Faith in Action
Joshua 6:15-27
📖 Scripture
15 On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.
16 The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!”
17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
18 But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it.
19 All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury.”
20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.
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.
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.”
23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
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.
25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
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.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
📝 Scripture Summary
On the seventh day, the Israelites march around Jericho seven times. The priests blow the trumpets, Joshua commands the people to shout, and the walls collapse. They destroy everything in the city but save Rahab and her family. The city is burned and its valuables go to the Lord’s treasury. Joshua pronounces a curse on anyone who rebuilds Jericho.
💬 Memory Verse
“The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, ‘Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!’”
Joshua 6:16
🪞 Reflection
The Wall Falls (6:15–21)
Israel’s victory over Jericho reminds us that no obstacle is too great for God. The people follow the Lord’s instructions and march around the city for seven days, faithfully obeying even when the command seems strange. On the seventh day, their loud shout becomes an act of faith, and God brings the walls down. When we face impenetrable walls in our lives, we can remember that victory comes through trusting God’s leadership.
Reflect: What walls has God torn down in your past?
Faith and Faithfulness (6:22–27)
Joshua, the two spies, and Rahab all demonstrate remarkable faith and faithfulness. Rahab risks everything to trust the God of Israel. The spies keep their promise to protect her family. Joshua faithfully follows the Lord’s leadership and pronounces judgment on anyone who would rebuild what God has destroyed. Their examples teach us that faith involves trust, courage, loyalty, and obedience.
Reflect: Whose example of faith inspires you most in this passage?
🌟 Today’s Inspiration
“Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
🙏 Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You that there is no obstacle too great for You. Strengthen my faith so I may resist temptations and focus on the blessings of faithfulness to You. Lead me in obedience and trust Your timing in every battle I face. Amen.
✍️ Essay
By God’s Plan
The Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread because he was a faithful leader. He listened to God and conveyed God’s instructions clearly. The people obeyed, and they experienced victory—not because of military power, but because of obedience to God’s plan.
In our lives, we often rely on our own strength and plans. Yet true blessing comes when we submit our ideas to God and ask Him to guide our steps. We may plan and work hard, but it is the Lord who establishes our path. When we align with His wisdom, we find that the battles of life are fought not by our might but by His grace.
Written by Lisa Polite