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T H E
K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
April 1924
because of his life the sympathy of Christendom flowed out to that dark land of Africa. Joshua carried out God’s instructions to the letter. God can only give victory through obedience. This is the sec ond great lesson here,— “See God’s plan; obey God’s com mand.” (3) THE PATIENT WAITING, vs. 12-19 “and the sec ond day they compassed the city once***and so they did six days” v. 14. Victory does not always come at once. Here it came after a seven days 'wait. “Seven” represents a complete cycle of time. God has His own time as well as His own way. They must wait and abide God’s time. So must we. We have His Word. We must do His will. We must believe His Word. (Psa. 62:5) “My soul, w ait thou only upon God; for m y expectation is from him .” (Isa. 30:18) “ Blessed are all they that w ait for him .” Many battles are lost tthrough impatience and by tired workers. “He that believeth shall not make haste.” “In due season, we shall reap if we faint not.” Faith can take her seat in the watch tower and note the passing events and see them all leading up to victory “in the fulness of time.” At the beginning of His ministry Christ said, “Mine hour is not yet come” and waited thirty years for that hour. (4) THE PROMISED VICTORY, vs. 20-27 “The wall fell down flat” v. 20. Faith’s day came. It always comes. The daily march around the city seemed like child’s play, so quietly, orderly and solemnly was it performed. But “in the midst was the ark of God.” The shout of Israel, led by the trumpet, rang out over Jericho and the walls fell flat and the city lay helpless. “Faith is the victory which overcomes the world.” (Josh. 23:3) “And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because o f y o u ; for the Lord God is he that hath fo u sh t for you.” The plan was from God; the purpose was His; the prom ise was His, and it was made good. Jericho is a type of the world. We march by faith and proclaim to the world our unmovable, abiding faith in God’s unimpeachable Word. The foes of God must fall. The world is to become His kingdom. All false systems, all strongholds of infidelity, all tyranny, all rebellion, must succumb. Victory is sure. The trumpet blast will be heard some day and the Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout, sceptre in hand, and He whose right it is to reign will set up His kingdom. Glory to God in the highest! Topics for Study (1) Does ancient history verify the facts recorded con cerning the Jericho disaster? (2) Does it not sometimes seem to us that God’s pro gram is susceptible of improvement? (3) Why did not the people of Jericho go out and slay these unarmed people? (4) Did God say “I will give”, or “I have given?” (5) Which seems to us the most difficult task,— that imposed upon Israel at Jericho, or that imposed upon us in the command, “Go into all the world” ? (6 ) Have all the great movements of God been subject to the ridicule of the world? (7) Is duty measured by ability or by obedience? (8) Was the capture of Jericho by faith in God’s plan a significant testimony that in after conflicts, when the swords would come into play, that God would be the "same unseen but conquering Leader? (9) Does God say, “Your ways are my ways” ?.
V. 8. This was a symbol of God’s presence, and showed that all the victories of Israel were from Him. By this token, the faith and patience of the people were increased. —Prac. Com. V. 9. Strange forces in many re- COMMENTS , spects, but all chosen by divine direc- FROM THE tion, and adapted to the work desired. COMMENTARIES —Prac. Com. V. V. Morgan Vs. 10-11. Faith’s one and only law. This is the law of obedience. The divine commands are the grand highways on which faith in all ages has led her armies to certain conquest.— Sel. V. 12. They rose early. Prompt obedience ever ac companies faith. (Gen. 22:3). It took courage for Joshua to issue a command for a military maneuver so aparently senseless. How well this great general heeded the four times repeated exhortation in his commission, “Be of good courage” (Deut. 31:6; Josh. 1:6, 7, 9).^—Prac. Com. V. 13. Nothing can stand before a united people whose center is Christ.—-SeL Vs. 14-15. The world may laugh and deride her work and agencies; but faith cares not, for she has the guaranty that the means chosen— however simple and in a d eq u a te - will be mighty to the pulling down of strongholds. With holy confidence faith walks and acts in the very presence of her enemies, and never fails nor tires. The great wall is not affected apparently by one, or a few, impacts of the battering ram, but it falls at last. “Why did you persist in following me and speaking to me so many times,” asked one who had recently accepted Christ. “Because all the preceding invitations were not enough!” Many fail to capture Jericho because they encircle it only six times. The repeated use of the number seven must not pass unnoticed. “Seven priests,” “seven trumpets,” “seven days,” and “sev en times on the seventh day.” Seven denotes perfection. God’s ways and works are all perfect.-—J. M. Coon. V. 17. The word from which the word “accursed,” or “devoted” comes denotes “to cut off, to devote, to withdraw from common use and consecrate to God.” This was the first victory in Canaan. It was Israel’s firstfruits, and as such must be devoted to God. The Canaanites were slain because of their great wickedness.-—Cam. Bib. V. 18. If any one should take for personal use that which had been dedicated to God, it would be the means of bringing a curse upon them, and the camp would be troubled and distressed because of it.—Clarke. V. 20. Faith can shout before the walls fall. Anybody can shout when they see the enemy running; only those who believe God can shout knowing the enemy will run. God said, “I have given into thine hand Jericho.” Joshua believed it. He said to the people before the walls fell, “Shout, for the Lord hath given you the city.”—Prac. Com. The great fight of life is a contention between the material and the spiritual Jericho represents the material, tower ing, strong, terrible. The Israelites represent the spiritual, simple, trustful, reverent, the merely fleshly side of power reduced to the lowest point.—Joseph Parker. With faith, the simplest means are effective; without faith the most complex and complete machinery is useless.—J. M. Coon. V. 25. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, because of her aid to the spies, which may have arisen from her longing for a better life and a true religion. However bad her previous conduct, she seems to have repented and trusted in the true God, and lived a good life henceforth, or she would not have been married to a leading Israelite, an an cestor of Jesus, nor her name be one of the only three women named in his genealogy.—Pelonbet.
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