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Preparing the Lesson

The Fall of Jericho

Key PointThrough His servant Joshua, God gave the Israelites vic-

tory over Jericho by causing its fortress walls to fall. Through Jesus Christ, God gives us victory, causing the fortress of sin and death to fall and assuring us that we are His people.

Law/GospelPrideful, I trust in walls of self-made security, but my works

and my accomplishments are weak and crumble around me. God delivers me from the ruin of my sin and provides me a mighty fortress in Christ.

ContextUnder Joshua, the nation said adios to the desert, crossed

the Jordan, circumcised their children, celebrated Passover, and now stood ready to attack the ungodly cities whose iniq-uities had polluted this sacred soil. High-walled Jericho was the first target of divine justice. Archaeology has unearthed impressive defenses where this city once stood. It was seem-ingly impenetrable, the Fort Knox of Canaan. But down came its walls. Other victories would follow, but also defeats, such as the humiliating one immediately following, when Israel attacked Ai. The message was clear: follow God’s Word, and victory is sure, no matter how much the underdog you seem. But break that divine Word, and defeat is just as sure, no matter how much of an upper hand you may suppose you have.

CommentaryThe Lord didn’t ease Israel into a war; He plunged them

headlong into it. Jericho was hardly Pushoveropolis. Ancient military strategists would have advised Joshua that there are two ways to conquer a walled city: (a) lay siege and slowly starve them into submission, or (b) find a hidden entry point and ambush them. No sane strategist would have counseled that they march around the city seven days, once per day, then, on the seventh, blow down its walls with sheer lung power. But God doesn’t play by our rules.

What were the people of Jericho thinking as they watched this peculiar display of Israelite military maneuvering? No doubt some trembled in fear—as rightly they should—while others shook with laughter. The latter found security in their defenses. They were as snug as a bug in a rug—or perhaps smug is a better word. Their god was spelled P-r-i-d-e, with a capital P.

But, as Scripture tells us, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Fall they did, those walls of Jericho. As God had promised, so He delivered. At the trumpet blast and the Israelite shout, those walls fell like a house of cards. The proud citizens of Jericho had no ace in the hole, no god to save them. With the exception of Rahab and her kindred, everyone in the city was sent to meet their Maker.

Whatever our own “Jericho”—our piety, our successes, our spiritual résumé—whatever walls in which we take pride, those walls must come down. For our own good, God takes them down. He reveals that all we need is Him. All we need we have in Him, in abundance. Christ is our mighty fortress, our defense, our shield, and He in whom we take refuge.

The ancient Church saw the destruction of Jericho as a preview of the Last Day, when the trumpet blast would announce the coming of the second Joshua, Jesus. On that day, we shall be saved from destruction, for we are an ally of this Joshua. Indeed, more than an ally, a friend and fellow heir.

Joshua 6

Lesson 5 Pentecost 18 September

30, 2012

Explore

Teacher Leaflet 5 Cross Explorations™ Level 2 © 2012 Concordia Publishing House. Scripture: ESV®. 48-1223

Level

2

DigLet your students work out the puzzle on the back of the Student Leaflet. Or, if time is short,

invite them to complete it at home.

SayGod delivered His people from the people of Jericho. Joshua led them to victory, destroying

the wall that would have prevented such victory. The same is true for us. We place our trust in the false walls of self-security. Our works and accomplishments easily crumble. God delivers us from the ruin of our sin. Jesus replaces our sinfulness with His righteousness. He truly is our for-tress. We need not fear. Satan cannot harm us. Our sins are forgiven. Eternal life is ours because Jesus won it for us. Our fortress stands against everything that would destroy us.

Jesus, the true Joshua, has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.(Adapted from Luther’s Small Catechism, © 1986 Concordia Publishing House.)

SAMPLE

At Home

Briefly point out the “At Home” sec-tion of the Student Leaflet. Encourage the students to share the leaflet and what they have learned in this les-son with their fami-lies, especially the questions printed there.

Direct the students to the inside of the Student Leaflet. Have them study the photo of an archaeological dig into the tell, the mound covering the city’s ruins. Read together the “Quick Facts about Jericho.”

God’s Battle Plan for JoshuaHave students look up and read the Bible passages and write brief notes

on each aspect of the plan. Let students work together in pairs or teams; assign a student with strong writing skills to each team. Assign each section of the plan to a different team of students.

Give the students a few minutes to complete their assignment. Then invite them to report on their work, emphasizing these key points:

Object (Joshua 6:1–2): to deliver the city of Jericho, along with its king and fighting men, into the hands of the Israelites

Commander (Joshua 5:13–14): the Lord Himself, directing Joshua

Troops (Joshua 6:3–6): the armed men, priests, and people of Israel

Weapons (Joshua 6:4–5): the ark of the covenant, rams’ horns, people’s voices

Strategy (Joshua 6:3–6, 15–16): March around the city once each day for six days (only trumpets sounding). Repeat the march seven times on the sev-enth day, having the people shout at the trumpet sound.

Outcome (Joshua 6:20): Joshua led the Israelites to victory, but it was truly God’s victory; God spoke of the victory as completed, even before the battle was started (see Joshua 6:2).

Read

LookGet Ready

Read Joshua 6; review the Key Point and Law/Gospel Points.

Read Preparing the Lesson.

Review and adapt the activi-ties suggested in this leaflet to suit your students and the time you have available.

Pray that God blesses the stu-dents through His Word.

Bible Memory Verse

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

When your students have assembled, begin with this question:

AskWhat do you know about the city of Jericho? Many of your students will

have studied this Bible account before and remember some details. They may also remember Jericho from other Bible stories. Affirm their volunteered responses.

SayToday we’re going to take a closer look at this familiar Bible event.Distribute Student Leaflet 5. Read, or have a student volunteer read, the

introduction on page 1 of the Student Leaflet. Briefly discuss the questions there.

DiscussWhy do you suppose God did not have the Israelites use one of these

methods? These are the common strategies of men. God used a miracle to defeat Jericho, so that no human could claim the credit.

How was the destruction of Jericho part of God’s plan of salvation? God was preserving His people from enemies who might destroy their faith in Him, because from these people would come the Messiah, our Savior from sin.

StartGod’s Battle Plan for Jesus

Direct the students to the second battle plan. Use a similar procedure as before (student teams, assigning one section to each team, hearing reports, and supplementing with additional information) to review this section. (Note that there will be one fewer group, since weapons and strategy are com-bined; let these two teams work together.)

Object (John 6:37–40): to save humankind from sin, death, and the power of the devil

Commander (John 6:37–40): the triune God

Troops (John 3:16): Jesus, our fortress, who was sent to save us from destruction

Weapons/Strategy (Isaiah 53:5, 7, 12): Jesus took the attacks of the enemy for us. He suffered and died in our place in order to protect and save us.

Outcome (Galatians 4:4–7): The blessed exchange occurred; Jesus suffered, died, and rose again in order to give us eternal life instead of death, and forgiveness through His righteousness in exchange for our sinfulness.

Take a moment to read the Bible Memory Verse from the front of the Student Leaflet. Read it boldly together with your students two or three times. Then invite the students to turn their leaflet over so the verse is not visible and say it together as a cheer two more times. Challenge them to say the verse from memory for their parents later today and again before they go to bed.

SAMPLE