A Cloud of Faithful Witnesses, Commentary 13
Iosuahs Faith.
VERSE 30.
By faith, the walls of Iericho fel down, after they were compassed about seuen daies.
FRom the beginning of this chapter, to this 30. verse, we hauehave heard two sorts of examples of faith: the first, of beleeuers from the beginnning of the world to the flood. The second, of such as were from the time of the floode, to the giuing of the Lawe in Mount Sina: and of both these, we hauehave hitherto intreated. Now here, and s… forward to the end of this chapter, is set downe a third order of examples of faith; namely, of such as liued from the time of the giuing of the Law, to the time of the raigne of the Maccabees.
This 30. verse containes the first example of this ranke; namely, the example of Iosuahs faith, & of those that went with him into Canaan. And their faith is commended vntounto vsus by a notable fact of theirs; the causing to fall the walls of Iericho: the History whereof we may reade at large, Iosuah 6. The summe of it is this; Whereas the Israelites came vntounto Canaan, and could not enter into the Land, by reason of the strength of Iericho, by which they must needs passe, nor could win it by reason of the huge walls of Iericho; the Lord promiseth to deliuer Iericho into their hands: onelyonly the people must doe this; they must compasse-about the walls seauen daies, & carie the Arke of the Lord with them, sounding with Rammes hornes, and showte, and so the walls should fall downe. Now, the Lord hauing made this promise vntounto them; the Israelites, and specially Iosuah, obey his commaundement, and beleeue his promise: and thus doing, by faith the walls of Iericho fell downe, after they were compassed-about seauen doyes. Indeed the power of GOD was the principall cause of this ruine of the walls: but yet because vponupon their beleeuing, GOD shewed this power, therefore is the downfall of them ascribed to their faith.
Here are many notable points to be learned. 1. Whereas the Text saith, By faith the walls of Iericho fell downe; wee may obserue the wonde…full power of true faith. Iosuah and the Israelites beleeued Gods promises, that hee would ouerturne the walls of Iericho: and as they beleeued, so it came to passe. So our Sauiour Christ saith, Matthew 17.20, If a man had but as much faith as a graine of mustard-seed, he shall say vntounto the mountaine, remooue hence, and it shall remoue, and nothing shall be vnpossible vntounto him: signifying, that by the power of true faith, such things as are impossible to mans reason, shall be brought to passe, if God hauehave promised them; as we see in this place, the mighty walls of Iericho fall downe by faith, which to mans reason is impossible. So, the Lord promised to Abraham, That he should be the Father of many Nations: yea,Genesis 17.2. and 18.18. that all the Nations of the earth should be blessed in him. This was strange; but Abraham beleeued it: and as hee beleeued, so it came to passe; for, many Nations descended from him: and after the time of Christes ascension, when all the Nations of the world were called to the light of the Gospell, they were blessed in Christ, the promised Seede of Abraham: and therefore is hee called the Father of the faithfull in all Nations. And to come vntounto our selues: To miserable men it may seeme a strange thing, that the power of the diuell and the strength of the flesh, should be ouercome in vsus: yet let a man beleeue this promise of God; God so loued the world, that hee gaue his onelyonly begotten sonne, that who so beleeued in him, should not perish, but hauehave euerlasting life, Iohn 3.16: I say, let him beleeue this effectually, and hee shall finde by faith the Kingdome of sinne & Satan, in his heart and conscience, weakned eueryevery day more and more. And therefore S. Iohn saith not without cause, This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world, euen our faith, 1. Iohn 5.4.
2. Here obserue, that among the causes of the change & ouerthrowe of Townes, Cities, & Kingdomes, this is one; namely, faith in Gods promises. Many men hauehave written of the change of Kingdoms, & do giuegive diuers reasons therof: But most of them omit the principall, and that is faith; by vertue whereof many times Kingdomes and Townes are brought to ruine and ouerthrow. God promised to Abraham & to his seed, that he would giuegive thē the land of Canaan for their inheritance: now, they beleeued this promise, & heere wee see it comes to passe as they beleeued; Iericho by faith is ouerturned & the rest of their Cities, & the people of Canaā dispossessed. So that we see, faith in Gods promises, is a means to Gods people, to ouerturn cities & kingdoms, that are enemies to Christ and to his Gospell. God hath made a promise vntounto his Church, that the whore of Babylon, Reuel. 18.2, that is, the Kingdome of Antichrist shall flourish for a while, but after it shall be destroyed; yea, such a ruine shall come vntounto it, that the Kings of the earth, and all great men and Marchants shall bewaile the destruction thereof. Now, this promise being receiued by faith, and beleeued of Gods Church, shall vndoubtedly come to passe. It is in some part verified already (for we see, some Kingdomes and people hauehave renounced the cursed Doctrine and tyrannie of Rome; and many Christian Princes hauehave alreadie shaken off the Popes yoke) yea, and this promise shall come to passe daily more and more. Let all the Kings of that sort doe what they can, and let the people set themselues neuer so much against Gods Church, yet Babylon shal downe: for, God hath promised so to his Church, and his Church beleeueth the same; and therefore by their faith it shall be brought to passe, in despite of the diuell.
Thirdly, here we learne, that when any City, Towne, or Kingdome, is to make warre either in defence of themselues, or in lawfull assault vponupon their enemies; a speciall meanes for good successe heerein is true faith. Christian policie is a commendable thing in this case: but if policy be seuered from faith, it is nothing. Faith in Gods promises of protection and assistance, doth farre surpasse all worldly wisedome. And therefore good King Iehosaphat, when he was to fight against the huge Armies of the Moabites, and Ammonites, giues this counsell to his people, 2, Chron. 20.20, Put your trust in the Lord your God, and ye shall be assured: Beleeue his Prophets, and ye shall prosper ▪ giuing a most notable instruction, and shewing that the best help for our defence, is faith in God, whereby we rest vponupon his word and promise, that hee will helpe vsus: yet this taketh not away the vse of meanes, but it giues the blessing and efficacie vntounto them.Ephe. 6.16. Faith, wee knowe, is called a shield, among the spiritual armour of God, whereby a man awards the blowes of Satan: and though that be the principal vertue of it, yet is it also a notable shield to defend men, euen against their outward & visible enemies, & a most strong engine aginst thē, to work their ouerthrow. Hence Dauid saith, He will not be afraid for tenne thousand of the people, that should beset him round about. Psalm. 3.6.They therefore that would defend themselues against their enemies (yea, and ouercome them in lawful assault) must embrace & obay true religion; & with Christian policy, ioyn faith in Gods promises: for, by faith we make God our Captain, & throgh him we shal do valiantly, and beate downe our enemies on eueryevery side.
Lastly, heere wee may learne, what a vaine thing it is to trust in outward worldly meanes. The walls of Iericho were both strong and high, and hard it had beene to hauehave ouerthrowen them by ordinary meanes: but yet we see, it proued but a vaine thing to trust vntounto them, as the men of Iericho did; for, they found but little reliefe and defence in them: for, the Lord layes them flat to the ground;Iosh. 6.20. and so the people of Israell went straight forward and tooke the Citie. So likewise it is a vaine thing to trust to mans strength, or in the strength of an horse, or in the number of men, or in riches, or in gifts of wisedome and learning, or in any other outward ordinary meanes whatsoeuer: the reason is, because God can ouerturne them with the least breath of his mouth.
This must admonish vsus, that howsoeuer, we vse ordinarie meanes of our preseruation and helpe, yet euer wee must cast our whole care on GOD, and put all our confidence in him for helpe and safety: for, without him all other outward meanes are nothing but vaine helpes; For, vaine is the help of man. And thus much for the fact it self.
Further, this fact is set out vntounto vsus by two circumstances; to wit, by the meanes which they vsed, and by the time which they obserued for this exploit. For the first; when they come to Iericho, this strong Citie, which they must needes subdue (or else they could not this way enter and possesse the Land, they do not goe about to ouerturne the Citie by vndermining, battering, or scaling the walls; but, according to Gods appointment, they go one by one in order round about the Citie walls day by day for one weeke space: and on the seauenth day, they compasse it seuen times; during all which time they kept great silence, saue onelyonly that seauen Priests sounded vponupon seauen trumpets of Rammes-hornes before the Arke, till Iosuah bade them shout. Now, in common reason, a man would iudge this rather to be some childish sport, then a means to fling downe these great walls. Nay, consider it well, and it may seeme a course tending rather to ouerthrowe themselues, then the walls of Iericho: for, they marched not in battell ray, as though they would pitch a field against the people of Iericho, or lay siege to their Citie; but they went in length one before another, so as they might compasse the Citie about. Now, if the men of Iericho should hauehave come forth, and made assault vponupon them, in all likelihood the Israelites had been ouerthrowen; so weake and feeble were the meanes. And yet the Lord for waighty causes, prescribes this course vntounto them: to wit, 1. Heerby to try the faith of his people, whether they will beleeue his promises or no, when they are enioyned to vse weake and feeble meanes, and in mans reason foolish.
Secondly, to make manifest in the weakenesse and insufficiencie of the meanes, his owne all-sufficient power and wisedome, for the furtherance of his glory: for, through weakenesse is Gods power made perfect, 2. Corinthians chapter 12. verse 9. Hence, our Sauiour Christ, when hee was to cure the man that was borne blinde, tempers clay of spittle, and layes it to his eyes, Iohn, chapter 9. verse 6; A meanes in cōmon reason, rather fit to make a man blinde, then to recouer his sight: and yet Christ vseth it for the furtherance of Gods glory, in the manifestation of his Diuine power, whereby the people might knowe hee was able in himselfe, to doe whatsoeuer he would.
Now, looke what course the Lord here takes for the battering of the walles of Iericho, the like he vseth in ouerthrowing the kingdome of the diuell, the spirituall Iericho; especially in the new testament. For, after Christs ascension, when he intended to destroy the Kingdome of darkenesse, vnderunder which all the nations sate, he sets apart a fewe fisher-men, simple persons, wāting worldly wit & policy; neither did hee put a sword of flesh into their hands, but the word of God into their mouthes: and thus sent them to dispossesse the diuell out of all the world, and to batter downe the kingdome of darkenesse by their preaching. And now in these later daies, wherein the Antichristian kingdome of the Pope had spread it selfe through all places almost, God vsed the same weake meanes to ouerthrow it. For, hee set apart a silly Monke, and indues him with gifts to preach the truth: by which meanes, the kingdome of Antichrist receiued a greater wounde, than if tenne Princes had set themselues against it. And strange it is to see, how GOD ouerturneth all the stratagems deuised against his Church, and how hee vanquisheth the power of sinne, by the weake meanes of the Gospel preached, and by the praiers of the Church; than which, to the world nothing seemes more feeble or foolish.
The consideration hereof, is of speciall vse: for, it may be, wee shall see Kings, and people of great power and number, to make reuolt from the Gospel of Christ, and to fall to Antichrist, embracing popery: hereat indeede, wee must be grieued, but yet withal, here is good cause of comfort vntounto vsus; for wee must knowe, that Satans kingdome must bee battered downe, not so much by the power of Kings, as by the breath of GODs mouth: not so much by the sword of flesh, as by the sword of the spirit. So it is said, that the man of sinne, euen Antichrist must bee abolished: not by the power of Princes; yea, let all the princes & potētates in the world do their best for him, yet his kingdome must downe in Gods good time; for God will consume him with the breath of his mouth, and abolish him by the brightnesse of his comming, 2. Thes. 2.8. that is, by the preaching of the word, in the mouthes of his Ministers, who are men voyde of all worldly power and policie.
Yet further, obserue the meanes. They walke about the walles of Iericho seuen daies together. If men should attempt the like enterprise at this day, in all likelihood it would cost them their liues; for, now there are deuised such instrumēts of warre, I mean great ordinance, & field pieces, that will kill afar off: & vndoubtedly, if ther had bin such instruments of war in this city, the Israelites could not so safely hauehave compassed the walles so many daies together. Whereby it appeares more than probable, that in those daies there were no gunnes knowen; no, not amongst the heathen, which at this day are so rise amongst Christians. Whence may be gathered, that these later daies are perillous times; for now mens heads are set to deuise more hurtfull meanes against the life of man, than euer the sauage heathen knew. For, beside the inuention of gunnes, which put downe all euidence of prowesse and valour, seene in Ancient warres; our age exceedes in contriuing such strange kindes of poysons, as were neuer knowen in former times. For, men hauehave now deuised poyson of that sort, that will kill a man, not presently; but a weeke, or a monethmonth, or a quarter of a yeare after: as appeares by the confession of those, that hauehave giuen themselues to studie and practice such hurtful deuises. And it is worth the marking, that the principall inuentors and practicers of such hurtfull inuentions, hauehave been of the Romish religion.
The second circumstance to be obserued, is the Time of this exploite. It was not on any of the first sixe daies, but on the seuenth; and that after they had that day compassed the citie about seuen times: then when the Priests blew the trumpets, and all the people showted as Iosuah bade them, the walles of Iericho fell downe; for this was the time which God had appointed for this exploit. The reason why God appointed seuen daies, and seuen times cō passing on the seuenth day, is not reuealed vntounto vsus in the word of God: and therefore wee may not curiously prie into it, nor yet (as some doe) hence gather, that seuen is a perfect number. But from the consideration of the very time wherein the walles fell downe, wee may learne this; that if we would hauehave God to accomplish his promises vntounto vsus, we must waite for that time & season which he hath appointed: we must not thinke that God wil accomplish them when we appoint. But we must beleeue Gods promise, and also waite his good leisure, and then will it come to passe. The Israelites compassed about Iericho one day, and the walles neuer stirre; yea, they doe so sixe daies together, and sixe times more on the seuenth day, & yet they stand fast: The reason is, Because Gods appointed time was not yet come. But on the seuenth day, when they had compassed them about the seuenth time, all the people gaue vp the showt, & then they fel down; because that was the particular set time, wherein God would accomplish his promise.
Further, whereas they compasse about the walles seuen daies together; it must needes be, that they went about them on the Sabbaoth day, for that was one of the seuen. Now here a doubt ariseth: for, this was a seruile worke vponupon the Sabbaoth, contrary to Gods commandement; which inioyned so strict a rest vponupon the Sabbaoth day, that they might not kindle a fire thereon: how then could they lawfully compasse the city on the Sabbaoth day? Answ. All Gods commandements in the morall lawe, must be vnderstood with this exception; Thou shalt doe thus and thus, vnlesse I the Lord command thee otherwise: for, God is an absolute Lord, and so aboue the Lawe; and therefore may lawfully commaund that which the Lawe forbiddeth. In the second commandement he saith, Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image, &c. And yet Moses by Gods speciall appointment set vp a brasen serpent, which was a figure of Christ. VponUpon such a speciall command, Abraham lawfully offers to kill Isaac; the Israelites at their departure spoyle and robbe the Egyptians; and Iosuah with the people, here compasse the walles of Iericho on the Sabbaoth day.