START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION
(KJV) Joshua 6:17
And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
The Firstfruits of Victory: Understanding “Devoted” in Joshua 6:17
We often cheer when we read about the walls of Jericho coming down. It is a triumphant story of faith, trumpets, and divine intervention. However, the verses immediately following that victory can cause us to pause. In Joshua 6:17, Joshua declares: “The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord.”
To modern ears, the destruction that followed is difficult to process. But digging into the original language and historical context reveals a profound spiritual principle about God’s sovereignty, holiness, and our own firstfruits.
The True Meaning of Herem
The Hebrew word translated as “devoted” (or “under the ban” in some versions) is herem. It does not simply mean destroyed; it means something is completely set aside for God to use or dispose of exactly as He chooses. This designation could move an object or person into one of two categories: divine judgment or divine service.
As our Creator, God possesses the absolute right to dismantle what has become thoroughly corrupt. Jericho was not an innocent bystander. The Canaanite cultures of the time were deeply entrenched in systemic wickedness, child sacrifice, and aggressive opposition to God. The principle of herem reminds us that God is holy, and He has the ultimate authority to execute judgment on sin.
The Principle of the Firstfruits
There is a specific reason why Jericho was treated with such total, unyielding severity compared to the cities that followed. Jericho was the first city Israel conquered in the Promised Land. It was the “firstfruits” of their inheritance.
Throughout Scripture, God establishes a clear rule: the firstfruits always belong exclusively to Him. Whether it was the first grain of the harvest, the firstborn of the livestock, or the first victories in battle, the initial portion was never meant for human consumption or personal wealth.
By devoting the entire city of Jericho to the Lord, Israel was practicing an act of radical trust. They were giving God the entire first victory before they knew if they would win the next one. They did not keep the spoil or the plunder for themselves. They handed it over to the Treasury of the Lord, recognizing that the land was His to give, and the victory was His alone.
What This Means for Us Today
While we no longer fight physical battles for earthly territory, the spiritual principle of herem and the firstfruits remains active in our lives.
- Surrendering the First: God still asks for our firstfruits. This means giving Him the first of our time in the morning, the first of our income through giving, and the first consideration in our decision-making.
- Total Devotion: To be devoted to God means we hand over the right to our lives. We allow Him to choose how we are used, holding nothing back for our own selfish ambition.
- Rooting Out Compromise: Just as Israel had to completely clear out the corruption of Jericho to inhabit the Promised Land, we must invite the Holy Spirit to fully expose and eliminate the hidden areas of sin and compromise in our own hearts.
When we give God our “Jerichos”—our first and our best—we set a foundation of obedience that allows Him to fight the rest of our battles for us.
A Closing Prayer
Holy and Sovereign God,
We acknowledge You today as the Creator and Owner of all things. Lord, open our eyes to the depth of Your holiness and the righteousness of Your ways. Forgive us for the times we have held back what rightfully belongs to You, or tried to claim the glory for victories that You alone achieved.
We desire to be a people fully devoted (herem) to Your service. We surrender our firstfruits to You today—our time, our talents, our resources, and our futures. Take our lives and use them in whatever way You choose for Your glory. Give us the courage to root out compromise in our hearts, and the faith to trust You when the walls in front of us seem high. We declare that the victory belongs to You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter
- 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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