Jericho and Rahab – The Walk 

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. (Hebrews 11: 30 31) 

After Moses died, Joshua was leading Israelites to enter Canaan. The first city they encountered was Jericho. As described in the Bible, God instructed Israelites to encircle the city of Jericho once a day for six days. On the seventh day, to circle the city seven times, then to shout a great shout together. So, the Israelites did, and the city wall was tumbled flat. Israelites had walked in the Sinai desert for forty years and didn’t accomplish anything but died in the desert. So, why did God make such instructions? What’s the difference between the walks now and then? The difference is between faith as the Bible described the Israelites while in the desert below. 

And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.” (Numbers 14: 11 12) 

The Bible also described the Israelites who were about to enter Canaan as below. 

So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. (Joshua 3: 14 to 16) 

Even Moses was no longer with them, as a group, the Israelites could still depart the Jordan River as Moses did to the Red Sea. All they needed was to take the first step to dip in the water. That showed they had faith. They didn’t doubt God to walk into the water. That’s the difference between the walks in the desert and the Jordan River. Then God sent an angel as described below. 

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” (Joshua 5: 13 14) 

Indeed, it's not possible for Israelites to tumble the city wall as themselves. Yet it's possible for the army of the Lord to do so. So, when Israelites encircled the city, they were marching as the army of God with obedience and faith. When they shout, they shout not only with their own voice but also with faith. That's why they could accomplish something no human being could ever do in history. That's how powerful a collective faith could be. 

As for Rehab, a lowly prostitute in Jericho, was able to take a leap of faith too as described below. 

Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” (Joshua 2: 8 to 14) 

Instead of accepting the fate, Rehab was able to turn a crisis to blessing by submitting to God’s almighty and trusting in His faithfulness. Because of her faith, she was able to save herself with her father’s house and listed as one of the four women in the genealogy of Jesus in the Bible. All it took was a step in the walk of faith in God. Like Rehab, we could also prevail in life by a step in the walk of faith in God. Emmanuel. 

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