Seeds of Faith Podcast

The text for this lesson is Joshua 6:1–27.

Key Points

• God saved the Israelites by causing the fortress walls of Jericho to tumble and fall and by guiding them through His servant Joshua. God saves us by causing the fortress of sin and death to tumble and fall through the redeeming work of Jesus so that we might become and remain His people.
• Law: Prideful, I place my trust in the false walls of self-security; my works and my accomplishments weakly crumble around me.
• Gospel: God delivers me from the ruin of my sin and provides me a mighty fortress in Christ.
• Bible Words: Psalm 46:10.
• Faith Words: exalt, Jesus, salvation, sin.
• Catechism: The First Commandment.

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Context in Salvation History

Under Joshua, the nation said adios to the desert, crossed the Jordan, circumcised their children, celebrated Passover, and now stood ready to attack the ungodly cities whose iniquities had polluted this sacred soil. High-walled Jericho was the first target of divine justice. Archaeology has unearthed impressive defenses where this city once stood. It was seemingly impenetrable: the Fort Knox of Canaan—but down came its walls. Other victories would follow, but also defeats, such as the humiliating one immediately following, where Israel attacked Ai. The message was clear: follow God’s Word, and victory is sure, no matter how much the underdog you seem. But break that divine Word, and defeat is just as sure, no matter how much an upper hand you may suppose you have.

Discussion Points and Questions

1. Read Joshua 6:1. What did the people of Jericho entrust with their lives?
2. Read Joshua 5:13–15. Against whom are the people of Jericho fighting?
3. Read Joshua 6:2. The Lord says to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand.” When Joshua looked, what would he have seen?
4. Read Joshua 6:3–14. What message did the Israelites send to the people of Jericho through this display?
5. Read Joshua 6:15–21. How did Israel take the city?
6. Read Joshua 6:22–25. Read also the Lord’s command in Deuteronomy 7:1–6. Who was spared from destruction?
7. Read Joshua 2:1–14. Why was she spared?
8. How does the fall of Jericho emphasize the importance of faith in the lives of God’s people?
9. How do we see God’s grace as evidenced by Rahab’s faith? Read Matthew 1:5. Whose name do you see?
10. How are we tempted to misplace our trust as the people of Jericho did? How does Satan especially tempt Christians to pride?
11. Read 1 John 1:8–10. How does God combat this?
12. When our faith is built firmly on Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, how does that affect the way we live our lives?

Thank you for joining us for this week’s Sunday School podcast. We hope you will continue to listen as we work our way through the Growing in Christ lessons for this quarter, and please join us next week as we discuss Deborah.

Additional CPH Resources

	Toot! Toot! – Hear Me Read Level 1 (56-1643) This book tells how Joshua and his army blew down the walls of Jericho. (Joshua 5:12-6:20) The Hear Me Read Level 1 Series gives children the practice they need to become great readers. Each book in the series teaches a complete Bible story in 25 words or less. Children develop sight vocabulary as they learn to recognize simple words. Humor, repetition, and colorful illustrations bring the stories to life.
	Sing the Faith – CD (79-0004) and Songbook (22-3109) Words paired with music are more easily learned and remembered.  With Sing the Faith, the words of the Small Catechism are set to original tunes in order to teach and aid memory of these important words. Each of the 67 upbeat songs covers a portion of the Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, Confession, the Office of the Keys, the Lord’s Supper, and prayers. Sing at home, in the car, at school or at Sunday School. Sing here, there, and everywhere. The Songbook offers full accompaniment for instruction or performance.
	LifeLight: Joshua – Leader’s Guide (20-3618) and Enrichment Magazine (20-3619)Presented in nine sessions, this study is part of the LifeLight Bible study series of in-depth studies of Bible books. The goal of LifeLight is that through a regular program of in-depth personal and group study of Scripture, more and more Christian adults may grow in their personal faith in Jesus Christ.Sessions: Session 1–Joshua, Servant of the Lord (Genesis 9:20-27;15:12-21; Leviticus 20:1-27; Numbers 27:12-23; Deuteronomy 31:14-23) Session 2–I Will Be With You (Joshua 1:1-24) Session 3–Crossing the Jordan (Joshua 3:1-5:12) Session 4–The Rise and Fall of a Man and a City (Joshua 5:13-6:27) Session 5–Disaster and Victory (Joshua 7-8) Session 6–Quandaries and Conquests (Joshua 9-12) Session 7–Allotting a Preliminary Inheritance (Joshua 13-19) Session 8–Finding Refuge, Rest, and Reconciliation (Joshua 20-22) Session 9–Listening and Responding to Powerful Sermons (Joshua 23-24)
	God’s Word for Today: Joshua (20-3606)Behind the historical details and the epic battles recorded in the Book of Joshua lies a covenant of grace, God’s promise that He made with Abraham and his descendants forever. Although covering a time span of only about thirty years, the Book of Joshua points forward in time to another Joshua—Jesus of Nazareth—whose coming is significant forever. In both rite and event, Joshua both anticipates the fulfillment of Abraham’s promise in Christ.  In this study you will learn: the importance of the land promised to Abraham and its connection to and fulfillment in the coming Messiah; the seriousness of sin as exemplified by the destruction of the great city of Jericho and of the inhabitants of Canaan; and the sweetness of God’s grace as shown to those finding sanctuary in the cities of refuge and especially to Rahab and her family. Also available in a downloadable format (20-3607).
	People’s Bible Commentary: Joshua (12-8207)Christ-centered Bible truths unfold as you read this complete series of commentaries designed for spiritual growth and reading enjoyment. These trustworthy commentaries help you comprehend what you’ve read in Scripture as well as apply it to your life. These commentaries offer: Easy-to-read commentary that follows the text (in New International Version (NIV)) so you learn as you read Scripture and commentary on the same page Bible text highlighted in bold Explanation of complicated passages Important facts are identified to expand understanding of Bible times and help apply passages to life today This series is an excellent companion text for Bible study leaders and for individual use.
	Concordia Commentary: Joshua (15-6004)Joshua narrates Israel’s conquest and inheritance of the Promised Land in fulfillment of God’s gracious plan. Joshua prefigures Christ as he faithfully leads God’s people, like the church militant, through battle into triumph. This commentary explores the history, culture, archaeology, and theology of the book to deepen faith in the victorious Savior of all peoples. It focuses on the faithfulness of God and how He kept His covenant promises, which are fulfilled in Christ. Throughout the commentary, the author’s intimate knowledge of the Holy Land and his experience as a missionary and pastor bring the biblical text to life.