Story 23 · Ages 6–12
The Walls of Jericho - Walls Fall Down
Joshua and the Israelites march around Jericho and God makes the walls fall.
After forty years in the wilderness, it was finally time! Moses had died, and now Joshua was the leader. God said to Joshua, "Moses my servant is dead. Now you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them!"
The story
The Israelites crossed the Jordan River on dry ground - God stopped the water, just like He did at the Red Sea! Now they were in the Promised Land!
But there was a problem. The city of Jericho stood in their way. Jericho had HUGE walls - so thick that houses were built on top of them! The gates were tightly shut because the people inside were afraid of the Israelites. No one could go in or out.
Joshua didn't know how to conquer a city with such massive walls! But then something amazing happened. A man with a drawn sword appeared before Joshua. Joshua asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"
The man replied, "Neither! I am the commander of the army of the LORD!" It was an angel - maybe even God Himself! Joshua fell facedown in worship.
The commander said, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." Then God gave Joshua very strange battle instructions!
God said, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands! March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout. Then the wall of the city will collapse!"
Wait - what? Just march around the city and blow trumpets? That's not how you conquer a city! But Joshua trusted God.
So the Israelites did exactly what God said. On the first day, they got up early. The armed men marched ahead, then came seven priests carrying seven trumpets, then came the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, and finally more armed men at the rear.
They marched around the city ONCE, while the priests blew the trumpets. Joshua commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout!" Then they went back to camp.
The people of Jericho watched from the walls. "What are they doing?" they wondered. "This is weird!"
On the second day, they did the same thing. March around once. Trumpets blowing. Complete silence. Back to camp.
Third day - same thing! Fourth day - same thing! Fifth day - same thing! Sixth day - same thing!
The people of Jericho were probably very confused. Some might have been laughing. "Is this their battle plan? Just walking around our city?"
But on the SEVENTH day, the Israelites got up at dawn. This time they marched around the city not once, but SEVEN TIMES! Around and around they went. The priests kept blowing the trumpets.
On the seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the people, "SHOUT! For the LORD has given you the city!"
All the people gave a loud SHOUT! And the trumpet blast sounded!
Then something incredible happened! The wall COLLAPSED! It fell down flat! Every part of the massive wall crumbled! The Israelites charged straight in and captured the city!
God had kept His promise! Without battering rams, without ladders, without siege weapons - just obedience and faith - God gave them the victory!
Joshua had shown that he was just like Caleb - he believed God's promises! He obeyed exactly what God said, even when it didn't make sense.
Remember this
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.”
What did we learn?
This story teaches us that God's ways are not our ways! Sometimes God asks us to do things that seem strange or don't make sense to us. But when we trust God and obey Him, even when we don't understand, He will do amazing things! We don't win battles by our own strength - we win by trusting in God's power!