THE RIGHT CHOICE
Opening Prayer
Lord, show me more of what it means to live a holy life today.
Read Joshua 6:20–27
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
20 When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
26 At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho:
“At the cost of his firstborn son
he will lay its foundations;
at the cost of his youngest
he will set up its gates.”
27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.
Reflect
Have you ever had to let go of something that was very important to you? How did it make you feel?This passage continues to show the results of choices made by different people. For Joshua and God’s people, their choice to follow the Lord’s instructions and to rely on His strength resulted in the conquering of Jericho (20). What was the consequence of Rahab’s choice (22, 23, 25)? Her choice was significant not just for her and her family, but for the whole of God’s people. She became a significant figure in the history of the Jewish people, an ancestor of King David and, even, Jesus himself (Matthew 1:5, 16).
The other citizens of Jericho chose to close themselves to God with terrible consequences (21, 24). Joshua’s curse in verse 26 seems alien to us. The Israelites had already destroyed the city. Why did that need to be followed up with such a curse? To answer that question, we need to be aware that the Canaanites worshipped their own hand-made idols. The destruction of Jericho demonstrated the consequences of worshipping false idols rather than turning to the living God; it was a declaration of the power of the living God. It was also a demonstration of the call to holy living for those who follow God.
Apply
Is there anything in your life that might count as a false idol? Something on which you spend more time, energy, and affection? Let God know today that you are ready to let it go. He will remain faithful.
Closing prayer
My God, I want to love You with all my heart, but I don’t always get it right. Teach me how to love You more.
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