Joshua 6:1-6
Now Jericho was shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one went in. Then the Lord said to Joshua," See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets from ram's horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the poeple will go up, every man straight in.
OK... Q & A time: Why march around the city on days 1-6 only once? What is the significance of the implementing a "seven day strategy" to conquering Jericho? What symbolism is their behind the use of a ram's horn? Why does this strategy reach its completion on day 7? Why march "7 times on the 7th day?" Is there any significance in the shout of God's people after the trumpets sounding for the final time?
Answers thus far: The number seven has been used throughout ancient writings as a sort of tribute to "perfection" or "completion." In the context of this military engagement, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to assert it would be a perfectly complete victory for the Israelites, and on the flip-side, the total and complete destruction of those inhabitants of Jericho (with exception of Rahab and those with her). God's strategy in this engagement attributes all the glory to himself. It's rightly so, since it works perfectly. On the day the walls fall, everything in the victory can be attributed to the God of Israel. Stemming from the use of a rather plain instrument, the given honor in escorting the ark around the stronghold, and the application of the divine strategy we see that literally everything attributes the victory to God alone. The shout of the people, in addition, can be seen as an affirmation of God's victory since it comes in the time table God sets and the people follow- with miraculous results.
OK... Q & A time: Why march around the city on days 1-6 only once? What is the significance of the implementing a "seven day strategy" to conquering Jericho? What symbolism is their behind the use of a ram's horn? Why does this strategy reach its completion on day 7? Why march "7 times on the 7th day?" Is there any significance in the shout of God's people after the trumpets sounding for the final time?
Answers thus far: The number seven has been used throughout ancient writings as a sort of tribute to "perfection" or "completion." In the context of this military engagement, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to assert it would be a perfectly complete victory for the Israelites, and on the flip-side, the total and complete destruction of those inhabitants of Jericho (with exception of Rahab and those with her). God's strategy in this engagement attributes all the glory to himself. It's rightly so, since it works perfectly. On the day the walls fall, everything in the victory can be attributed to the God of Israel. Stemming from the use of a rather plain instrument, the given honor in escorting the ark around the stronghold, and the application of the divine strategy we see that literally everything attributes the victory to God alone. The shout of the people, in addition, can be seen as an affirmation of God's victory since it comes in the time table God sets and the people follow- with miraculous results.