START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION
(KJV) Joshua 6:21
And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.
Finding Mercy in the Rubble: Understanding the Hardest Parts of Joshua 6
The Fall of Jericho is one of the most famous stories in the entire Bible. We sing songs about the walls coming down, celebrating the miraculous victory God gave to the Israelites. But if we keep reading past the collapse of the walls, we encounter a verse that stops many readers in their tracks.
Joshua 6:21 states: “They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.”
It is a heavy, jarring sentence. How do we reconcile a God of love with a command of total destruction? If we want a mature, honest faith, we cannot skip over these difficult passages.
The Context of Judgment
To understand Joshua 6:21, we have to look at the broader biblical narrative. The destruction of Jericho was not a reckless act of military anger, nor was it ethnic cleansing. It was a specific, long-delayed act of divine judgment.
Centuries earlier, God told Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan, but only after the sins of the people living there had “reached their full measure” (Genesis 15:16). For hundreds of years, the Canaanites practiced extreme forms of wickedness, including systemic injustice, cruelty, and child sacrifice. God waited patiently, giving generations time to change, but the culture refused to turn away from its destructive path. Jericho was the ultimate representation of that defiance.
Devoted to the Lord
The text says the Israelites “devoted the city to the Lord.” The Hebrew word used here is cherem, which means to set something apart completely for God. Because Jericho was the first city taken in the Promised Land, it belonged entirely to Him as a “firstfruits” offering.
The Israelites were strictly forbidden from taking any spoils, riches, or prisoners for personal gain. This rule ensured that the battle was recognized as God’s holy judgment, not a war driven by human greed or a desire to build an empire.
Mercy Amidst Justice
Even in this dark chapter, God’s desire to save people shines through. Just a few verses later, we read that Rahab—a Canaanite woman living inside Jericho—and her entire family were spared.
Rahab recognized the power of the living God and chose to align herself with Him. God immediately paused the judgment of the city to rescue her. Rahab did not just survive; she was welcomed into the community of Israel and eventually became an ancestor of Jesus Christ.
This truth reminds us that God’s judgment is never arbitrary. Anyone, regardless of their past or their background, can find immediate safety and grace when they turn toward Him.
What This Means for Us Today
We no longer live under the specific historical mandates given to ancient Israel. Jesus explicitly changed how we fight battles, telling us to love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us. Our battle today is not against other people, but against the spiritual forces of evil, sin, and brokenness in our world.
Joshua 6:21 serves as a stark reminder of two timeless truths:
- Sin carries real consequences. God takes holiness seriously, and He will not allow evil to ruin His creation forever.
- We can trust God’s character. Even when we do not fully understand the mechanics of ancient history, we can trust the God who went to the cross to take the ultimate judgment upon Himself so that we could receive unconditional grace.
A Closing Prayer
Holy God,
We come to You today acknowledging that Your ways are higher than our ways, and Your thoughts are deeper than our thoughts. Sometimes Your Word challenges us, forces us to grapple with difficult truths, and reminds us of the reality of Your justice.
We thank You that You are a God who takes sin seriously, because You care deeply about the world You created. But we thank You even more that Your mercy always triumphs over judgment. Thank You for being like the scarlet cord in Rahab’s window—a reliable refuge for anyone who calls on Your name.
Help us to fight against the sin and compromise in our own hearts with the same urgency we see in the book of Joshua. Fill us with compassion for the people around us, and give us the courage to share Your love and truth with a world that desperately needs it.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter
- WALL COLLAPSED / JOSHUA 6:20
- THE CITY TO BE DEVOTED / JOSHUA 6:17
- JERICHO / JOSHUA 6:1
- COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF THE LORD / JOSHUA 5:14
- RENEWING THE COVENANT / JOSHUA 5:2
- WHAT DO THESE STONES MEAN? / JOSHUA 4:21
- YOUR CHILDREN / JOSHUA 4:6
- WATERS STAND UP IN A HEAP / JOSHUA 3:13
- CONSECRATE YOURSELVES / JOSHUA 3:5
- ARK OF THE COVENANT / JOSHUA 3:3
- SCARLET CORD / JOSHUA 2:21
- I DON’T KNOW WHICH WAY THEY WENT / JOSHUA 2:5
- HOUSE OF A PROSTITUTE RAHAB / JOSHUA 2:1
- BOOK OF THE LAW MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT / JOSHUA 1:8
- OBEY ALL THE LAW / JOSHUA 1:7
- I WILL BE WITH YOU / JOSHUA 1:5
- CROSS THE JORDAN RIVER INTO THE LAND / JOSHUA 1:2
- JOSHUA SON OF NUN / JOSHUA 1:1
- AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSEHOLD, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD / JOSHUA 24:15
- GUIDED BY GRACE HOME
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