God was about to throw down Jericho’s walls by his power, but the people of Israel had to do their part first. The armed men were to march round the city with the priests and the ark once each day for six days blowing trumpets, but otherwise in silence. On the seventh day they were to march round seven times and then shout with loud voices, and the walls would fall down. This pattern is seen in God’s plan with mankind as revealed in the scriptures. For example, there will be six thousand years of human government in the earth followed by a seventh millennium of divine rulership. Again, the book of Revelation uses this pattern to symbolically represent the outworking of God’s plan through history from the days of the apostles onwards. There were to be six periods represented by seals of a scroll followed by a seventh seal period divided into seven periods signified by the blowing of trumpets Revelation 8:1-2.Waiting for response for Revelation 8:1-2 The final outcome will be the same as in Joshua’s day - the overthrow of the wicked and the establishment of God’s people.
Israel were forbidden to take anything from the city for themselves: only the precious metals were to be removed for use in the house of God. It is understood that disease was rife in the city and by burning everything this was eliminated. This also has spiritual significance in that the people of God should not contaminate themselves with the polluted things of the world. In fact one man did take a goodly Babylonish garment (Joshua 7:21)Waiting for response for Joshua 7:21 and brought death to himself and many others. We should learn from this to maintain separation and purity from the world Jude 1:23.Waiting for response for Jude 1:23
When the walls fell down by God’s power, Rahab’s house remained standing even though it was on the wall. Because of her belief, her action towards the spies, and her faithful keeping of the covenant into which she had entered, she and her family were saved alive when everyone else in the city perished. She was a Gentile, and in God’s purpose faithful Gentiles like Rahab will be saved with Israel when his judgments are poured out on the nations.
Jericho was an ancient city and was rebuilt later, but a curse was placed on the builder. This curse came upon a man of Bethlehem who laid the foundations of the new city and sacrificed his two sons in idol worship, burying them under the foundation stones 1Kgs.16:34. In complete contrast, another Bethlehemite, even Jesus, would come in faithfulness as a greater Joshua whose fame was so immense.
Shortly after crossing the river Jordan the people of Israel began to take possession of the land. This involved dispossessing the inhabitants, and God had waited four hundred years from the time of Abraham until their iniquity was full Genesis 15:16.Waiting for response for Genesis 15:16 This overthrow of Jericho is typical of the overthrow of the Gentile nations of our day when it will be Jesus instead of Joshua who will destroy the power of the Gentiles and cause God’s people, the saints, to inherit the land.