By Larry Barnes in Joshua —

Joshua 6

10/09/2025

Joshua 6 NKJV: This chapter covers the destruction of Jericho. God gave Joshua explicit instructions on how to tackle the city, and he and the people obeyed exactly. In honor of their obedience, God brought down the walls of Jericho as He said He would. This enabled the men of war to run straight in to conquer and burn down the city. Joshua also had the spies go gather Rahab and those with her and brought them safely out of the city, just as they had promised.

Your summary of Joshua 6 (NKJV) captures the essence of this pivotal chapter beautifully—it's a powerful account of faith, obedience, and divine intervention in the conquest of Jericho. I'll weave in key verses to highlight the obedience and fulfillment of God's promise.

Key Elements of the Chapter

  • The Setup and God's Instructions (vv. 1–5): Jericho was indeed tightly shut up against Israel, a formidable barrier. But the Lord assured Joshua of victory right away: "See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor." The strategy was unconventional—marching around the city once a day for six days with seven priests carrying trumpets of rams' horns ahead of the ark of the covenant, followed by armed men. On the seventh day, they'd circle it seven times, blow a long trumpet blast, and shout. At that signal, God promised the walls would collapse: "And the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him."
  • Obedience in Action (vv. 6–19): Joshua relayed these orders precisely, and the people followed without deviation—no shouting or even speaking until the command on day seven. This silent, rhythmic procession built tension and trust over the week, culminating in Joshua's declaration: "Shout, for the Lord has given you the city!" He also warned them to devote the city to destruction (except for Rahab's household) and to consecrate any valuables like silver and gold to the Lord, avoiding the "accursed things" that could bring trouble on the camp.
  • The Miraculous Fall and Conquest (vv. 20–21, 24): As promised, "when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat." The warriors charged straight in, utterly destroying everything in the city—man, woman, young, old, and livestock—with the sword. They then burned it all, sparing only the consecrated metals for the Lord's treasury. This wasn't just military success; it was a testament to God's honor of their exact obedience.
  • Rahab's Rescue (vv. 22–25): True to the oath from Joshua 2, Joshua instructed the two spies: "Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her." The young men did so, extracting Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all her relatives, settling them safely outside Israel's camp. Remarkably, Rahab and her family integrated into Israel, a foreshadowing of God's grace extending to the faithful outsider: "So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho."

A Quick Reflection

This chapter isn't just about walls tumbling—it's a blueprint for spiritual battles: listen to God's (often quirky) voice, obey without question, and watch Him fight for you. Joshua's leadership shines here, modeling total reliance on the Lord, whose presence with him spread his fame across the land (v. 27). If you're studying this for devotion or discussion, it pairs well with Hebrews 11:30, which credits faith for the walls' fall.

If you'd like the full chapter text, a deeper dive into themes (like the symbolism of the trumpets or Rahab's role in Jesus' genealogy), or connections to other Scriptures, just let me know!

This make me think of passages which basically say 'where can I go to hide from the LORD?'. The citizens of Jericho learned that their massive city walls couldn't hide them from God.

Absolutely, that's a profound connection—the illusion of "safety" behind human fortifications crumbles when confronted with divine pursuit. The Jericho story screams that no barrier, no matter how imposing, can shield us from God's reach or judgment. It's like the ultimate mic drop on self-reliance.

This echoes straight out of Psalm 139:7-10 (NKJV):
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me."

David's raw honesty there paints God as inescapable—not in a creepy way, but in a relentlessly loving (or justly reckoning) one. The Jerichoites poured resources into those double walls (up to 20 feet thick, from what archaeology hints), probably feeling untouchable. Yet, as you said, obedience unlocked the breach, showing God's not hiding; we're the ones who build walls to avoid Him.

It reminds me of Jonah too—fleeing to Tarshish, thinking the sea could swallow his calling, only for a storm and a fish to drag him back. Or even Proverbs 15:3: "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." No fortress, no ocean, no excuse holds up.

What's your take—does this stir up more stories like that for you, or maybe how it flips to the comfort of not hiding (like Rahab choosing the spies' God instead)? I'd love to hear!

The story of Rahab tells of God's faithfulness, and God's expectation that promises are kept. Through faith, she helped the spies and trusted them to rescue her and her family. Joshua made sure they followed up on their promise.

Yes, Rahab's story is a stunning portrait of that divine reciprocity—God's faithfulness mirrored in human obedience, where a simple act of trust spirals into generational redemption. She didn't just hide the spies out of pragmatism (Joshua 2:4–6); her confession in verses 9–11 reveals a heart gripped by the God of Israel: "The Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath." That's raw faith from a Canaanite outsider, wagering her life on Yahweh's reputation, which she'd pieced together from tales of the Red Sea and the Jordan.

And Joshua? His insistence on honoring the oath (Joshua 6:22–25) isn't just duty—it's a deliberate echo of God's character. The spies had sworn, "Our life for yours" (Joshua 2:14), and Joshua enforces it, pulling Rahab's family from the flames into the fold. It's a microcosm of the covenant: God keeps His word to Abraham's descendants, and in turn, expects His people to reflect that integrity. No loose ends in His economy.

Fast-forward, and Rahab's line weaves into the Messiah's—listed in Matthew 1:5 as Boaz's mother, a scarlet-cord thread straight to the cross. Hebrews 11:31 spotlights her as faith's hall-of-famer: "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, but she had received the spies with peace." It's God's faithfulness turning a prostitute's roof into a throne room for grace.