Bible Stories for the Young
To download, right-click the download button above and select "Save Link As" or "Download Linked File"
Now that all the people had crossed the Jordan River following the Ark, the first city to capture was the city of Jericho.
But Jericho’s walls were too tall. Too tall to climb. Too tall to break down. Too tall to attack. And the gates were sealed shut.
Joshua was not sure what to do about the too-tall walls. But whatever he needed to do, he was ready to do it! Suddenly, Joshua looked up and there in front of him was a man holding a sharp sword!
Joshua asked him, “Whose side are you on? Our side, or our enemies’ side?”
“Uhh… neither. I am the commander of the Lord’s Angel Army,” said the Angel.
Joshua bowed down with his face to the ground. “Then I’m your servant. I’m listening. What do you want to say?”
“First, take off your shoes, for this is Holy ground,” said the Lord’s commanding Angel. (We’ve heard that before, haven’t we?) So, Joshua took off his shoes.
Then the Lord’s commanding Angel told Joshua what to do.
“March, march, march around the city,” said the Angel.
That sounds kinda weird.
But, do you know what Joshua said? He said, “Yes, Sir!”
The Angel told Joshua all the things they needed to do to take the city. So, the next morning, the troops got up early. March, march, march went the soldiers and the priests around the city.
Next the Angel had said, “Have the priests blow their trumpets while they march.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Joshua. The priests blew the horns.
“Now do that 6 days in a row,” the Angel had said.
“Yes, Sir,” said Joshua. They got up early and march, march, marched around the city and blew, blew, blew the trumpets. 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days, 6 days.
But the Angel had special instructions for the seventh day. The Angel had said, “On the 7th day, march around the city 7 times. Then at the end shout like crazy, as loud as you can!! Then the walls of that city will just fall down flat!”
“Yes, Sir!” said Joshua.
They got up super early on the 7th day because they had a lot of marching to do. March, march, march, march, march, march, march, march, march, march, march, march went the troops around 1, around 2, around 3, around 4, around 5, around 6, around the city 7 times — while priests blew their horns.
Then Joshua shouted, “NOW!”
And “Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrhhhhhh!” the people yelled and whooped and screamed like crazy!
Suddenly… crack, crack, then rumble, rumble, then crash, crash — those too-tall walls came down, down, down FLAT!
ATTACK!!!!!! went all of Joshua’s troops into the city. The city was theirs! It was totally destroyed. Not one of those too-tall stones were left stacked on another.
You see?! Joshua’s weird obedience to some seemingly strange instructions had worked! Obeying God always pays off, even when it seems weird and even when it takes some time and lots of marching orders. But just you wait — any time you choose to obey God, even when it seems kind of weird, you will never be disappointed.
