BY FAITH THE WALLS OF JERICHO FELL DOWN Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days.” It is interesting that the Hebrew writer picks this one event from the period of the conquest of the promised land under Joshua, who took Moses’ place leading Israel after Moses died. He could have cited Joshua’s faith when Joshua was one of the 12 spies sent to spy out the land and only Joshua and Caleb had faith that God could defeat the Canaanites. He could have cited Joshua’s great faith in asking God to make the sun stand still so that Israel could get a more complete victory over the Amorites. Would you have ever thought to ask God for such an amazing miracle? But for some reason the Hebrew writer chose the fall of Jericho as this hall of faith moment of faith during the period of the conquest. This incident would have included the faith of Joshua and the Israelite army. The “captain of the army of the Lord” had appeared to Joshua at Gilgal as a man with a sword. This man was God Himself and told Joshua to take off his sandals b/c he was standing on holy ground (i.e. in the presence of God Himself, just as Moses was at the burning bush) (Joshua 5:13-15) In Joshua 6 this man (and it calls him “the Lord”) gives Joshua the battle plan for taking Jericho. It would not be a long siege of the city to starve them to surrender, or build siege towers on ramps to attack. The plan was to march around the city one time each day for 6 days (without saying a word) with the ark of the covenant and the priests in front. Can you imagine the derisive, mocking calls directed toward them from the men from Jericho from the top of the walls. Then to march around the city 7 times on the 7th day, and at the blowing of the trumpets by the priest the army was to shout and the walls would fall. Joshua never questioned the Lord about this crazy plan. It would take about 1 hour to march around the city that had a 1/2 mile circumference. Joshua 4 perhaps indicates that 40,000 Israelites marched around the walls. 4:12 The sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over in battle formation before the sons of Israel, just as Moses had spoken to them; 13 about forty thousand equipped for war, crossed for battle before the Lord to the desert plains of Jericho.” That verse referred to the crossing of the Jordan but perhaps tells us the number of men who marched around the city. 40,000 men marching around the city had to be an impressive sight and their silence as they marched had to be nerve wracking to the men of Jericho as they watched! By faith he told his army about the plan. They never questioned the plan saying, “Joshua, are you serious? That is your plan for taking the city?” The Israelites had faith also as they marched around the city. After that last time around the city on the 7th day, they had faith that when they shouted that the walls would fall, and they did. So they would march 7 hours around the city on that 7th day. Give credit to this generation of Israelites. The generation (age 20 and above) that came out of Egypt in the exodus all died in the 40 years in the wilderness b/c of lack of faith (Hebrews 3). Those 20 and under when they came out of Egypt and those born during the 40 years made up the new generation that entered the promised land by faith. Jericho was the first city in the promised land to be conquered. Judges 2 pays a great compliment to that new generation: 7 The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord which He had done for Israel.” That new generation conquered the major cities and armies of the Canaanites in 7 1/2 years (although they did not completely destroy all the Canaanites as God had commanded them). The generation after them would revert to a generation lacking faith. Judges 2:10 All that generation (i.e. the generation that conquered Canaan) also were gathered to their fathers; and another generation rose up after them who did not know the Lord, nor even the work which He had done for Israel.” That would be the generation that began the period of the judges during which the Israelites forsook God and worshipped other gods for over 300 years. So the new generation that conquered the land would be the only faithful generation for over 300 years.
THE COMPARISON TO OUR HISTORY IN THE USA That new generation was like the “Greatest Generation” here in the USA. AI: “The generation immediately preceding the Greatest Generation (born 1901–1927) is generally known as the Lost Generation. Born roughly between 1883 and 1900, this cohort came of age during World War I and was shaped by the societal shifts following the industrial revolution, with many experiencing disillusionment after the war.” That might be comparable to the “lost” generation of Israelites who spent 40 years in the wilderness. I’m sure they felt “disallusioned” also, knowing their fate to gradually all die in the wilderness. “The Greatest Generation that followed the Lost Generation was born 1901–1927, and is the American cohort that lived through the Great Depression and fought in World War II. Coined by Tom Brokaw, this term honors their resilience, patriotism, and sacrifice. They are known for their commitment to duty, frugality, and for building modern post-war America.” They built the churches that made America great. Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859), a French political thinker and historian who visited the United States in 1831-1832 said that religion played a crucial role in American democracy by fostering morality and supporting freedom. He observed that American religious life was robust and that churches helped sustain the “virtue” needed for a self-governing society.” Their work ethic made America great. That would include the parents of my wife and me. The history of the USA kinda parallels the story in Joshua and Judges. The generation after the greatest generation was the “baby boomers”. Whether Baby Boomers were a “good” generation is heavily debated, Boomers were active in fighting for equality, inclusivity, and individual rights in the 1960s and 70s, contributing to a more open society. They helped drive changes in racial, gender, and sexual equality. But critics often label them a “selfish” generation, preoccupied with gaining wealth. Boomers are often criticized for shifting from the social activism of the 1960s to a culture of consumerism, materialism, and self-indulgence in the 1970s and 80s. They brought in the “sexual revolution” and use of drugs (Woodstock, 1969). Baby boomers (born 1946–1964) have had a higher, and significantly more unstable, divorce rate than the Greatest Generation. As of 2025, baby boomers still hold the highest divorce rate of any generation ever in the US, often termed “gray divorce” when occurring later in life, breaking from the more traditional, long-lasting marriage norms of their parents.” Most of the greatest generation would not even think about divorcing even if they were not “happy” in marriage. My wife’s mom would not even allow her daughter to say the word “divorce”. It just wasn’t an option! My dad’s parents seemed pretty miserable in their 80 year long marriage, but they would never have considered divorce. Some of that was the social stigma of divorce and some was the Bible teaching about not divorcing. I found my grandmom’s journal where she kept notes for the “Baptist Church of Christ”. I wish I knew more about that! Some of it they were just too tired raising 10 kids on the farm working hard from sunrise to sunset to worry about divorcing! The overall U.S. divorce rate has declined significantly since peaking around 1980, when baby boomers were young adults, dropping to its lowest level in 40 years. While divorce rates fell for younger generations (Gen X/Millennials), the divorce rate for those over 50 (the “gray divorce” trend) actually doubled from 1990 to 2017. Younger generations often cite witnessing the pain of their parents’ (boomer) divorces as a motivation to keep their own marriages together. Additionally, marrying at older ages, higher education levels, and cohabitation before marriage have reduced divorce rates.” (AI) But let’s give the boomers some credit. Most continued to believe in God and the Bible, went to church, and tried to raise their children in the right way. “ It was the millennials, not the boomers, who were a major driving force behind the decline in American belief that the Bible is the literal word of God. Research shows they are more skeptical of the Bible, with a large portion viewing it as a book of myths or fairy tales, or as an outdated document, rather than divine scripture. Millennials are more likely than older generations to identify as atheists, agnostics, or “nothing in particular,” separating themselves from traditional religious beliefs.” (AI) Then there’s Gen Z. “Gen Z did not start the LGBTQ movement, but they significantly accelerated its visibility, acceptance, and adoption of queer identities, with up to 30% of them identifying as LGBTQ+.” (AI) Sounds a lot like the period of the Judges to me! I’m thankful for our “greatest generation” that he had.
BY FAITH RAHAB WAS SAVED FROM THE DESTRUCTION OF JERICHO AND ITS PEOPLE Hebrews 11:31 By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.” So what was the faith of Rahab based on? The king of Jericho had heard that the 2 spies sent by Joshua to spy out the city had been to Rahab’s house, but Rahab told him that they had escaped. She had hidden them on the roof and later let them down by a rope through a window to escape from the city (her house was high on the city wall). She told the 2 spies: Joshua 2:9 “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of you. 10 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 utterly destroyed. 11 When we heard these reports, our hearts melted and no courage remained in anyone any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth below. ” The reports about the exodus, the Red Sea, and the conquest of the Amorite kings had convinced her that the God of Israel was the only true God. BTW everyone in Jericho (and Canaan) heard about the plagues in Egypt where God showed His power over the false gods of Egypt. That should have told them that the God of Israel was more powerful than the Canaanite gods like Baal and Asherah, but Rahab was the only Canaanite who was converted to belief in the God of Israel. God gave all the Canaanites the same opportunity to believe before He sent the Israelites to judge and destroy them. Thus by faith she rescued the spies. She asked for the safety of her whole family and was promied that. She would gather her immediate family and relatives in her house and put a scarlet thread through the window to show Israel the only ones to spare in the city. The part of the wall with Rahab’s house did not fall. “Archaeologists, including German excavations of 1907-1909, found evidence that a portion of the northern wall did not collapse, unlike other sections.” (AI) ” Excavations by Garstang and Garwood from 1930-1936 found evidence of collapsed walls, intense burning (the Israelites burned Jericho), and massive grain storage (indicating a short siege as per the 7 day siege in Joshua)”. Rahab’s family was saved as promised. Joshua 6:22 And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, just as you have sworn to her.” 23 So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives, and placed them outside the camp of Israel.” The Hebrew writer doesn’t mention the saving of her whole family, but that is important. It shows her influence. Hopefully our faith in God and Jesus that saves us will lead to the salvation of our familes and many others. Yes, Rahab was a prostitute but I’m sure that changed after she joined Israel. Yes, she told a lie. She told the men who came searching for the spies that the spies had already escaped the city even though they were up on her roof. My sister in law once said, “She was a prostitute. What’s one more sin gonna hurt?” I’m sure God approved of that lie as part of her faith in saving the spies. If my family was in the back bedroom and a gunman came in and asked if anyone else was in the house, I would lie and say that no one else was in the house. Of course that doesn’t justify lying in general, which is a sin. James used the example of Rahab to show that “faith wihout works is dead”. James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ” Saving faith must be demonstrated by action (works) although the works do not save us. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-10). What if Rahab had refused to hide the spies, saying “I do believe that the god of Israel is the one true God but I can’t help you. Helping you would endanger me and my whole family. I can’t let you in my house. Go find somewhere else to hide.” If she had said that, she would not have been saved in the destruction of Jericho and she would not have been saved from her sin of prostitution.
The Hebrew writer gave us two great examples of faith from the period of the conquest of Canaan. What a great chapter in Hebrews 11.
Nicky's Notes 