'And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor
make any noise with your voice, ... until the day I bid you shout; then
shall ye shout. 11. So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going
about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the
camp.'--JOSHUA vi.10, 11.
The cheerful uniform obedience of Israel to Joshua stands in very
remarkable contrast with their perpetual murmurings and rebellions
under Moses. Many reasons probably concurred in bringing about this
change of tone. For one thing the long period of suspense was over; and
to average sense-bound people there is no greater trial of faith and
submission than waiting, inactive, for something that is to come. Now
they are face to face with their enemies, and it is a great deal easier
to fight than to expect; and their courage mounts higher as dangers
come nearer. Then there were great miracles which left their impression
upon the people, such as the passage of the Jordan, and so on.
So that the Epistle to the Hebrews is right when it says, 'By faith the
walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days.'
And that faith was as manifest in the six days' march round the city,
as on the seventh day of victorious entrance. For, if you will read the
narrative carefully, you will see that it says that the Israelites were
not told what was to be the end of that apparently useless and aimless
promenade. It was only on the morning of the day of the miracle that it
was announced. So there are two stages in this instance of faith. There
is the protracted trial of it, in doing an apparently useless thing;
and there is the victory, which explains and vindicates it. Let us look
at these two points now.