Destroying All that was in the City - Joshua 6:21

In the book of Joshua, we learned how “the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city”, and in chapter six and verse twenty-one of the book of Joshua, we learn how, ”they utterly destroyed all that was in the city” where we read,

And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, 

young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.

The verse reads, “and they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, …” Joshua or the writer said, “and they utterly destroyed” which means “and they, the people of Israel, completely mutilated and exterminated” “all that was in the city”  or “each, every, the whole and everything that existed within the dwelling place or town of Jericho”, “both man and woman” which means “including the male and female human beings”. Joshua or the writer shared how the people of Israel completely decimated everything that existed within Jericho including the male and female human beings who were there.

 

The verse goes on to say, “… young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “young and old” or “youthful people and aged people”, “and ox” which means “and bullocks or oxen”, “and sheep” or “and small cattle such as a lamb or goat”, “and ass” which means “an animal of the horse family, which is typically smaller than a horse and has long ears and a braying call”, “with the edge of the sword” or “by the use of the extremity or end belonging to a sharp cutting instrument or implement such as an axe, dagger, knife or mattock”. Joshua or the writer also shared how the people of Israel destroyed those who were youthful and aged as well as the animals such as bulls, sheep, goats and donkeys by the use of the ends of sharpened implements. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn how the people of Israel were thorough in their defeat of the people, animals and city of “Jericho” by the use of their sharpened “swords” to cause destruction. God was with them, and they were given the tools and ability to defeat their enemy and to possess that which God promised. In like manner God wants us to have this type of relationship with Him through His Son Jesus who came into the world to be crucified on the cross for the sins of everyone. He was raised from the dead after three days, and when we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and empower us to live according to that truth so we will be equipped with our “sharpened sword, the Bible” and have the ability to defeat our enemies like Joshua and the people of Israel.

Next time we learn how, “Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".