The "Prince of the Host of Jehovah" appears to Joshua - The miraculous fall of Jericho before the Ark of

(JOSHUA 5:13; 6:27)

AT first sight it may seem strange, that, when such fear had fallen upon the people of the land, any attempt

should have been made to defend Jericho. But a fuller consideration will help us not only to understand this,

but also by-and-by to see special reasons, why this one fortress should have been miraculously given to

Israel. Not to mention motives of honor, which would at least have some influence with the men of Jericho, it

was one of the main principles of heathenism, that each of their "gods many" was limited in his activity to

one special object. But wh at the Canaanites had heard of Jehovah showed Him to be the God of nature, who

clave the Red Sea and arrested the waters of Jordon, and that He was so far also the God of battles, as to

give Israel the victory over the Amorite kings. But was His strength also the same as against their gods in

reducing strong fortresses? Of that at any rate they had no experience. Trivial as such a question may

sound in our ears, we have evidence that it was seriously entertained by heathendom. To mention only one

instance, we know that a similar suggestion was made at a much later period, not by obscure men, but by the

servants and trusted advisers of Ben-hadad, and that it was acted upon by that monarch in the belief that

"Jehovah is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys" (1 Kings 20:28). At any rate, it was worth the

trial, and Jericho, as already stated, was the strongest fortress in Canaan, and the key to the whole country.

This latter consideration could not but have weighed on the mind of Joshua, as from the camp of Gilgal he

"viewed the city." As yet no special direction had been given him how to attack Jericho, and, assuredly, the

people whom he commanded were untrained for such work. While such thoughts were busy within him, of a

sudden, "as he lifted up his eyes and looked, there stood over against him," not the beleaguered city, but "a

man with his sword drawn in his hand." Challenged by Joshua: "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" the

strange warrior replied: "No! But I am the Captain (or Prince) of the host of Jehovah, now I am come."  76

Here His speech was interrupted - for Joshua fell on his face before Him, and reverently inquired His

commands. The reply: "Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy,"  77

must have convinced Joshua that this Prince of the host of Jehovah was none other than the Angel of the

Covenant, Who had spoken to Moses out of the burning bush (Exodus 3:4), and Who was co-equal with

Jehovah. Indeed, shortly afterwards, we find Him expressly spoken of as Jehovah (Joshua 6:2).

So then the mission of Joshua was substantially the continuation and completion of that of Moses. As at

the commencement of the latter, the Angel of the Covenant had appeared and spoken out of the burning

bush, so He now also appeared to Joshua, while the symbolical act of "loosing the shoe off his foot," in

reverent acknowledgment of the Holy One of Israel, recalled the vision of Moses, and at the same time

connected it with that of his successor. Having assured Joshua of complete victory, the Angel of Jehovah

gave him detailed directions how Israel was to compass Jericho, under the leadership of the Ark of the Lord,

and how, when the wall of the city had fallen, the people were to act. Implicit obedience of what in its nature

was symbolical, was absolutely requisite, and Joshua communicated the command of the Lord both to

priests and people.

And now a marvelous sight would be witnessed from the walls of Jericho. Day by day, a solemn procession

left the camp of Israel. First came lightly armed men,78 then followed seven priests blowing continually, not

the customary silver trumpets, but large horns, the loud sound of which penetrated to the far distance, such

as had been heard at Sinai (Exodus 19:16, 19; 20:18). The same kind of horns were to be used on the first day

of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:24), and to announce the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9).

Thus heralded, came the Ark of Jehovah, borne by the priests, and after it "the rereward" of Israel. So they

did for six days, each day once encompassing the walls of Jericho, but in solemn silence, save for the short