The conquest of Jericho Joshua 5:13-6:27 The LORD sets out to reclaim a portion of his earthly kingdom

When the LORD goes to war He is the commander Josh 5:14 “… as commander of the army of the L ORD I have now come.” He makes the plan Josh 6:2 Then the L ORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. He uses godly leaders Josh 6:6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, 7 And he ordered the army, “Advance! March around the city, His people need to cooperate Josh 6:11 So he had the ark of the L ORD carried around the city, He brings the victory Josh 6:20 when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.

When the LORD goes to war He deals with the sinful With mercy Josh 6:23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, With judgment Josh 6:21 They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it Other examples of God’s Mercy and Judgment Noah, the ark and the floodGen 6:5 Lot, fleeing Sodom and the fire and brimstoneGen 18:20 Israel, the chase of Pharaoh’s army and the engulfing seaEx 14:28

The LORD’S goals in His conquest of Canaan As outlined by Moses just a month before crossing Jordan Deut 7:1 When the L ORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess….. and drives out before you many nations—…. 2 and when the L ORD your God has delivered them over to you … and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.

Three goals for the LORD’S conquest of Canaan Goal 1 To provide an earthly homeland for Israel The promise the LORD made to Abraham Gen 17:8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” The Sovereign LORD does as He pleases Acts 17:26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.

Three goals for the LORD’S conquest of Canaan Goal 2 To bring timely judgment on the current tenants of Canaan They had trashed themselves and the land Ex 22:20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the L ORD must be destroyed. Lev 18:24 “‘… this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. 25 Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. - worship of other gods -Improper sexual activity -child sacrifice -bestiality

Three goals for the LORD’S conquest of Canaan Goal 2 To bring timely judgment on the current tenants of Canaan They were ripe for God’s judgment Josh 6:21 They *devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it--men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. 24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord's house. Israel became the LORD’S instrument of judgment *applied the ‘marked for immediate destruction’ ban - Death to all living things - Destruction by fire of all material things - Metals refined by the fire to go to the LORD’S treasury When the time of God’s mercy runs out, His judgment follows

Three goals for the LORD’S conquest of Canaan Goal 3 To protect Israel from contamination They were required to be the LORD’S holy people Deut 7:6 For you are a people holy to the L ORD your God. The L ORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. They were vulnerable to contamination Deut 7:16 You must destroy all the peoples the Lord your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you. They too were subject to God’s mercy and judgment Lev 18:28 And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

Lessons from the conquest of Jericho For those who are not yet God’s people The message in the ‘marked for destruction’ ban God’s mercy extends for our lifetime – after that comes judgment Heb 9:27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, The message in Rahab’s exemption from the ban Rahab acknowledged who the real God was Josh 2:11 for the L ORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. She asked for God’s undeserved salvation 2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Lessons from the conquest of Jericho For those who are God’s people Our war is a spiritual one Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The rules of engagement are the same Jesus is our commander He makes the plan We need to cooperate He brings the victory We need to put evil to death