Great Stories of the Bible – Part 15 Joshua and the Battle of Jericho Joshua 5:13 – 6:27

Great Stories of the Bible – Part 15

Joshua and the Battle of Jericho

Joshua 5:13 – 6:27

In the book of Joshua, we find one of the most well-known accounts of God’s miraculous intervention—the fall of Jericho. Joshua 6:20 records the decisive moment: “So the troops shouted, and the ram’s horns sounded. When they heard the blast of the ram’s horn, the troops gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The troops advanced into the city, each man straight ahead, and they captured the city.”

After receiving God’s law at Mount Sinai, the people of Israel traveled straight toward the land of promise. Spies were sent in, but only two—Joshua and Caleb—returned with faith that God would give them the land. The rest refused to believe, and their lack of faith led to forty years of wandering in the wilderness until the unbelieving generation passed away, leaving only Moses, Joshua, and Caleb as leaders from that earlier time.

When they came once more to the border of the Promised Land, Moses was not permitted to enter because of his disobedience to God, and leadership passed to Joshua. Caleb, with unwavering confidence, declared, “Give me that mountain.” Their first major challenge lay ahead: the fortified city of Jericho.

Hebrews 11:30 honors this event as one of the great acts of faith: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” It was not the bravery of a few, but a united act of obedience by the entire people of God. And within this story, we find timeless guidance on how to face our own battles of faith.

Victory begins with recognizing and respecting God’s will. In Joshua 5:13–15, Joshua encounters a mysterious man with a drawn sword—“the captain of the host of the LORD.” When Joshua asks if He is for them or their enemies, the response is not about taking sides, but about the Lord’s presence and authority. Joshua falls in worship and is told to remove his sandals, for he stands on holy ground. True victory starts when we submit to God’s leadership and acknowledge His holiness.

Victory requires unity of belief. In Joshua 6:1–7, Jericho was locked tight against Israel, yet God assured Joshua of victory. The instructions were unusual: for six days the men of war were to march around the city once each day, led by priests blowing rams’ horns before the ark of the covenant. On the seventh day, they were to circle the city seven times before giving a great shout. This required the people to act in complete unity, trusting God’s plan even when it made no military sense.

Victory comes through obedience. Joshua 6:8–16 shows the people carrying out God’s command exactly as given—marching silently, except for the trumpet blasts, until the appointed time. On the seventh day, at the seventh circuit, Joshua commanded, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city.” At that moment, the people raised their voices, the priests blew the trumpets, and the walls collapsed. Every man went straight in, and the city was taken.

The lesson is clear: God’s victories are won when His people follow His lead with humility, unity, and obedience.

The Apostle Paul captures this truth in Romans 8:31–39: “If God is for us, who can be against us? … In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Nothing—not trouble, persecution, danger, or even death—can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. The fall of Jericho is not just ancient history—it is a picture of the unstoppable power of God at work when His people trust Him completely.

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