherwise, modern Israel would probably have been destroyed long ago.  Some of these Muslim nations want to push Israel into the sea.

But, you see, God won’t let them.

God has plans for Israel.  As for the Muslims, they don’t know who God is, nor who Jesus, God’s Son is.  The Muslims say that Jesus is one of their prophets.

But if Jesus were one of their prophets, wouldn’t they want to know everything that the Prophet Jesus has said?

But the Muslims don’t know that Jesus said he’s the Son of God.  I guess it doesn’t say that in the Koran.  But Jesus said that in the Bible.

The Children of Israel just followed God’s plan.  Once around the city of Jericho for six days, then seven times on the seventh day.

The Priests blew with the trumpets, the people shouted, and the walls came down.

Rahab and family were fetched.

Israel conquered Jericho.

There would be other cities to conquer in the promised land.  And God gave Israel the victory.

Many years later, however, Israel lost their land, and were scattered to the four winds because of their many sins against God.

But in 1948, Israel began again to have a nation in what we call the holy land, in the Middle East.

But even now, Israel has many enemies.  Benjamin Netanyahu, head of state for Israel is concerned about Iran getting nuclear weapons, since Iran is an enemy of Israel.

Netanyahu has been on TV recently warning about Iran getting nuclear weapons.  It was my impression Netanyahu wouldn’t mind if the U.S.A. took action against Iran.

But while Israel is an ally, why should we fight their battles for them?  They have a strong military.  Maybe they ought to go against Iran.

There is a time coming called, “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble.”  Probably the main reason for Israel’s troubles is that their Messiah came, and they didn’t recognize him as their Messiah.  His name is Jesus.

So, Israel will find a counterfeit Messiah, called the Beast, and the Antichrist.

After a while, they’ll find out he’s not the Messiah.

The Bible says, “He came to his own, and they didn’t receive him.”  But, of course, many Gentiles accept Jesus as the Son of God, and Savior of the world, who died on the cross for the sins of the world.

Just as God helped Israel in ancient times, He will help his people today if they’ll call on Him for his help.  (Ask and you shall receive. Matt 7:7)

Some of God’s people are the Christians, and some of God’s people are the Jews, for the sake of the covenant God made with Abraham.

But the Bible teaches that there is no salvation in anyone other than Jesus.  If you want to go to heaven, be a Christian (John chapt 3, Romans 10:9,10)

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.