Year 7, Day 191: Joshua 6

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Three things hold me in absolute awe in Joshua 6.  I love this chapter for so many reasons.  I think I’ll start with the most hidden and move to the most obvious.

The most hidden reason comes from Jewish tradition and not the Bible.  It is very important to understand that it is tradition, and not Biblical truth, out of which this point comes.  Jewish tradition asserts that Joshua and Rahab are married and have children together.  If this is true, look at what this says about faithfulness.  Here is a woman who is considered a prostitute among her own people, yet in her faithfulness to God and the Hebrew people she is married to their leader.

Now, onto truth we can absolutely glean because it is most certainly from the Bible.  Joshua is faithful.  Joshua is faithful to God and he is faithful to Rahab.  First, and most importantly, he brings God’s will to the people and gives them their marching orders from God.  Second, Joshua remembers the promises of the spies into Jericho and sends them in personally to make sure that Rahab is spared.  Here is a man who is trying to live a life in tune with God and in touch with others.  The fruit of that effort is faithfulness.

Finally, look at the people.  Imagine being told to march around a city once a day for six days.  then imagine seeing nothing happen. Oh yeah, imagine being told to say nothing while you are doing it, too.  Then, imagine being told that on the seventh day you would walk around the city seven times and then shout at the end.  It sounds like such a hair-brained scheme.  Don’t forget that this is Joshua’s first military orders, too.  I give much credit to this generation and their faithful obedience.  They are committed to Joshua and to God.  They would have to be in order to be obedient in this first act of war in the Promised Land.

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