Joshua 6

20–21 When the people shouted, the walls of Jericho collapsed. We can assume that the section of wall where Rahab’s house was located remained intact, but so much of the wall did fall down that the Israelites could walk right into the city from wherever they were standing.

In obedience to Joshua’s commands, the Israelites killed everything that breathed. Such was the ungodliness of the Canaanites that God had determined that none should live. Furthermore, God did not want His holy people Israel to be seduced by the idolatry of the Canaanites (see Deuteronomy 7:3–6; 20:18).

22–23 These verses describe the rescue of Rahab and her family. They were initially brought to a place outside the camp of the Israelites, because they were ceremonially unclean. Later, Rahab was fully welcomed into the community of Israel (verse 25).

24–27 After everyone and everything in Jericho had been destroyed and the precious metals had been turned over to the priests to be placed in the LORD’S house (the tabernacle), Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone who would presume to rebuild Jericho, a city that God had determined should remain uninhabited (verse 26). This curse was fulfilled many years later during the reign of Ahab when someone did set out to rebuild Jericho (1 Kings 16:34).

So the LORD was with Joshua (verse 27)—just as He had promised to be (Joshua 1:5). The Lord is also with us today, through His Holy Spirit within us. Christians today need to be capturing “cities”—Satan’s strongholds. And as with Joshua, faith is our “weapon.” Let us not look at the obstacles—the size of the enemy, the height of his walls (Numbers 13:28,31–33)—but let us look to the Lord. It is He who will give the victory.

In another sense, however, the Christian’s warfare is different from Joshua’s. Christ did not come to destroy people’s lives; He came to save them (Luke 19:10; John 3:16–17). He gives people a chance to repent (Mark 1:15; 2 Peter 3:9). He appoints us as His ambassadors to persuade men and women to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18–20). But if, by the end of their earthly lives, people have not repented and believed, they will have to face the same ultimate fate that befell the people of Jericho: eternal separation from God.