fruit trees. Jericho was given to the tribe of Benjamin as their portion of inheritance; on the borderline between the tribes of Benjamin and Ephraim (Joshua 16: 1; 7; 18: 12). There, ‘Eglon’, king of Moab dwelt, and stroke and humiliated Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of God (Judges 3: 12, 13). In it, the servants sent by King David to Hanun, king of Ammon, who shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, stayed till their beards have grown, and then returned (2 Samuel 10: 1 - 5). In the days of Ahab, son of Omri, king of Israel, Hiel of Bethel, built Jericho, to lose his firstborn, as he laid its foundation, and his youngest son, as he set up its 97 gates, “according to the word of the Lord, which he had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun” (1 Kings 16: 34; Joshua 6: 26). In Jericho, Elijah and Elisha visited the group of prophets before Elijah was taken to heaven; then Elisha returned to those prophets (2 Kings 2: 4, 15). And it seems that the source of water that was healed by Elisha by casting salt in it (2 Kings 2: 21), is the spring known nowadays as ‘Ein of Sultan’. And when the captives of Judah, taken by Israel, under the leadership of Pekah the son of Remaliah (2 Chronicles 28: 15), were returned, they were brought on to Jericho. Close to it, the Babelonians took Zedekiah, king of Judah (Jeremiah 52: 5); and to it, together with Zerubbabel, 345 of its inhabitants and their descendants, returned (Ezra 2: 34; Nehemiah 7: 36); and some of them helped to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3: 2). Herod the Great built a citadel near Jericho, and there he died. And in the days of the Lord Christ, a group of priests dwelt in Jericho, and used to move often between it and Jerusalem, as is clear from the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30, 31). And in Jericho, the Lord Christ opened the eyes of Bartimaeus and his companion (Matthew 20: 29; Mark 10: 46; Luke 18: 35); and in it, the Lord visited the house of Zacchaeus (Luke 19: 1- 10). 2- Marching around the city: Jericho, the first fortified city that confronted the people, who came to enjoy their inheritance; represents the love of the world,; as an obstacle that hinders the soul from setting forth to eternity, to enjoy the true inheritance; that loads it down, so as not to be lifted up by the wings of the Holy Spirit, from glory to glory. At the same time, it represents the ‘self’ -- the (ego), being the most serious obstacle that would face the spiritual beginners, to deprive them of the fellowship with God, the Grantor of conquest and of eternal inheritance. Two dangers that would face man in his spiritual strife are: love of the world, representing the left strike, and the ‘self’ or (ego), representing the right strike, when man counts himself as better than others, and more righteous. The scholar Origen talks about Jericho, as representing evil itself, saying: [It came in the Bible: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves ...” (Luke 10: 30). Here we recognize a portrait of Adam, falling down from Jerusalem, to the exile of this world. And the two blind men from Jericho (Matthew 20: 30), 98 met by the Lord Christ who opened their eyes; did not they represent the men of this world, blinded by ignorance, for whose sake the Son of God came?! Therefore the city of Jericho is this world in which we live, that should be destroyed] 1. And he talks of the battle of Jericho, as a battle against the evil of this world, fought in the heart, saying: [Let us go to war, and attack the most dangerous city in the world, namely evil; Let us devastate the walls of the arrogant sin! Are you looking around to know the way you have to take, and the battle location you have to choose?! Look inside yourself, as the battle you are to fight is in you, where there are the walls of wickedness that should be destroyed! Drive your enemy out of your heart! These are not my own interpretation; but let me quote the Lord Christ who says: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matthew 15: 19). Do you appreciate the might of the army against you in the depths of your heart? These are our enemies whom we should slay in the first battle, and bury in the earth at the first line; if we are able to destroy their walls, and to strike every man with the edge of the sword, leaving none breathing (Joshua 11: 14); and no one to find a place in us, or to live anew in our thoughts. By that, Christ grants us the great comfort: “Each one sits underneath his vine and his fig tree; with nobody to terrify Israel” 2. The Holy Book describes Jericho as such: “ Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.” (Joshua 6: 1) It represents one who is shut on himself; his heart not open to taking and giving, but he resembles a closed city where no one comes out or goes in; devoid of love! As for him, whose heart is wide open with Christ, the lover of mankind, he lives with an open mind, opens his depths for everyone by a divine wisdom; and emits from his heart every fulfilling love to others. This is Jericho, representative of the world, or of evil itself, especially the ‘self’ or (ego). God used, in the conquest over Jericho, a unique way that was never, and will not ever be followed in wars. As the battle of Jericho, was to be the first battle in the land of promise, after crossing over the Jordan, God intended to proclaim in a distinct way, that 1 In Jos. Hom 6: 4. 2 Ibid 5: 2. 99 the war is His, and the victory is from Him, and their real and essential weapon is faith. The apostle Paul says: “By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were encircled for seven days” (Hebrew 11: 30). In that battle, God did not use military tactics, men, human wisdom, or weapons; although He committed His people to use them in the battles to follow; in order to confirm to them from the beginning, that, although He appreciates human wisdom, and uses human work if sanctified, yet He remains alone the secret of our conquest over sin! He commanded them to march around the city once every day for six days, until they are exhausted. On the seventh day, He commanded them to march around the city seven times, until they are unable to march any more. Then, all the people are to shout a great shout, as a proclamation of their faith in God, the Grantor of triumph, who would then defend them and grant them what He promised. Marching around probably refers to “entering into eternity”, representing life with no end like a circle. By the eternal life that becomes ours in Jesus Christ our Lord, we can destroy the mighty walls and buildings of Jericho. The world, with all its seductions, will not be able to draw our hearts; the evil, with all its deceits, will not be able to draw our thoughts to it; and the ‘self’ or (ego), will not be able to captivate our soul and shut it in. “Eternity”, or “life with the eternal Christ”, is the way of conquest and inner triumph; through which the time, brought to death, is swallowed; and before it, all fantasies and vain glory of the wicked world, will escape ... Indeed, our entry into heaven, while we are still on earth, will lift us up over every weakness, and uproot from our inside, the deep roots of evil. Marching around the city once a day through the first six days, refers to continuous work all our time (the week days); while marching seven times on the seventh day, means that, on the day of our rest -- the seventh day -- we should work double time for our Lord, and strive a perfect strife (the figure 7 refers to perfection). By that strife, keeping the Sabbath is spiritually realized; namely, the rest in the Lord. Actually, the day of the Lord, or the day of rest in Him, is not a day of laziness and relaxation, but it is a day of continuous strife, by the free grace working in us; until the devilish castles are totally destroyed; until the ‘self’ or (ego) in us is crucified; until our true Joshua reigns inside us, and finds rest in our hearts, as though on His throne; and until sin no longer have authority over us. St. John Chrysostom says that the Sabbath here, had 100 been literally broken, but spiritually kept, as the exceeding work gives more victory than every other day1. And St. Augustine says: [Whoever does no sin, truly keeps the Sabbath] 2; and St. Clement of Alexandria says: [Having taken rest from sin, we abide to the spiritual Sabbath, until the coming of the Savior] 3. And St. Jerome says: [The Jews would never make a fire on the Sabbath; But we, on the contrary, are committed to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning, to consume every evil and sin] 4. The scholar Origen has the following magnificent expression about the concept of the day of the Lord: [The perfect man is always preoccupied by God’s words, His work, and His thoughts; By that he would be always living in the days of the Lord, and all his days would be days of the Lord] 5. It was indeed a day of the Lord, as they marched seven times around Jericho, blew the trumpets, and shouted high for the Lord, who destroyed the forces and authority of evil, for Joshua to reign, together with his children with him. 3- Blowing the trumpets: On the seventh day, marching seven times around the city, the priests blew the trumpets by the seventh time (Joshua 6: 4, 16). In our interpretation of the Book of Numbers (10: 1- 10), we talked about the language of trumpets, as being the word of God, incessantly uttered by the priests, capable of granting the believers the life of spiritual conquest, and of putting in them the inner joy and rejoice of the heart6. St. Ambrose says: [Not everyone has the right to blow the trumpet, nor to call others to a holy meeting; but that privilege was given only to priests] 7. The scholar Origen talks about the trumpets of the priests that were blown to destroy the walls of Jericho, saying: [Jericho represents the present world; the strength of whose walls would be destroyed when the priests blow their horns. The strong walls that serve this world are idolatry and relating divinity to things made by satanic deceit, and works of magicians and diviners, ... besides the different atheistic thoughts of 1 In Matt. Hom 39. 2 Sermon 38 PI 270: 1242. 3 Lib. Of the Frs. Of the Church, vol 43. 4 pI. 39: 2058. 5 Adv. Celsus 8: 21. .55 ، 6 سفر العدد 1981 : ص 54 7 On Belief in Resur. 2: 111. 101 philosophers, and teachings originated from disputes… All these are like high walls supporting the world. But once the Lord Christ came -- represented by Joshua the son of Nun -- He sent the priests and apostles to blow silver horns (Numbers 10: 2; Psalm 98: 6); namely to present exalted and heavenly preaching. The first priestly horns were blown in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; Peter, James, Judah, and John also blew horns in their epistles; and Luke in the Book of Acts; and finally Paul, who blew his horns through his fourteens epistles, to blast the walls of Jericho with lightening, to bring them down to the ground; destroying all its buildings, together with all its war instruments, of idolatry and philosophical thoughts] 1. Bishop Caesarius speaks of the trumpets of priests, saying: [The walls of Jericho, referring to this world, fell when the priests blew the horns; So also those of the ‘pride’, the (city) of this world, together with its towers: namely, greed, envy, looseness, etc.; That is to say, every evil lust will be destroyed and abolished, through the continuous preaching of the priests. That is why, priests should never keep silent in the Church, but rather comply with what the Lord says: “Cry loud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression” (Isaiah 58: 1). We are committed to persist on shouting loudly so as to keep our salvation, and to “spare not”, so as not to perish by our silence, because of the wickedness of sinners. When you shyly care for his feelings, you fail to care for his (spiritual) health. Do not let his wounds get worst because of your silence, but let them heal by your shouts. We should shout, and shout loudly, that nobody should claim that he did not hear, or that he does not know the voice of the priest. 2] He also says: [The trumpet is important for the sinners, not only to pierce their ears, but also to shake their hearts; not only to rejoice them, but also to rebuke them. The sound of the trumpet should encourage the watchful to do well, and to terrify the negligent on their sins. And as, in battle, the trumpet terrifies the trembling soldier, and enflames the spirit of the brave; so also the trumpet of the priest does to the sinner and the righteous ... That is the work of the trumpet, to scatter the work of the sinners, and to steadfast that of the righteous] 3. He also talks about the 1 In Jos. Hom. 7: 1. 2 Sermon 115: 5. 3 Ibid. 102 trumpets of the priests, saying: [The blessed Paul says: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10: 4, 5). Do not you see, that the tongues of the priests, according to the words of the apostle, are weapons of words that scatter the vain thoughts, and captivate the haughty pride] 1. 4- The shouting of the people: God commanded Joshua, that when they hear the sound of the trumpets, “ all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”(Joshua 6: 5) Some interpreted the word “shouts”, to mean (cries of joy); while, according to others, like the scholar Origen, they are (shouts of unity) by all the soldiers with one spirit, when they get carried away by the atmosphere of the battle. It is as though the falling down of the walls of Jericho, or the destruction of the kingdom of the devil, does not require the life of joy of an individual, isolated from the congregation, but the shouts of triumph by the entire congregation with one spirit. It is indeed the shout of spiritual strife against sin and the kingdom of Satan, full of hope and joy, through unity together. That is why the Psalmist says: “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands ! Serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100: 1); and: “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound” (Psalm 89: 15). Marching seven times around Jericho, caused them to get physically worn out, as though dead, incapable, not only to fight, but even to walk on their feet. And here, as marching around refers to eternal life, we say that their death was swallowed up in the victory and conquest of eternity; according to the saying of the apostle: “Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ “ (1 Corinthians 15: 54). As though all, having enjoyed eternity in Jesus Christ, would give the shout of joy and rejoice, as a sign of victory over death, and the enjoyment of the victory of eternity; saying with the apostle: “O Death, where is your sting ?; O Hades, where is 1 Ibid 115: 6. 103 your victory ...; But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15: 54, 57). As such, their exhausting strife mixes with the rejoicing of their hearts; and the spiritual war melds with the experience of the heavenly joy! That is why the fathers of the Church -- even the Hermits among them -- talked about the life of inner joy in Jesus Christ, amid the tears of repentance, and the labors of spiritual strife; warning against falling before the spirit of sadness, that brings us into despair that could destroy our faith. They confirm our commitment to the great inner shouting, amid our bitter strife. St. Agnatius Berianshaintof says: [If you get a thought or a feeling of sadness, it is of benefit to remember the power of faith, and the words of the Lord, who warns us against fear and sadness; proclaiming and confirming to us God’s promises, that even the hairs of our heads are counted; and that nothing could ever happen to us, without His knowledge and consent] 1. St. John Chrysostom says: [Sin does not destroy as despair does; A sinner, if he is watchful, would quickly repent and correct his ways; while he who despairs and not repents, would fail to correct a thing, through his non-acceptance of the cures of repentance] 2. He talks, as well, of our rising above the sadness and bitterness of afflictions, through presenting the joyful shouts of thanksgiving; saying: [I wish we do not drown in our afflictions, but offer thanksgiving for everything, to acquire great benefits; pleasing God who allows these afflictions. Affliction is a great goodness; we learn this from our kids, who learn nothing of benefit, without it. We actually are in more need of affliction than they are] 3. The scholar Origen concentrates on the unity of spirit in the joyful shouting, commenting on the words of the Psalmist: “Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound” (Psalm 89: 15), saying, [He did not say: ‘Blessed are the people who practice righteousness’, nor ‘who know the secrets, or who have the knowledge of the heaven, earth, and stars’; but ‘Who know the joyful sound’. Sometimes, the fear of God, grants man joy; yet it grants it to one individual; That is why, for example, it is said: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord” (psalm 112: 1); ... while here, the blessing is given in abundance ... Why? Because all 1 The Arena, p. 208. 2 In Matt. Hom 86. 3 In Acts hom. 42. 104 the people share in it; all of them know the fellowship of joy. That is why, it seems to me, that the shout of joy, means the unity of the heart, together with that of the spirit ... When the people raise their voice with one accord, in them would be realized what came in the Book of Acts about the occurrence of an earthquake, ... Then, everything would collapse, and the world would come to an end] 1. If the horns of the priests refer to the word of God, and the persistent work of preaching; the shouting of the people means the unity of heart that produces joy and rejoicing, through the victory over the kingdom of darkness. The priests preach repentance, and the people enjoy the gifts of God and His triumph over the world, through the unity of true love! That is why the Book says: “All the people shall shout with a great shout” (Joshua 6: 5). Thus, our Christianity is set upon a personal relationship between God and the human soul; yet not in isolation or individuality, but through its union with the other members, in one spirit, through the One Head. The scholar Origen connects between the trumpets of the priests and the shouts of people, inside the soul; and beholds the true Joshua enter into the soul, to dedicate it a kingdom for Him, destroying the inner walls of Jericho. It is fitting for us, as priests, to carry inside us the trumpets, and blow them, to cast away the improper thoughts and words; blow the horns, namely, praise with psalms and spiritual songs (1 Corinthians 3: 16); or blow the trumpets of the secrets of the law, of the symbols of the prophets, and of the teachings of the apostles, that work together in harmony inside us ... All these would erupt inside us, a people that shouts with a great shout; Our thoughts, feelings, and everything inside us would shout with joy; with no defilement, deceits, or lies; Everything inside us would shout with one harmonious and integral spirit; Then, the walls of world love would be collapsed, and our Jesus would reign inside us; to say together with the apostle: “But God forbids that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6: 14). Blowing the horns of the Old Testament (the law and the prophets), in harmony with the horns of the New Testament; namely, a study of the Holy Book, in one unity, and by one constructive spiritual 1 In Jos. Hom 7: 2. 105 way, would also create a harmonious shout in man; The body would shout through the holiness of its members, with the soul through the holiness of its energies, feelings, emotions, and capacities ... All working with the spirit of unity, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, with a real joy, having our Lord Jesus reigning on it. 5- The statute of the accursed: “Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction ...And you, by all means, keep yourselves from the accursed things, lest you become acccursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”(Joshua 6: 17. 19) At the start of their inheritance, God, intending for their heart, mind, and time, not to be directed toward profiting and material gaining, He forbade them to take anything from Jericho. In the following battles, He allowed them to take spoils, to confirm to them that, keeping themselves from the worldly things in Jericho, would grant them both the material as well as the spiritual things in the wars to come; as said by the Lord Himself: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6: 33). The scholar Origen comments on the statute of accursed, saying: [Joshua indeed said: “And you, keep yourselves from the accursed things, lest you become accursed, when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.” The meaning of these words is to beware of keeping things of the world inside us, lest wicked habits would get into the congregation of believers ... Do not mix things of this world with those of Christ; and keep the abominations of the world from entering into the sanctuaries of the Church. St. John, the Evangelist, blowing the horn in his epistle, warns us against that same thing, saying: “ Do not love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2: 15). And the apostle Paul also says: “Do not be conformed to this world” (Romans 12: 2). If we walk according to the ways of those of the world, we would be welcoming the accursed things. As examples, we may mention: Sharing the feasts of pagans, after we became Christians, together with practicing astrology, magic, etc. Would 106 mean giving the chance to accursed things to enter into the Church, the camp of the Lord; that would lead to the defeat of the people of God. 6- Sparing Rahab: “Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the country, ‘Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.... And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day.” (Joshua 6: 22 , 25) By faith, Rahab alone, together with her father’s entire household, were spared the doom; and that Gentile woman entered into the midst of Israel, to get attached to the true tree of Israel. The scholar Origen says: [How can we understand that Rahab “dwelt in Israel to this day?”. Normally the Book uses this expression “, to imply that something remains till the end of time. For example when it says: “And he is the father of the Moabites to this day” (Genesis 19: 37); this means (till the end of the world); the same may be said concerning:: “And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day” (Matthew 28: 15). But how can we say that Rahab “dwelt in Israel to this day “? We should understand from this that she joined the true Israel (the Church of the New Testament) to this day. ! If you want to be enlightened as to the way by which Rahab joined Israel; you will have to consider, how “a wild tree were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree” (Romans 11: 17)... We, who were branches of a wild olive tree, came from various nations, and were grafted in the original stem. We, who used to live in adultery and to worship stones and wood instead of the true God (Deuteronomy 4: 28), entered into faith in the Lord Christ, and became to this day, (the people from above), while the Jews, because of their lack of faith, became (the people from below). “Many who were first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19: 30) ] 1. 7- Cursing Jericho: As Jericho became a representative of evil, that had to be completely destroyed and abolished, Joshua swore saying: “Cursed be the man before the Lord who rise up and builds this city Jericho;he 1 In Jos. Hom 7:4. 107 shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.” (Joshua 6: 26) This was literally realized, when ‘Hiel of Bethel’ tried to rebuild it; the Book says: “He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the Lord, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun” (1 kings 16: 34). Jericho with its mighty walls has been destroyed forever, a sign of the destruction of evil and lack of faith. St. Augustine says: [Until when these walls will stay high / Not forever! The Ark of the Covenant is marching around Jericho; and in the seventh time, all the walls of the city, of contradictions and lack of faith would fall down; But, to have this realized, it is fitting for man to labor hard in his practices, bearing with the adversaries, in order to acquire wings to set forth with...] 1. Indeed, let Jericho be destroyed forever, and let Rahab the harlot be spared; namely, let the evil that prevailed on the world, be abolished, according to the words of the Book: “The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5: 19).. Now, “ All that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2: 16). Evil would be utterly destroyed, so that Rahab, who used to be a harlot, would become “a holy and chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11: 2). By that, the harlot would no more walk in her harlotry, but in the holiness of the Lord; according to the words of the apostle: “And such were some of you; But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6: 11). 1 On Ps. 55.
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