Rabbi Schneider (4:24)

I am the commander of the Lord's armies.

Narrator (4:27)

The words struck Joshua, sending him sprawling onto his face in reverence. His voice was a whisper as he asked, what does the Lord command? Remove your sandals, Joshua.

Rabbi Schneider (4:39)

You stand on holy ground.

Narrator (4:41)

And so Joshua did. Old tales sprang up in his mind. Recollections of Moses encounter with God on sacred ground. At this moment, he understood God himself was standing before him. Joshua listened carefully, his heart pounding in anticipation of his strategy. Yet what he heard next was beyond anything he would have imagined. God had an unorthodox plan for liberation. A plan most would consider foolish. Joshua listened to every word, ready to topple the walls that kept Israel from their promise.

Ethan (5:23)

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Jesus Podcast. I'm Ethan from Pray.com here to guide you through some of the most iconic stories ever told. If this podcast has blessed you thus far, please take a moment to leave a comment and review. Doing so will make sure others discover these life changing stories. And be sure to download the Pray.com app to hear the Bible come to life and make prayer a priority in your daily walk with God. We've been traversing the peaks and valleys of the Bible's most famous characters. These people's lives were marked with tragedy, triumph, fear, faith and failure. These heroes ultimately point us toward the greatest hero of all, Jesus. We've learned how Jesus is the greater Adam, Cain, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Joseph and Moses. Now we're about to journey to the edge of the promised land. After 40 years in the wilderness, the former slaves of Israel are ready to enter the land God promised them. But there's an obstacle in their way. Jericho. Their intimidating and fortified walls represent the barriers in our lives that keep us from God's promises. Their leader and commander Joshua will use unorthodox methods to defeat Jericho. His story of bravery and conviction will point us toward an even greater hero who went to great lengths to topple barriers between God and us. Let's immerse ourselves now in a cinematic retelling of Joshua. Chapter 6. I'll then be here to unpack this story for you and connect it to the gospel.

Narrator (7:12)

Dawn had broken, yet the sunlight was shrouded by the formidable silhouette of Jericho's walls. The citizens of Jericho were fortified inside, poised to fight if Israel dared to attack. Leading his people, Joshua advanced towards the sun eclipsed city. The Ark of the Covenant preceding them. Escorted by seven priests, each bearing a ram's horn. God had given Joshua an unorthodox plan. He commanded them to march silently around the city wall seven times with the Ark of the Covenant before them. The only sound was the haunting melody of the priests horns. A spiritual battle cry. In the quiet, Jericho's people watched from above, puzzled yet relieved at the absence of attack. For six days Israel's army marched a lap around the city. Their silence was as unsettling as it was ominous. No battle cries rang out, no shield clashing or bellicose roars. Their swords remained sheathed. But God was not idol. On the seventh day, the men rose with the sun, filling their lungs with the cool embrace of dawn. The remainder of Israel watched as they readied themselves once more. With armor strapped and spears grasped, they advanced upon Jericho. This time seven laps were made around the city walls. A billowing cloud of dust trailed behind their synchronized march. The priests horns echoing a symphony of imminent war. God was preparing his advance. As the seventh lap was completed, Joshua halted his soldiers as one mirrored him. The silence was deafening. Turning to his men, Joshua's voice resounded like a thunderclap. Shout. Shout. For the Lord has delivered this city into your hands. Today Jericho shall fall as a testament to God's might. Shout. And they did. A seismic roar erupted from the Israelites ranks. Their battle cries and trumpet blasts sending shockwaves through the earth. Their battle cries sounded like worship songs. As the haunting cries filled the air, the formidable stones of Jericho's walls began quivering and cracking. The city's strong defenses crumbled to the rhythm of the roars. The ground shook as the mighty walls surrendered to God's command. As the walls crumbled, terror echoed through the city. Amid the chaos Joshua perched atop a fallen stone, sword raised, ordering his men, take the city, but refrain from acts that will tarnish your souls. Like a relentless tide, they surged into the city. Swords clashed and soldiers fell. The gruesome melody of war echoed for miles, punctuated by the cries of the panicked city. Blood stained streets bore testament to the harsh realities of war. Hours later, the eerie silence declared the end. Joshua drew a breath of victory. Jericho lay in ruins before them. God delivered the land, bringing his people closer to the promised land. God would break down any barrier that kept his people from him. He would topple any wall that separated them from the love and promises of God.

Ethan (10:38)

Israel had been in the wilderness for 40 years and now a titanic city with fortified walls stood between them and the promises of God. Joshua, Israel's commander and leader, knew they were outmatched. But God had a plan. You see, no army, wall or obstacle could ever stand in the way of God. The Lord is faithful to remove any barrier keeping us from him. The Lord gave Joshua unorthodox marching orders. The people of Israel were commanded to march around the wall for seven days. Each time they marched, their swords were sheathed and the Ark of the Covenant walked out in front, symbolizing that this was God's fight, not theirs. The Ark of the Covenant represented God's presence among his people. Therefore, as the Ark led the people in marching, we're reminded that God was the real leader of Israel, not Joshua. God was the one who would go before the people and defeat the city. His power toppled the walls that stood between Israel and and his promises. The story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho foreshadows something greater accomplished by Jesus. Now let's turn to a retelling of John chapter 2. When Jesus passionately removes barriers between God and his people. Then we'll connect these two stories to see the grander picture.

Narrator (12:07)

The Passover season was upon them when individuals from across the region would gather near the temple to worship. The city was flooded with millions of individuals who brought with them their families, offerings and prayers to be given to the Lord. It was a magnificent celebration of God's redemption of his people from the bondage of Egypt. It was also a period of profound introspection. The men and women contemplated the vastness of God's love for them, appreciating their status as his chosen people, a holy nation. Amidst the swarm of worshippers, Jesus made his way to the temple, its radiant apex visible from afar. It was Jesus, deep seated longing that every individual might find God at the heart of their existence. Seeing Jews, Greeks, and people of all creeds and cultures united in worship warmed his heart. The heart of God yearned for all to seek his face space without barrier or hindrance. However, Jesus countenance shifted as he observed the activity within the temple. The temple courtyard had become a marketplace filled with people selling offerings and bartering prices. Men offered oxen, pigeons, goats and sheep, asserting at an outrageous expense. Money changers were there, exchanging people's currency for a unique temple currency. Its exchange rate was far too exorbitant for many to afford. Jesus witnessed with horror as the temple was manipulated into a place of enterprise. Foreigners were briskly dismissed if they could not afford the newly instituted temple certified sacrifices. Walls were created between people and God, walls of greed and vapid religious traditions. Jesus blood simmered with righteous indignation. The courtyard was sacred, a place for foreigners and Gentiles to worship. Yet it was exploited by religious leaders to amass wealth. A quiet, righteous rage stirred within Jesus, so potent that if he willed it, it could rain fire from heaven. He saw the money changers and peddlers bartering near the steps. They were commercializing salvation, commodifying communion with God. Jesus would not stand for it. To his left, he spotted palm fronds scattered on the ground and nets used to confine animals hanging off the steps. Gathering these materials, Jesus began to weave. He went unnoticed, his deliberate weaving overshadowed by the frenzy of profiteering. When God constituted Israel as a nation, his command was clear. They were to serve as a sanctuary for every nation, a haven for refugees and foreigners. No one willing to seek his face in repentance should be denied his blessing. However, the priests appointed to embody God's heart succumbed to corruption. Jesus would not tolerate any hindrance to God's loving embrace. The foreigner would not be rejected, nor the poor be burdened with debt for a lack of grand sacrifice. He remembered King David's words, for you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it. You will not be pleased with burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. O God, you will not despise. With these words fueling his righteous anger, Jesus stood brandishing a whip made of cords. With a robust swing, he lashed out, hitting the oxen, causing them to stampede, breaking their enclosures, overturning carts and instigating panic. Jesus then strode over to the money changers. He lifted and flipped their stone tables with divine strength, sending a tremor through the courtyard. Coins scattered across the ground, causing the money changers to scramble, desperately trying to retrieve their Lost fortune. Standing atop the temple steps, whip in one hand and a crate of doves in the other, Jesus had single handedly dismissed, dismantled the temple's marketplace. Raising the crate, he smashed it to the ground, liberating the doves. The pandemonium paused momentarily as the people turned their attention to Jesus. Breathing heavily, he pointed towards the Pharisees and scribes who watched from afar. This is a place where men and women are meant to seek the face of their God. Yet you have made it into a temple of greed. You have defiled my Father's house. Transforming a place of prayer into a marketplace. Jesus made it his mission to topple any obstacle keeping people from the Lord on the cross. He would make the ultimate sacrifice breaking down the wall of separation between the people and their Creator.

Ethan (17:00)

Did you feel Jesus passion in that story? Could you feel his anger toward the corrupt money changers and priests? The outer section of the temple was a sacred place meant for foreigners to come and worship God. By making the outer courts a place of commerce, the temple officials made a barrier between God and the people who desired to seek him. God, the Son, whose passion toppled the walls of Jericho long ago, sought to remove those barriers by flipping the tables. God breaking the walls of Jericho and Jesus cleansing the temple communicate the same. God will do whatever it takes to bring you closer to him. Sin creates a barrier between God and us. Because of the corruption of sin, we can't be close to God. A wall exists between us and the promises God has for us. Promises of hope, eternal life and righteousness. Just as Jesus violently drove out the money changers and overturned the tables, he violently broke down the walls of sin on the cross. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 14 tells us that those who were far off from Christ have been brought near by his blood. He is our peace and he has broken down the walls of hostility between us and God. Do you feel far from God today? Do you feel like barriers of sin, shame or dysfunction keep you from him? Take comfort that Jesus went to great lengths to restore you to himself. No sin is too strong, no sin is too big, no sin is too awful or wall too wide for God's unstoppable love. No sin is too strong or wall too wide for God's unstoppable love. Joshua may have led the people of Israel around the walls, but God broke them down. In this way, we can confidently say that Jesus is the greater Joshua breaking down sin's barriers. Next time we explore one of the Bible's most flawed heroes. A man who, despite his monstrous strength couldn't overcome his flesh. Join us for our next episode of Jesus the Greater. To understand how Jesus is, the Greater Samson.

Podcast Announcer (19:36)

This is an I Heart podcast.