Prompt One
Right at the beginning of the chapter, an unknown figure appears to Joshua, who is the leader of the Israelites in the quest to conquer Jericho. The fact that Joshua knelt before the figure and obeyed the instruction given without much questioning represents the total obedience to the word of God. Secondly, the angel of the lord then speaks of a shout after seven days of going round the wall and then the wall would tumble down. It is worth noting that Jericho is the first city that the Israelites have to conquer to make the much-awaited entry into the Promised Land. The City of Jericho, especially its walls, is essentially the obstacle hat the Israelites have to overcome to begin the new, prosperous life promised by God. Therefore, the Wall of Jericho is a symbol of an obstacle that stands between the Israelites and God's promise (new life). Despite the fact that the Israelites are warriors, the fortress presents a new, different kind of challenge that require absolute obedience to God's instruction.
The Jericho story is not a test of the might of the army, but rather obedience to God; a test of faith. The story uses symbolism and imagery to tell of God's unending might and the possibility that accompanies absolute faith in God. The wall brings untold anxiety to the Israelites despite their warrior status. The wall poses a formidable threat, which the Israelites have to overcome to continue with their journey into the Promised Land. God then puts a stop to their fear by saying, "And the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead" (6:5). The chronology of the story is proof that people (in this case the Israelites) should realize that good things come after a struggle. Literally speaking, at times, the most direct and successful path is through the stonewall. As promised by God, the Wall of Jericho came crumbling down, meaning that a new life awaited them, which is consistent with God's promise.
Prompt Two
The first teaching of the chapter is God's promise and man's responsibility. As mentioned, God instructed the Israelites to not to engage in any physical battle, but rather to go round the wall for six days and then shout on the seventh day. God would certainly bring he wall down even without His people going round and the shouting on the seventh day. God requires man to do his part for Him (God) to also do as he promised. Secondly, obedience to god's word attracts god's power and unleashes His rewards to humanity. God brought down the wall of Jericho to show the Israelites that he only required them to obey his command without questions. Logically, going round the wall and the shouting makes little or no sense. If the Israelites sat down and questioned God's instructions then certainly the wall would not come down. They would not conquer Jericho if they failed to obey or have faith in god's command or promise. The fact that they obeyed and later the wall crumbled means that God's might is absolute and that humanity only needs to obey his instructions and then trust for great things to happen. Finally, faith is the key that unlocks God's promises. The Israelites had absolute faith in God, did as commanded, and eventually conquered as promised.
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