Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
This coming Lord’s Day we will take one final look at the story of Joshua and the mighty fall of the walls of Jericho. Our text will be Joshua 6:20-27. To be sure, the actions that are detailed here in this inspired chapter of Holy Scripture are disturbing. Not only did the Lord bring down the walls of the once great city, but all of the inhabitants of Jericho from the youngest to the oldest died by “the edge of the sword” (v. 21). The one blessed exception to this act of complete destruction was the household of “Rahab the prostitute” (v. 25).
As we examine the debris of the flattened city—and her once impenetrable walls— we wonder how the Lord’s sweeping judgment upon the entire population of this city fits in with the overall story of redemption. That is, we are curious as to how this act of divine retribution ‘connects’ with our Lord Jesus and the Kingdom He came to establish. Is the story of Jericho’s annihilation a glaring contradiction (and embarrassment) to the Gospel of grace and mercy through our dying and rising Savior?
In a most particular way, this Old Testament account of God’s well-deserved judgment upon sinners serves to foreshadow both a great act of judgment and a deeper reach of God’s mercy in Jesus our Lord. We will look at how this happens as we gather around the Word on Sunday.
Looking Ahead
Beginning next Sunday, May 1, we will be setting Joshua aside temporarily to begin our summer preaching series entitled ‘The Way of Wisdom: Expositions From the Epistle of James.’ If you would like a good commentary to read as we study this book together, let me suggest The Message of James, by J. A. Motyer. You can check it out at the link below.
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I love you all and can’t wait to see you on the Lord’s Day,
Mike