If there is one thing my close friends know about me, it is my love of cartoons. The Veggie Tales series is a personal favorite.
To this day, I can still picture the little green peas mocking the Israelites from atop Jericho’s fortified wall in the hilarious episode, “Josh and the Big Wall”. But the producers of Veggie Tales are not the only ones intrigued by this famous Bible story. The story of God’s destruction of Jericho has been the object of countless church sermons and Sunday school lessons for centuries.
However, God’s reasons for destroying the city of Jericho and others throughout the land of Canaan may come as a surprise: it was not about punishing the inhabitants for sin. If it were, all the inhabitants of Earth (including the Israelites!) deserved the same fate (Rom. 3:23).
Rather, God’s decision to single out the land of Canaan was His divine right.
Carving Out a Place for God’s Name on Earth
The psalmist reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Ps. 24:1; see also Job 41:11).
While the people of Canaan were indeed exceedingly evil, God’s purpose in giving Joshua and the Israelites victory in their conquest of the land of Canaan was ultimately about carving out a place for God’s name on Earth (Deut. 12:1–5). God commanded His people to cleanse the land of unrepentant demon worshippers and their idols and altars to false gods because they were in the way of God using the land for His purposes.
While few historical records exist describing the religious life and customs of the people of Jericho specifically, there is plenty of evidence portraying the pagan religion and depraved lifestyle of the people of the land of Canaan in general. The Canaanite religion included various gods and goddesses who were primarily concerned with sex (fertility) and war. Worship of these counterfeit deities (which were actually demons; see 1 Corinthians 10:20) involved a belief that if the gods and goddesses were pleased, the result would be victory in warfare, a thriving people, and a plentiful harvest. To appease the gods, people engaged in human sacrifice and cult prostitution.
These heinous practices were such an affront to God’s holiness and such a violation of His purpose for human beings created in His image that God sent the Israelites to “vomit” the people out of the land (Lev. 18:25). Not only were the people acting wickedly, but the Israelites were at risk of joining in their perversions—which is exactly what happened.
Sometimes we think sin is a private matter.
Perhaps you’ve heard it said (or thought it yourself): As long as I am not hurting anyone else, why does it matter?
Have you found this assumption to be true in your own experience?
After God freed His beloved people from slavery and rescued them out in Egypt, imagine God’s heartache and His brewing anger as He witnessed them turn away from His saving love—while camped on the edge of the Promised Land, no less! And to what did they turn? To pagan gods who exchanged dignity for shame, life for death, sacred for perverted—in a word: prostitution, both physically and spiritually.
How intriguing, then, that the one person God chooses to rescue from the doomed city of Jericho is a Canaanite prostitute named Rahab. . . stay tuned
This excerpt is from Week 2 of RAHAB: Rediscovering the God Who Saves Me. Order your copy today!
Shadia is a passionate Bible teacher, award-winning author, and speaker who has a heart for seeing lives transformed by the power of God’s Word. She holds a master’s in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is the author of several books and Bible studies, including HAGAR, LEGION, Worthy of Love, and RAHAB: Rediscovering the God Who Saves Me!
Yes. It’s good to remember God’s plan is always so much bigger & greater than we can see and imagine. His ways are perfect and we just need to trust & obey❣️
Amen, D’anah! He is a faithful Father and always desires the best for us 💕