How does Joshua 6:21 connect with God's commands in Deuteronomy 20:16-18? Setting the Scene • Israel has crossed the Jordan and now faces Jericho, the first Canaanite stronghold in the land promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:7). • Centuries earlier, God had already laid out clear instructions for how Israel was to deal with the peoples occupying that land (Deuteronomy 7:1-5; 20:16-18). • Joshua 6 records the first instance of those instructions being carried out in full. Joshua 6:21—The Historical Fulfillment “Then they devoted to destruction all that was in the city, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, at the edge of the sword.” • The Hebrew term herem (“devoted to destruction”) means setting something apart exclusively for the LORD by total destruction. • Every breathing thing in Jericho is destroyed, matching God’s explicit directive. Deuteronomy 20:16-18—The Foundational Command “However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. You must utterly destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and cause you to sin against the LORD your God.” Key Connections • Same language: “leave alive nothing that breathes… utterly destroy” (Deuteronomy 20) equals “devoted to destruction” (Joshua 6). • Same target: Canaanite peoples in specifically listed cities. • Same purpose: prevent Israel from absorbing idolatry and moral corruption. • Same authority: both actions stand on the direct command of the LORD. Why the Severity? • Moral judgment—Genesis 15:16 shows God waited “until the iniquity of the Amorites” was full, highlighting justice rather than caprice. • Spiritual protection—removing embedded idolatry kept Israel from syncretism (Deuteronomy 7:4; 1 Kings 11:1-8). • Covenant holiness—Israel was to be distinct, a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:5-6). • Prophetic foreshadow—total victory in Jericho prefigures God’s ultimate triumph over sin and rebellion (Revelation 19:11-21). Broader Biblical Echoes • Numbers 33:50-56 warns that failure to drive out the inhabitants would make them “thorns in your sides.” • 1 Samuel 15 records Saul’s partial obedience against Amalek and shows the cost of compromise. • Hebrews 11:30 cites Jericho’s fall as an example of faith, underscoring God’s initiative in victory. What This Reveals about God • He keeps His promises—land inheritance begins here. • He judges unrighteousness—His patience has limits (Nahum 1:3). • He protects His people—for Israel’s mission to bless the nations (Genesis 12:3) to stand, they had to remain spiritually distinct. • He acts through faith-filled obedience—Israel marched, shouted, and trusted; God did the impossible (Joshua 6:2-5, 20). Living the Lesson Today • The New Covenant shifts the battlefield from physical to spiritual (Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). • God still calls His people to radical separation from sin and idolatry (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 1 Peter 1:15-16). • Jericho’s fall reminds believers that victory comes by trusting God’s Word—even when His commands challenge human sensibilities. |
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