ACHAN,

107

LXVILI.

JERICHO TaxKeEn.

HE Lord told Joshua, that
He had given Jericho to
him, and that he should
conquer and possess it.
But how were the Israel-

ites to conquer it? Were they to

go and fight against it with swords,
and spears, and battering rams?

No; God told all the soldiers, and

the priests, carrying the ark, to

walk round the city once every day,
for seven days. Seven of the priests
were to carry trumpets; and to
blow with them as they passed on
before the ark. The last day, they
were to go round the city seven times;
and the priests were to blow the
trumpets, and the people to shout;
and then God said, the walls should
fall down, and they should go in,
and possess it.

The people believed God, and did
all He commanded. They walked

 

 

 

round the walls once each of the six
days, carrying the ark, and blowing
with the trumpets; and on the
seventh day, they walked round
seven times, and the priests blew
the trumpets, and the people shout-
ed; and then the walls fell down,
and they went up and took the
city. But the spies did not forget
their promise to Rahab; they went
to her house, and brought her out,
and all her family, and put them in
safety; and then they burnt the
city with fire. All the silver, and
gold, and brass, and iron, they
saved for the Lord’s house; but the
Israelites were commanded not to
take any thing for themselves.
Jericho was an accursed place, be-
cause the people who lived there
were so wicked; and therefore, all
were to be destroyed.

Ames
set ee

LXVIIL

PLCHAN.

    

SSH] UT one wicked man named
\s é »| Achan, thinking no eye
saw him, disobeyed the
“| command, and took some
~ of the riches which he
found, and went and hid them.
Joshua did not know what was done,
and the people did not know; God
alone saw Achan’s wickedness; but
He did not tell Joshua of it di-

rectly.
There was a city near Jericho

called Ai, and the Israelites asked
Joshua to let them go there, and
take the city. They said, “It isa
small place, and we shall soon take
it; we need not all go; a few sol-
diers will be enough to conquer Ai.”
But the Israelites forgot that they
had no power of themselves. It
was God who helped them to con-
quer, and if He hid His face from
them, their power was nothing.

A few of the people went up to