The foundation of the city was laid, and his firstborn died. And you don’t have to guess what happened.
But about 500 years later, a man named Hiel, began to rebuild Jericho. Those ruins were to be a perpetual sign of God’s displeasure with the wicked inhabitants of that city. At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates” ( Josh. He stood over the smoke and ruins of that city and pronounced a curse, “Cursed before the Lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. Joshua lead God’s people marching around those thick, fortified walls for six days, and on the seventh day, the people shouted and “the walls came a-tumbilin’ down.” Afterward, they burned the fallen rubble and reduced the city to ashes.īut Joshua wasn’t done yet. It was Joshua who “fit the battle of Jericho.” When Joshua went to Jericho, it was to destroy and kill. Now, Christ’s name in Greek is Ἰησοῦς and it gets brought into English as ‘Jesus.’ But if you said Jesus’ name in Hebrew it would be יְהוֹשׁוּעַ, and when that gets brought into English it is ‘Joshua.’ If I asked you what city most goes with the name Joshua, I would bet you would say Jericho.
That’s the long, emphatic way to say, “They didn’t get it.” The text then notes that Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem takes Him through Jericho where a crowd was waiting to meet Him. But notice how carefully Luke records the reaction of the disciples. He is going there to be delivered to the Gentiles, mocked, shamefully treated, spit upon, flogged, and killed. He plainly says that He is going there to fulfill everything that was written about Him in the Scriptures. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.Ĭhrist is on His way to Jerusalem. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant.
This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.ģ5 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.