What a Cluster! (Numbers 13:23)

What did the Israelite spies bring back from Canaan, from the brook of Eshcol? A cluster of grapes [pomegranates and figs] (Numbers 13)

Before the Israelites invade Canaan, God instructs Moses to enlist a representative from each of Israel’s twelve tribes to explore the land (Numbers 13:1-2). After securing these delegates (Numbers 13:3-16), Moses gives his scouts instructions (Numbers 13:17-20). After surveying the typical tactical objectives (topography, military, fortification, etc.), the last of Moses’ instructions is to obtain a sample of the region’s fruit (Numbers 13:20).

Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.) (Numbers 13:20b NASB)

The seasonal time stamp included indicates that the reconnaissance most likely occurs in July, but potentially as late as early September.

The advance team does as they are told and secures an excellent specimen.

Then they came to the valley of Eshcol and from there cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two men, with some of the pomegranates and the figs. (Numbers 13:23 NASB)

The spies retrieve grapes, pomegranates and figs; all fruits indigenous to Canaan but not Egypt where the Israelites are leaving and certainly not the Sinai wilderness where they are living. No one could deny the fertility of the Promised Land. As promised, Canaan is a land characterized as flowing with “milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8, 17, 13:5, 33:3; Leviticus 20:24).

The most noteworthy souvenir is a cluster of grapes so substantial that two men and a pole are needed to secure it. Specimens as large as twelve pounds (five kilograms) have been found in the area.

Martin Noth (1902-1968) explains:

In order to carry it undamaged, they had to lay it on a pole carried by two bearers (most likely a kind of wooden bier such as is envisaged in Numbers 4:10, 12 for the carrying of the sacred lamp and other sacred vessels) and which they brought back along with a vine-branch and a few pomegranates and figs taken as samples from their reconnoitring. (Noth, Numbers: A Commentary (Old Testament Library), 106)

David L. Stubbs (b. 1964) adds:

The image of the scouts bringing back a cluster of grapes so large that it hung on a pole supported by two men is a wonderful symbol of the fruitfulness of the promised land. Grapes, pomegranates, and figs may have been mentioned simply as part of the historical difference between the crops of Canaan and Egypt (see Numbers 11:5 for the fruit that people missed). Or these luscious and celebratory fruits of Canaan might be a subtle indication that God’s purposes are even better than what the people imagined in their unfaithfulness. The cluster of grapes and other fruit become a symbol of the faithfulness of God to his covenant promises. The land is indeed a good land; and the faithful God has brought them to a good place of not simply manna and water, but of grapes, wine, celebration, and feasting. (Stubbs, Numbers (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible), 128)

This massive vine leaves an indelible picture of the abundance of Canaan. In fact, even today, centuries later the image supplies the logo for the Israel Ministry of Tourism (pictured).

The valley of Eshcol, though geographically unidentifiable, is actually named for this produce. Timothy R. Ashley (b. 1947) dissects:

The word nahal (here valley) refers to the wadi or seasonal torrent-valley in the dry land. This valley was named for the cluster (’eškōl) of grapes found there. Since Numbers 13:24 makes clear that the spies themselves call the valley Eschcol, it is not surprising that the actual site is unknown. Some scholars have assumed that Eshcol was in the Hebron area, perhaps around Ramet el-Amleh. The biblical text probably means that the spies left Hebron and went on their way, coming to Eschcol at some point north of the town, but how far north is unknown. (Ashley, The Book of Numbers (New International Commentary on the Old Testament), 238)

R. Dennis Cole (b. 1950) speculates:

The name of the valley, Eshkol, means “cluster (of grapes)” and was also the name of the brother of Mamre the Amorite, an associate of Abraham and the one for whom the town on the northwestern outskirts of Hebron was named (Genesis 14:13). Hence the valley may have been named originally according to the family name of Eshkol, and then developed as a prime region for viticulture. On the other hand, the Valley of Eshkol may have been so named by the scouts who explored the region somewhere north of Hebron according to the magnificent cluster of grapes growing there. (Cole, Numbers (New American Commentary), 221)

The word used to describe the pole on which the cluster is carried is also used sacramentally. Gordon J. Wenham (b. 1943) notes:

They brought back a selection of the fruits of the land, grapes, pomegranates and figs, which they carried back on a pole: though pole is the traditional rendering of Hebrew môt, it may mean something more elaborate like the frames for carrying the tabernacle in Numbers 4:10, 12. (Wenham, Numbers (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries), 118)

Roy Gane (b. 1955) adds:

When the chieftains return to the community, they stage a much anticipated “show and tell.” “...Most impressive is a gargantuan “cluster” (’eškol) of grapes that two scouts carry between them on a pole (Numbers 13:23), the way Kohathite Levites carry sacred objects belonging to the sanctuary (Numbers 4:6, 8, 11, 14, 7:9). (Gane, Leviticus, Numbers (The NIV Application Commentary), 599)

The procession of the grapes is intended to have a dramatic, religious ambience.

This fruit sampler platter also functions as a foretaste of the meals awaiting the Israelites in the Promised Land. These grapes serve as tangible irrefutable evidence of the land’s goodness (Numbers 13:27) and the implication is that there is more where that came from.

Billy Graham (b. 1918) illustrates:

One of New York’s leading grocery stores exhibited a basket of choice and beautiful grapes in the window. A notice appeared above the basket announcing: ‘A whole carload like this sample basket is expected in a few days.’ The grapes were a ‘pledge’ of what was to come. The firstfruits are but a handful compared with the whole harvest.” (Graham, The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life, 86)

Seeing is believing and God graciously allows the Israelites a glimpse of their inheritance. Richard N. Boyce (b. 1955) relates:

Knowing us better than we know ourselves, God is aware that words alone are difficult to trust. While some few can believe without seeing, most would prefer to see and even taste (cf. John 20:24-29). No one who has read the New Testament, where Christ is the Vine who offers up the fruit of the kingdom through his death on the cross can help but see sacramental language bubbling over as the spies return from the Wadi “Eschol”...with a single cluster borne on a pole between two people (Number 13:23). God provides not only forewords and foresights, but foretastes as well. (Boyce, Leviticus and Numbers (Westminster Bible Companion), 157)

Like the ancient Israelites roaming the wilderness, modern Christians do not dwell in their eternal Promised Land. But like our spiritual ancestors, we are blessed with the occasional “foretaste of glory divine” in hopes that it will produce “blessed assurance”.

Since the text has already established that God is with the Israelites in their mission and that the land flows with milk and honey, why is it necessary to scout the Promised Land? What produce/food is your region known for? What is the most oversized produce you have ever witnessed? What might be the equivalent symbol of national wealth today? When have you experienced a foretaste of things to come? Why do the spies retrieve a single massive cluster as opposed to many small samples? Was this expedition an effort to build morale?

Like the grapes, the Promised Land is ripe for the picking. Unfortunately, the mammoth cluster is not enough to convince the nascent nation. The cluster creates a cluster. Amazingly, the colossal specimen does not even prove a conversation piece. After acknowledging the land’s goodness (Numbers 13:27), the conversation quickly shifts with a giant “but...”.

Grapes are not the only thing giant in the area. Like Texas, everything is bigger in Canaan. The majority opinion is negative as ten of the twelve spies focus not on the size of the grapes but on the size of the farmers who grew them. Only Caleb (Numbers 13:30) and Joshua (Numbers 14:6-9) maintain faith that God will deliver the land.

Instead of focusing on the promise, the Israelites see only the obstacles, the risk not the reward. The people become so downtrodden that there is no record of the grapes ever being eaten. They disregard the fact that they have safely scouted the land for forty days without incident. There is good news and bad news and the nation dwells on the bad.

In suggesting that they abandon their mission in Canaan, the Israelites are actually considering giving up on God. Not coincidentally, when the Promised Land is finally secured, Joshua and Caleb are the only ones from the period alive to see it (Numbers 14:30, 38, 26:65, 32:12).

Which two spies do you think carried the produce? Would these have been more likely to focus on it than the enemy? What would you have been consumed by, the obstacles or the objectives? Do you focus more on God’s blessings or your problems?

“The majority see the obstacles; the few see the objectives; history records the successes of the latter, while oblivion is the reward of the former.” - Alfred Armand Montapert (1906-1997), Distilled Wisdom, p. 173

The Scarlet Thread (Joshua 2:18, 21)

How was Rahab the harlot’s house identified to the Israelites? A scarlet cord in the window (Joshua 2:21)

Jericho was the first military objective during the Israelites’ conquest of the Promised Land. Before his army marches, Joshua dispatches two spies to scout the city (Joshua 2:1). In Jericho, the scouts lodge with the local harlot, Rahab (Joshua 2:1). As her house is situated in the city’s wall, the Israelite spies get the lay of the land from the prostitute’s home (Joshua 2:16). When the spies’ presence is discovered, Rahab covers the men in flax on her roof and covers for the men with the local authorities (Joshua 2:2-7).

Rahab professes faith in the Israelites’ God, understands her nation’s futility in opposing the pending attack and requests clemency (Joshua 2:8-15). In spite of the fact that Moses had forbidden such an oath (Deuteronomy 7:1-5, 20:16-18), the men agree and select a scarlet cord to indicate that her home will be spared when the city is ransacked (Joshua 2:18). Rahab accepts their terms and immediately ties the cord in her window (Joshua 2:21).

She said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window. (Joshua 2:21 NASB)

The encouraged spies return to their army on the east bank of the Jordan River and echo Rahab’s words in their report to their commander (Joshua 2:9, 24). The scouts’ reconnaissance will prove unnecessary as God miraculously intervenes and the city’s wall famously falls (Joshua 6:1-25). Even so, the Israelites keep their word and Rahab and her family are saved (Joshua 6:17, 23, 25).

There are parallels in other classical sources of prostitutes providing assistance in notable conquests but unlike them, Rahab is not merely relocated but also redeemed. Her faith is recalled twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25) and not once in any later literature is she condemned for either her occupation or her deception.

At the outset of the story, Rahab represents the ultimate Other to the Israelites. Yet this outsider will become an insider by voluntarily aligning with Yahweh. In contrast in the aftermath of the battle of Jericho, Achan becomes the embodiment of an insider who becomes an outsider by rejecting God (Joshua 7:1-26). Faith in God has always been a criteria for salvation.

John Goldingay (b. 1942) speculates as to Rahab’s motives for siding with Israel and its God:

It is said that men have ambivalent feelings about women who make their sexual favors available; they both utilize them and disapprove of them. Economic factors are commonly what drive women into the sex trade; perhaps Rahab was a widow. Evidently she has a family to be concerned for, but perhaps they had a hard time making ends meet, and this was the way she learned to survive without being dependent on them. A woman like Rahab will be a marginal figure in the society, part of it but not really part of it. So maybe it is easier for her to respond differently to what people are saying about the Israelites, as it will be possible for a woman such as Mary of Magdala to respond to Jesus in a way that most of the male pillars of society cannot. Like the midwives in Exodus 1 or other women in Israel’s story, she does not feel obliged to tell the male authority figures the truth when there is nothing truthful about the way they are behaving. (Goldingay, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth for Everyone 13)

The sign indicating Rahab’s location had to be significant enough to be noticed by the Israelites yet sufficiently inconspicuous to her people. The sign selected is the scarlet cord (Joshua 2:18, 21). Though not mentioned in the account of the fall of Jericho or later references to Rahab, the scarlet cord is mentioned twice in the harlot’s interaction with the spies (Joshua 2:18, 21). Some have connected Rahab so much with this item that they have been dubbed her the “scarlet woman”.

The object is translated as “scarlet cord” (ESV, HCSB, NASB, NIV, NKJV, RSV), “scarlet line” (ASV, KJV), “scarlet rope” (NLT), “red rope” (CEV, MSG) and “crimson cord” (NRSV). This exposed cord becomes the sign of the covenant she seeks; it effectively marks her home as a “safe house” (Joshua 2:12-23).

This thread has generated much interest. Richard S. Hess (b. 1954) analyzes:

This word for “cord” (tiqwā)...normally describes a simple thread, such as something of low value that Abram refuses from the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:23). The term for “scarlet” (śānî) appears elsewhere in the Bible to describe textiles used to decorate the tabernacle (e.g., Exodus 25:4), cleansing rituals (Leviticus 14:4), a bright color (Genesis 38:28), and special garments for the wealthy (Proverbs 31:21)...In contrast to the usage of “red” in the contexts of holiness and purity in Israel, the origin of the Akkadian term for “Canaan” may identify the color “red-purple.” This color, derived from the purple dye processed at Tyre, Dor, and other coastal cities, could have been understood as a statement of loyalty to the region by other Canaanites. However, its connection with Israel may have a double meaning. (John H. Walton [b. 1952] and Daniel I. Block [b. 1943], Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary), 21)

Jerome F.D. Creach (b. 1962) adds:

The expression “crimson cord” in Hebrew is actually three words that stand in relationship to each other, including the word denoting the color crimson. The word translated “cord” is tiqwah, which comes from a verbal root meaning “to be tense/rigid” and, by extension, “to be expectant.” The noun form elsewhere in the Old Testament has the second connotation and means “hope.” A related form (qaw), which appears numerous times, always refers to a measuring line, as used in construction (I Kings 7:23; Job 38:5). If this related term is any clue, it would further argue against the idea the tiqwah refers to a rope. The second word in the expression “crimson cord” is the Hebrew hût, meaning “thread.” Hence, although English translations do not show it, the two words together have the sense of a “cord of thread.” Again, this seems to refer to a line not substantial enough to support the Israelite spies (see the use hût, “thread” in Judges 16:12; Ecclesiastes 4:12)...Although it is not certain, the “cord of thread” probably refers to a strand of material from which cloth could be woven. That it was a crimson cord, not a whole piece of cloth, makes sense when we realize that ancient Near Eastern people typically dyed individual strands so that the cords might then be woven together with others of different colors to make cloth (W.F. Albright [1891-1971], The Excavation of Tell Beit Mirsim, 3:60-61). (Creach, Joshua (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching), 38)

The cord may have been something that was already in Rahab’s possession. This seems likely as why would spies, who by the nature of their mission are trying to be inconspicuous, be traveling with a bright red cord? Rahab uses a rope to lower the spies from her home and the text is ambiguous as to whether or not this is the same rope (Joshua 2:15). Phyllis A. Bird (b. 1934) has posited that the scarlet cord was used for advertising, the ancient near eastern equivalent of a red-light district (Bird, “The Harlot as Heroine”, Semeia 46: 130). If this is the case, it would not arouse suspicion. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that the practice of identifying a brothel in this manner ever existed.

Richard D. Nelson (b. 1945) comments:

Although “this crimson thread” (Joshua 2:18) sounds as though they [the spies] are providing her with it (as a gift of feminine finery?), this seems awkward from the standpoint of staging. Perhaps the reader is meant to suppose that Rahab has just lowered them by her (perhaps very feminine and sexy) crimson thread, presumably intended as a touch of humor...Although her display of the cord...in the window is technically premature, it is the appropriate place for the narrator to assure us that she has taken this last prudent, expectant step. (Nelson, Joshua: A Commentary (Old Testament Library), 51-52)

The positioning of the cord has proven problematic for interpreters. Military historian Richard A. Gabriel (b. 1942) reads between the biblical lines and develops a far less miraculous explanation of the fall of Jericho based upon the scarlet cord’s locaton:

Fashioned in this manner, the crimson cord would only be visible from outside the city wall, making it useless as an indicator of Rahab’s house ravaging the city from the inside. That is why the Israelite scouts told Rahab to keep herself and her family inside the house during the attack [Joshua 2:18]...What, then, was the purpose of the crimson cord?...The answer might be that the crimson cord marked the window through which the Israelite elite troops enter the city. The dust and confusion caused by the Israelite army as it assembled and marched through the city...was sufficient distraction for small numbers of Israelite troops to enter the city through Rahab’s window...The idea was to infiltrate a few men at a time into Rahab’s house, using the army’s activities outside the wall as a distraction...The defense would have collapsed quite quickly, perhaps tempting the text’s author to employ the metaphor that “the walls collapsed on the spot [Joshua 6:20].” (Gabriel, The Military History of Ancient Israel, 132)

Many have derived greater significance from the object. L. Daniel Hawk (b. 1955) notes:

The “crimson cord” constitutes a double pun...The cord (tiqwat) marks the “hope” (tiqwâ) which the pact has given Rahab, while its crimson color (haššānî) beckons the two (šnēy) spies. On a deeper level, the reddish color at the window recalls the Israelite deliverance from death in Egypt (Exodus 12:1-31). The instructions which the spies give to Rahab parallel those which YHWH gives to Israel in preparation for the first Passover (Exodus 12:21-28). Like Israel in Egypt, Rahab is told to mark a portal with red (lamb’s blood on the doorway in Egypt, the crimson cord at the window in Jericho), to gather her family within her home, and to keep them within the house when destruction comes. The instructions are followed, in Exodus, by the promise that the Israelites will be spared from the destroyer. The spies also follow directives with promises...By including this information, the narrator discloses that Rahab and her family participate in one of the constitutive events in Israel’s story. Rahab’s family will experience its own Passover, and later generations will (but for a change of particulars) be able to recite the story of national deliverance with the rest of the people. The incorporation of Rahab into Israel is now virtually complete. (Hawk, Joshua (Berit Olam, Studies in Hebrew Narrative & Poetry), 49-50)

Why is Rahab’s family saved in the conquest of Jericho? Other than sparing Rahab, does the spying serve any purpose? Why is the scarlet cord selected as the sign of this alliance? Is there significance to the color? What sign would you have chosen?

Many have seen Rahab as a picture of salvation as an undeserved external red object becomes the instrument of her salvation. As early as the late first century, Clement equated the scarlet cord (Joshua 2: 18, 21) to the blood of the cross (I Clement 12:7). Since that time, Bible teachers have spoken of the scarlet thread running the course of the Bible from Abel (Genesis 4:10) to Calvary (John 19:34).

Francis A. Schaeffer (1912-1984) documents:

In the preaching of the Christian church, all the way back to Clement of Rome (perhaps earlier, but we do not know), this cord has been taken as a sign of the blood of Christ, the Lamb. One should not be dogmatic about it because the Bible does not explicitly make this connection; nevertheless, many on the church have emphasized over the centuries that the scarlet cord was a mark of something beyond itself. (Schaeffer, Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History, 85)

Woodrow Kroll (b. 1944) adds:

In order to identify that she was under the protection of the Most High God, she tied a cord in the window, a blood-red sign of salvation...This thread of redemption shows up often throughout the Bible and has been noticed by many scholars. Matthew Henry [1662-1714] described it this way, “A golden thread of gospel grace runs through the whole web of the Old Testament.” W.A. Criswell [1909-2002] once preached a watch night service on New Year’s Eve from 7:30 PM until past midnight. His theme for this marathon message was “The Scarlet Thread Through the Bible.” It was later published as a book. (Kroll, How to Find God in the Bible: A Personal Plan for the Encounter of Your Life, 147)

J. Gordon Harris (b. 1940) advises caution when using this means of interpretation:

Details about the rope strengthen the art of the narrative and should not be considered theological points. Early church fathers used typology to associate the red cord with the red blood of Jesus. They taught that as the cord saved the lives of Rahab and her family, so does the blood of Christ. However, the original passage in Joshua did not place any particular prominence on the color of the cord. Red would be visible at a great distance. Even New Testament allusions to Rahab did not associate the color of the cord with the color of Jesus’ blood. Despite the similarity of the two types, modern preachers need to use typology sparingly and carefully. It is enough to realize that God saved the lives of Rahab and her family through the red cord tied to the window. (Harris, Cheryl A. Brown [b. 1949] & Michael S. Moore [b. 1951], Joshua, Judges, Ruth (New International Biblical Commentary), 13)

Whether typological or not, the scarlet cord held great personal meaning to Rahab. John A. Huffman, Jr. (b. 1940) writes:

Rahab was willing to join a new family—the family of God. She probably didn’t fully understand the significance of the scarlet rope that the spies told her to hang from her window any more than did all the Jews who were saved out of Egypt understand the significance of blood splashed over their doorways. They came to understand in the years ahead the significance of the blood sacrifice in the ordinance of the Passover. Perhaps the scarlet cord had in its color significance that reached forward in history to the blood atonement of Jesus Christ. It might have simply been her way of “tying a yellow ribbon on the old oak tree,” signifying her identity, love, and trust for a people and a God she was only beginning to know...For Rahab, the scarlet rope was sacramental. It was an outward sign of an inner work of grace which God was bringing to pass in her life. It was a sign that she believed God to be God. (Huffman, Joshua (Mastering the Old Testament), 64-65)

What is the meaning of the scarlet thread? What did it mean to Rahab? What, if anything does it mean to you? Do you have any outward visible signs of your inner invisible faith? How do you demonstrate your allegiance? Have you performed an act that means to you what tying a scarlet cord in her window meant to Rahab?

She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
-Proverbs 31:21, King James Version

Gilgal: Stacking Stones (Joshua 4:20)

Where did Joshua set up the twelve stones which they took out of Jordan? Gilgal (Joshua 4:20)

The first big obstacle the Israelites faced after Joshua assumed command did not come from an opposing army but rather a natural boundary - the Jordan River (Joshua 3:1). God allowed Joshua, like Moses before him (Exodus 13:17-14:29), to successfully traverse a large body of water (Joshua 3:1-17). Once successfully on the other side, God commanded that a representative from each of Israel’s twelve tribes procure a stone from the river to be used as part of a monument to commemorate the milestone (Joshua 4:1-7). The place where the stones were stacked was called Gilgal (Joshua 4:20).

Fittingly, the name “Gilgal” is derived from the Hebrew verb galal, meaning “to roll, roll away, roll down, roll together”. Though this is the most famous incident at a place called Gilgal there are several other Gilgals in the Old Testament and debate as to which Biblical references overlap. The Bible also speaks of a Gilgal near Shechem (Deuteronomy 11:30), a Gilgal near Bethel that served as a prophetic headquarters during the time of Elijah and Elisha (II Kings 2:1, 4:38); a Gilgal in the valley of Lebanon (Joshua 12:23), and a Gilgal that served as a border city for Judah between Jericho and Jerusalem (Joshua 15:17). Joshua is even said to have captured a Gilgal (Joshua 12:7) but whether or not this is the same site where the stones were stacked is subject to debate.

Why do people build monuments? What monuments are near you? Why were they built? Who was involved in the decision to build them?

People naturally celebrate milestones in their lives. The crossing of the Jordan River represented a new era in Israelite history. The nation was finally actively pursuing the Promised Land and the event also legitimized the reign of a new leader, Joshua (Joshua 3:7).

What events do you want to commemorate? Do you venerate your own successes or God’s successes through you?

The Indelible Minority

What two spies sent into Canaan brought Moses a positive report? Joshua and Caleb

Before invading Canaan, Moses commissioned twelve spies, a representative from each of Israel’s twelve tribes, to investigate the terrain (Numbers 13:1). When they concluded their surveillance, ten of the twelve advised Israel to abort the mission. Only Hoshea (later christened Joshua by Moses himself) from Ephraim (Numbers 13:4, 16) and Caleb from Judah (Numbers 13:6) defended the mission’s viability (Numbers 13:30, 14:6-10).

Why did the majority of delegates advocate abandoning the objective?

While acknowledging that the land flowed with “milk and honey” (Numbers 13:27), the objectors dwelled on the region’s inhabitants concluding “‘we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.’ (Numbers 13:33, NASB)”. While Joshua and Caleb focused on God (Numbers 14:8), the dissenters fixated on the obstacles.

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” - Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Unfortunately, the people were swayed by their fears and the majority report.

Why did the people side with the majority report? Was it simply because it was the majority or was there something deeper at play? Is unbelief easier than belief?

Israel eventually claimed Canaan, the Promised Land. As a reward for their faithfulness, Joshua and Caleb were the only Israelites living at the time of the initial report to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:36-37, 26:25, 32:12). Joshua famously led the conquest and Caleb settled Hebron (Joshua 14:6-14).

A more difficult trivia question would be to be to name the twelve who gave into their fears.

What will guide your decision making, fear or faith?

Israel's Marching Orders

How many days did the Israelites march around Jericho? Seven (Joshua 6:15).

The Israelites’ first battle in their conquest of the Promised Land famously came at Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27). Jericho presented the unique problem of being defended by casement walls, a system by which an inner and outer wall running together protected the city.

Foregoing the traditional methods of capturing walled cities that would incorporate scaling ladders and battering rams, God provided the Israelites with a unique strategy. He gave them very explicit instructions to march around the city silently for six days and on the seventh day to circle the town seven times, shout loudly, and await for the walls to fall (Joshua 6:2-5).

This command seems to not only have no logical rationale but drawbacks as it eliminates the element of surprise and could fatigue the soldiers. This tactic has never been utilized before or since.

Have you ever felt God asking you to do something that would appear foolish? Did you do it? What does this say of your faith?

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. (Hebrews 11:30, NASB)

Did the marching serve any strategic function?

In Battles of the Bible, Chaim Herzog (1918-1997) & Mordechai Gichon (b. 1922) theorize that the marching would be seen as a religious progression and after lulling the enemy into a false sense of security for six days, the breaking of the pattern would be shocking on the seventh (p. 48). It would be like a baseball pitcher throwing many pitches in one location and disorienting the batter by changing that spot. There is a later example of this tactic in Julius Sextus Frontinus (40-103)’s Stratagems (I.IV.8) suggesting its use in antiquity.

Military historian Richard A. Gabriel developed his own theory on the marching by reading between the Biblical lines (The Military History of Ancient Israel, p. 131). Gabriel postulates that the army’s protest marches created a diversion allowing special ops forces to enter the city through Rahab’s scarlet cord (Joshua 2:18, 21). He notes that while the Bible says the function of the cord was to indicate which family to spare in the extermination, there would be no need for the cord on the outside of the city as the battle would be fought inside. Instead, Gabriel argues that it signaled the entrance point to the city. After six days of infiltration, a strong contingent would be inside the gates and at the sound of the trumpet could overtake the city from within and open the gates. Gabriel interprets the walls tumbling down as a metaphor for the city’s defenses depleting. While Gabriel plays fast and loose with the Biblical text, he does provide a military reason for the Israelites’ marching orders.

Did the marching serve any function or was it merely a way for God to test the faith of God’s people? Do God’s mandates have a practical function or are they arbitrary?