“And the Lord said unto Joshua, ‘See I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.” Joshua 6:2
After crossing the Jordan River, the people were immediately confronted with the city of Jericho, the walls of which rose in defiance, not only against the people, but against God. These walls were made of stone and mortar, and from a human standpoint were almost impenetrable and unsurmountable. Were this a strictly normal conquest, the Israelites would have been at a great disadvantage, as they were not adequately equipped to lay seige to such a city and conquer it. What was it about this particular city, and following campaign, that stands out in the history of Israel, and the conquest of Canaan, that distinguishes it? It is the fact that this seige is not primarily a physical one. It is one where only God can deal with the invisible foes that oppose the people of Israel. The physical walls of Jericho are a picture of invisible wall of opposition, and rejection, of God and His people. Their defiance is godless, but powerful. There is no way that Israel, even with a great number of soldiers, can overcome this first great challenge to conquering the land unless certain things must be grasped.
In the sixth chapter of the book of Joshua, we find where the “Captain of the host of the Lord” had now come. What is the significance of His coming? It is to reveal to Joshua and the people that this is primarily a spiritual battle where there is spiritual opposition, “dug in” and and determined not to yield. Only a force, power, and authority that is greater than their own can overcome them, resulting in the falling down of the wall surrounding the city.
The second thing that must be noted is that God told Joshua that “HE” had given into his hand the city, its king, and the mighty men who were there. Again we see here that this physical warfare and conflict is primarily spiritual where the Lord Himself must deal with the powers of darkness, to strip them of their authority and power, overcoming them. This He will do if His instructions, and commandments, are followed precisely.
Thirdly, as we see in the New Testament, the Lord declares concerning His church that He would build, “…and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18) God in Christ, the Christ of the church, is the same as the Captain of the host of the Lord in Joshua’s day. The certainty of victory over all the power of the enemy is to be believed in, claimed, and demonstrated by an obedient attitude going forward in faith, courage, and boldness according to will of God. It again must be noted that nowhere in Scripture do we find the same instructions being given by God to the Joshua and the people, then given to others who are conquering other cities. Why is this? It is for at least two reasons, the first of which is that every conquest, or battle is different, and requires a seeking of the Lord for His wisdom, the knowledge of His will, and prayer for His power and strength. The second reason is that God is always seeking to reveal Himselt to the people to encourage and strengthen their faith. That which they may need at one point in time is not what they may need at another.
What is the conclusion to this matter, and summation of its lessons? The believer of today is in a very real spiritual battle. Often the church is occupied with walls and cities, when the Lord is occupied with spiritual fortresses. Paul alludes to this in speaking of our spiritual weapons which are mighty through God “…to the pulling down of strong holds.” (2 Cor. 10:4) It is in the confrontation with these spiritual strong holds, that the church and every believer is to “cast down” imaginations, and every thing that exalteth itself agaisnt the knowledge of God. (v.5)
Dear Father, Strengthen us to abide in our Captain. In Jesus’ name, Amen.