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??The people of Jericho were so puzzled! For six days they had watched from their city walls as the enemy armies of Israel had come once a day and marched quietly around their city, and then left!
??Oh, the first day the people of Jericho were terrified, even their strongest soldiers were very afraid! All the cities in the land of Canaan were hearing about the God of these people called the Israelites, how He had opened the Jordan River and let over 2 million Israelites cross over on dry land. They had heard how this powerful God had enabled His people to conquer the strongest kings on the other side of Jordan. Now Israel was on THEIR side of the Jordan River, marching around the city of Jericho. What would happen？The people of Jericho did not know, but the people of Israel knew!
??Let's slip quietly into the camp of Israel and listen as Commander Joshua instructs the people!" Tomorrow is the 7th day, the day God will give us the victory over Jericho! Let's go over those details once more：We all get up about dawn tomorrow and march around the city 7 times, just as before, only when the priests blow a special long blast on the ram's horn, you will all shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat! Immediately you are to go straight before you to completely destroy the city."
??Perhaps it was then that Joshua spoke to the two young men who had spied out the city：??"You two will go straight to Rahab's house and bring out her family to safety, as you promised her." Then Joshua gave final instructions："Jericho is an accursed city. Do not take anything out of Jericho for yourself. But be sure to bring out all silver, gold, brass, and iron that you find. This we will put in the treasury of the Lord." Joshua was making sure that all of God's instructions were carefully obeyed.
??There are many important reasons for obeying God! Joshua knew obedience to God's Word would be the only reason they would win this battle at Jericho!
??At dawn on the 7th day, the Israeli army assembled again. The priests shouldered the poles that held up the precious ark of the covenant. The 7 priests with trumpets took their place and the last march began. This time the march would be how many times around the city？That's right, 7 times! As before, the army said not a word during the march. As the 7th time around began, they listened intently for a certain signal from the ram's horn.
??Suddenly the priests blew with the trumpets! Immediately the entire army shouted with all their might! And immediately the high thick walls of Jericho fell down. Not in a big pile, no! The walls fell down flat! So flat that the men of Israel were able to quickly obey the next part of God's instructions. Do you remember what those instructions were？They were to rush in and completely destroy the city, all the animals and yes, all the people. What were the two spies to do？They were to go straight to Rahab's house and bring her family to safety. How would they know which house was Rahab's？They had been watching that red cord in the window for 7 days! No doubt Rahab and her family had watched during those 7 days of marching, knowing the army of Israel was going to destroy their city, but not knowing when.
??But Rahab knew the army saw her red cord in the window, and that she would be safe no matter when they came. Wouldn't you like to know that no matter what happens, you could have a place where you know you would be safe？As you see on television news, this world is a place of danger and trouble. Have you ever wondered why there is so much trouble in the world？Even though our perfect Creator God made the world as a perfectly safe and happy place, it did not stay that way. When the first man disobeyed God, sin came into the world. With it came every bad thing, including death. Romans 5：12 says, "as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
??God says you and I and all people in the world are sinners. We all think, say and do things that don't please God. You may never take drugs, or become a terrorist, but God still calls you a sinner. The dreadful thing about sin is that God says it has an everlasting punishment：to be separated from God forever in a terrible place of destruction called hell. But just as Rahab had a place of safety from the destruction that was coming to her city, so God gives YOU a way to be saved from the punishment of sin.
??John 3：l6 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" God sent His perfect Son Jesus down from Heaven to earth to take your punishment for sin. When Jesus quietly allowed wicked men to curse Him and spit on Him, to beat Him and then nail Him to a cross, was He taking punishment for His sin？No, for He never sinned. When Jesus gave His precious blood and life on that cross, it was for YOUR sin. On the first Easter morning, Jesus rose from the dead and 40 days later went back to Heaven to His special place there. When you believe in the Lord Jesus, you are saved from that everlasting punishment of sin. No matter what happens to you in this life, you can be secure in knowing you have a home in Heaven when you die. Heaven is a place of everlasting safety and happiness! Rahab had the security of knowing she and her family had a place of safety no matter when the army of Israel invaded their city.
??And sure enough as soon as the great shout went up, and the walls of Jericho fell, the two young Israeli spies rushed to Rahab and her family. Perhaps they grabbed some of them by the hand as they hurried them outside the city to a place near the camp of Israel. Rahab looked around？yes, all the family was there, the oldest to the youngest. Perhaps it was then that she saw the smoke begin to go up. Yes, boys and girls, God had commanded that the people of Jericho would be destroyed and the city would burned with fire. God's judgment upon Jericho's sin had come. No doubt Rahab's heart ached to see the destruction of her city, but how thankful she was that God had given her safety!
??Joshua and the people of Israel were greatly encouraged as they saw the miracle of the Jericho walls! Joshua realized again that obedience to the Lord was so important! Because Joshua had carefully obeyed the Lord, the Lord had given the victory over Jericho!
