Scroll to the bottom for thoughts/discussion questions!
One-sentence summary: The Lord commands the people to march around the walls of Jericho and gives them the city, a man breaks covenant by stealing accursed items and incurs a curse on all Israel, Israel is defeated in battle, and the Lord gives Israel victory once the man who has broken His covenant is found out and destroyed.
When the kings of the Amorites and the kings of the Canaanites hear how the Lord dried up the Jordan for Israel, and they are afraid. The Lord tells Joshua to make flint knives and circumcise all the men of Israel (the new generation who had not yet been circumcised), and they stay at the camp until they are healed. The Lord tells Joshua that this day, He has "rolled away the reproach of Egypt from [them]." The people camp at Gilgal and keep the Passover, eating the produce of Canaan the next day. And the day after that, the manna ceases and they eat the food of Canaan. When Joshua is by Jericho, he lift his eyes and sees a man with his sword drawn in his hand. Joshua asks if he is for them or for his enemies, and the man says he is neither, but commander of the army of the Lord. Joshua falls on his face and worships and asks for his word "to [his] servant." The man tells him to remove his shoes because the place where he stands is. holy, and he does.
Jericho is shut up because of Israel, and the Lord tells Joshua that He has given the city into his hands. He tells him to march around the city once for six days, with seven priests with seven trumpets before the ark, and on the seventh day, to march seven times. After this, the priests are to blow the trumpets and all the people shout with a loud shout, and then the walls of the city will fall down. Then, the people are to rush in and take the city. Joshua calls the priests and tells them to take up the ark, and he commands them what to do and tells the people to march, with their armed men first. Joshua tells the people not to talk at all until the day he tells them to shout. On the seventh day, after they march seven times around the city, the priests blow the trumpets, and Joshua commands the people to shout because the Lord has given them the city and says that only Rahab the prostitute will live. He warns them not to take part in any of the accursed things of the people, lest they become cursed and incur a curse on all Israel. They are allowed to take the silver, gold, and iron, but these are to be consecrated to the Lord and brought into his treasury. When the walls fall down, the people rush into the city and destroy everything, as God commanded. Joshua tells the two spies to bring out Rahab and her family to the camp outside the city. The city and all that is in it is burnt with fire, except for the silver, gold, and iron. And Rahab and her family are saved, and she lives in Israel the rest of her life. Joshua charges the people and says that if anyone tries to rebuild Jericho, they will be cursed. And "the Lord is with Joshua, and his fame spreads out throughout all the country."
However, some men of Israel trespass against the Lord regarding the accursed things, because one of the men of Judah takes some of them, and the anger of the Lord burns against Israel. Joshua tells some men to spy out Ai, and the men come back and tell Joshua to only send two or three thousand of the people to fight because the people are few. So about 3,000 men go up, but they flee before the men of the city. So the hearts of the people melt. And Joshua and the elders of Israel tear their clothes and fall on their faces before the ark of the Lord until evening. They put dust on their heads, and Joshua asks the Lord if He has brought them there to let their enemies defeat and destroy them (probably the wrong question). He says that if the rest of the land hears it, they will surround Israel and cut them off from the earth, and then what will God do for HIs great name? But the Lord tells him to get up off the ground and asks why he is lying there; He says that Israel has sinned and broken His covenant because they have taken the accursed things, and also stolen and deceived, which is why they are "doomed to destruction" and were defeated. He says he will not be with them anymore unless they destroy the curse from among them. He tells him to tell the people to sanctify themselves and let them know that there is an accursed thing among them and that they will not stand against their enemies until they remove it. Each tribe is to come before the Lord, then the families that the Lord calls, then the household the Lord calls, and then each member, and so whoever is found by the Lord to have the accursed thing is to be burned with fire along with all that he has. Eventually, it is found who has taken the items. Joshua speaks to the man and tells him to confess, and he does. He had taken a garment, some silver, and gold, and says he coveted them and hid them in his tent. So messengers go to the tent, and they take them to Joshua and all Israel, and they take the man and all the items along with his family and animals and all he has, and they bring him out to a valley, and they stone him with stones. Then, burn them with fire and raise a heap of stones upon him, and the Lord's anger is turned from Israel.
The Lords tells Joshua not to be afraid or dismayed and to go to Ai, that He has given it to Israel and that they will defeat them like Jericho, and that they may take the spoil and cattle only for themselves. Joshua's plan is for 30,000 mighty men of valor lie in ambush against the city. When the people of Ai come out against them, Joshua and some other men are to flee as a deception so that the people think they are fleeing a second time. Then, those who are waiting in ambush will arise and fight. Once they have taken the city, they are to set it on fire. All the people of Ai pursue Israel so that no man is left in Ai or Bethel. Then, the Lord tells Joshua to raise his spear toward Ai, and when he does, those in ambush arise and enter the city and take it. The men of Ai look back and see it, and they see the smoke arising from the city, and then Joshua and Israel turn back and attack all the men. The men who went into the city also come out and fight against them so that they are surrounded. They take the king alive and bring him to Joshua., but 12,000 men, all the people of Ai, are killed, and Joshua keeps his spear in the air until they are all dead. Then, Joshua burns Ai, and he hangs the king on a tree util evening. Then, they bury him under a heap of stones at the entrance of the gate of the city, and Joshua builds an altar to the Lord at Mt. Ebel, and Israel offers offering to the Lord. On the stones of the altar, Joshua writes a copy of the law of Moses before all Israel. Then, with all Israel standing on either side of the ark, half in front of Mt. Garison and half before Mt. Ebel as God commanded, Joshua reads all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses, in the hearing of all Israel.
Thoughts/Discussion Questions:
God detests cursed objects, and so should we. Have you ever prayed about any objects in your house that might be considered cursed by God?
The Lords ways are not our ways. He gives victory in unusual and seemingly counterproductive ways, or at least ways that don't make sense to us. It is important to listen for His instructions and obey in every situation, as we are always up against forces mightier than we. (We know our battle is not against people!)