Laodicean Church
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The city of Jericho was devoted to the most extravagant idolatry.
The inhabitants were very wealthy, but all the riches that God had given
them they counted as the gift of their gods. They had gold and silver
in abundance; but, like the people before the Flood, they were corrupt
and blasphemous, and insulted and provoked the God of heaven by
their wicked works. God’s judgments were awakened against Jericho.
It was a stronghold. But the Captain of the Lord’s host Himself came
from heaven to lead the armies of heaven in an attack upon the city.
Angels of God laid hold of the massive walls and brought them to the
ground. God had said that the city of Jericho should be accursed and
that all should perish except Rahab and her household. These should
be saved because of the favor that Rahab showed the messengers of the
Lord. The word of the Lord to the people was: “And ye, in anywise
keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves
accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of
Israel a curse, and trouble it.” “And Joshua adjured them at that time,
saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth
this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born,
and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.”
God was very particular in regard to Jericho, lest the people should
be charmed with the things that the inhabitants had worshiped and their
hearts be diverted from God. He guarded His people by most positive
commands; yet notwithstanding the solemn injunction from God by
the mouth of Joshua, Achan ventured to transgress. His covetousness
led him to take of the treasures that God had forbidden him to touch
because the curse of God was upon them. And because of this man’s
sin the Israel of God were as weak as water before their enemies.
Joshua and the elders of Israel were in great affliction. They lay
before the ark of God in most abject humility because the Lord was
wroth with His people. They prayed and wept before God. The Lord
spoke to Joshua: “Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy
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face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant
which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed
thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it
even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not
stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies,
because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more,
except ye destroy the accursed from among you.”