Fri.’s Devo - Jericho

Read: Joshua 5:1-7:15; Luke 15:1-32; Psalm 81:1-16; Provers 13:1
The kings of the Amorites heard of what God did at the Jordan River for the Israelites and they fell into fear and depression.
The Israelites were finally going to get to enter into the land they had spent their lives traveling to. God said it was time to circumcise the people since most of them were born after the last circumcision party. They named that place, “the hill of the foreskins” giving us a picture of what it looked like. This was a picture of Calvary. Jesus blood was shed on a hill. Now that they had received a type of salvation, they could cross over the Jordan River into the promises of God.
After the men were circumcised, it was Passover, the 14th of Nisan, the day Jesus died. They ate unleavened bread the next day, then on First fruits they only ate the produce of the land and the manna ended.
Joshua met a scout in God’s army who had come to recon the area to come up with a battle plan. God gave the plan to Joshua. He was to march the people quietly around the walls of Jericho, with the priest carrying the ark leading the procession. On the seventh day they were to walk around the city seven times and blow trumpets and shout. I can’t imagine the fear building up in the people’s hearts especially on the last day when they kept circling around the city. When they shouted, the walls came down and the people were destroyed except for Rahab and her family. God asked that the spoil of this city be given to him. This was the tithe offering. Achan, from the tribe of Judah, coveted some of the things they took from Jericho and hid them. They didn’t find out till they lost the next battle which was a very small city that should have been easy to take. When Joshua complained to the Lord, he told them why they had not succeeded. God told them to bring the tribes before him and he would chose the one who was guilty.
God also pronounced a curse on anyone who would try to rebuild Jericho. When that person laid its foundation, it would cost him his firstborn and when he put up the gates, it would cost him his youngest son.
I was told by our guide in Jerusalem that recently a wealthy man wanted to rebuild Jericho. He had three sons and when he laid the foundation, his firstborn son died. His youngest son begged him to stop building and he did. In 1 Kings 16:34 the same thing happened when Hiel went to build Jericho. He lost both sons.
God’s Word never “times out”!
In Luke, Jesus gives the parable of the prodigal son to explain to them why he ate and hung out with sinners. God doesn’t judge us by our wealth, clothes, or IQ. He created us and loves us all the same. It is the ones that stray that God has to go after and help, but he loves those who choose to stay close also. God doesn’t judge like we do with our natural eyes; God judges with his spiritual eyes that see down into the depths of our hearts.
Lord, thank you for your lovingkindness. You love us no matter how dirty or poor we are. You lift us out of the mud and wash us and make us righteous because of your blood.