Jericho is considered the oldest known inhabited city in the world. Around 1400 B.C.

Joshua laid siege to the fortress city. The armies of Israel surrounded it so that no one could
enter or leave it. Our Lord Jesus is named with the same name as Joshua, Yeshua in
Hebrew, which means "Jehovah is Savior." Before the battle began, the captain of the host
of Israel (Joshua) had an encounter with the captain of the Lord of hosts (Jesus). Joshua
worshipped Him and listened carefully to the battle plan. He spoke as if the city of Jericho
was already won. This surely strengthened Joshua's faith. He was being told the future
before it even happened by God!
Today I want to tell you about the battle of Jericho. After 40 years of wandering in the
wilderness, Joshua and the people of Israel had crossed the stopped waters of the Jordan
River (another miracle!) and now were ready to begin to conquer the land of Canaan.
Joshua was an experienced military leader, but nothing in all his military training could
have prepared him for God's plan to take Jericho. He would have to act on faith and trust
God for the victory.
Joshua obeyed God at Jericho to begin the Israelite conquest of Canaan. God gave the
battle plan and the Israelites acted in faith. Archaeologists confirmed the historical
accuracy of the Bible in the ruins of ancient Jericho
Read Joshua 6
PointsDiscuss Bible Lesson
1 The gates of Jericho were shut tight and guarded closely because of the people of Israel.
No one went out. No one came in.
2 Then the Lord spoke to Joshua. He said, I have handed Jericho over to you. I have also
handed its king and its fighting men over to you.
Jericho was hard to get into. It was shut up tight.
God told Joshua that Jericho was going to be for the people of Israel.
3 March around the city once with all of your fighting men. In fact, do it for six days. 4
Have seven priests get trumpets that are made out of rams horns. They must carry them in
front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times. Have the priests
blow the trumpets as you march.
5 You will hear them blow a long blast on the trumpets. When you do, have all of the men
give a loud shout. The wall of the city will fall down. Then the whole army will go up to the
city. Every man will go straight in.
The people are to march around the city silently 1 time for 6 days
On the 7th day they marched around 6 times silently
On the 7th time around they shouted and the walls fell down

6 So Joshua, the son of Nun, called for the priests. He said to them, Go and get the ark of
the covenant of the Lord. I want seven of you to carry trumpets in front of it. 7 He gave an
order to the men. He said, Move out! March around the city. Some of the fighting men
must march in front of the ark of the Lord.
8 When Joshua had spoken to the men, the seven priests went forward. They were carrying
the seven trumpets as they marched in front of the ark of the Lord. They were blowing the
trumpets. The ark of the Lords covenant was carried behind the priests. 9 Some of the
fighting men marched ahead of the priests who were blowing the trumpets. The others
followed behind the ark and guarded all of them. That whole time the priests were blowing
the trumpets.
10 But Joshua had given an order to the fighting men. He had said, Dont give a war cry.
Dont raise your voices. Dont say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!
* Joshua is telling the people of Israel Gods plan of attack
11 So he had the ark of the Lord carried around the city once. Then the men returned to
camp. They spent the night there.
12 Joshua got up early the next morning. The priests went and got the ark of the Lord. 13
The seven priests who were carrying the seven trumpets started out. They marched in front
of the ark of the Lord. They blew the trumpets. Some of the fighting men marched ahead of
them. The others followed behind the ark and guarded all of them. The priests kept
blowing the trumpets.
14 On the second day they marched around the city once. Then the men returned to camp.
They did all of those things for six days.
15 On the seventh day, they got up at sunrise. They marched around the city, just as they
had done before. But on that day they went around it seven times.
16 On the seventh time around, the priests blew a long blast on the trumpets.
Then Joshua gave a command to the men. He said, Shout! The Lord has given you the
city! 17 The city and everything that is in it must be set apart to the Lord in a special way
to be destroyed. But the prostitute Rahab and all those who are with her in her house must
be spared.
Life Lesson
Joshua obeyed what the Lord said to do. The people listened to Joshua and they were able to
conquer Jericho. Some way we must obey God and what he says in the bible. The bible is one
of the ways God speaks to us .

Memory Joshua 24: 24 We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him

The Fall of Jericho

Joshua 6 (NIV)
When the Canaanite Kings heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan River before the
Israelites, they were afraid. The people of the city of Jericho shut up thier city gates and
hoped to be safe behind the strong city walls. But God gave Joshua instruction on how to
get into the city of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-5). He followed God's instructions. Read what
happened in Joshua 6:6-27 to finish the crossword puzzle.

Across:
1. On the seventh day the people marched around the
city _________ times. (6:15)
3. The Israelites marched around ______ for 6 days
(6:10)
5. On the 7th day, after they circled the city 7
times, the priests sounded the trumpet ______.
(6:16)
6. The ____ was carried behind the 7 priests who
carried trumpets.
7. The 7 priests carried __________ made from
ram horns.

Down:
1. The people were to give a loud _____ when the
trumpets were blown. (6:20)
2. The wall of the city _____________ when the
people gave a loud shout. (6:20)
4. As was promised _______ and her family were
kept safe. (6:22-23)