In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun.
I fear that I have told the story of Jericho so often that I have lost my understanding of the terrible character of this first city to fall to Joshua. It is an amazing example of the foolishness of God being power unto salvation, and it is a wonderful example of salvation thru complete obedience, but we get a sense of the character of this city when we read Joshua’s curse on anyone who rebuilds the city. It is a dreadful curse- not that the man responsible would die, but that his firstborn and lastborn sons would die- proof we think of Joshua’s hatred of the city. Then we read 1 Kings 16:34 and realize that the LORD was speaking thru Joshua, that this curse was a prophecy that came true in the spiritually dark times of Ahab. Did Heil have no faith? What possessed him to rebuild this city at the price of his sons? As we go thru Nehemiah and discover the truths about Jerusalem, the city of God let us never forget that the price of laying the foundation of the heavenly Jerusalem was God’s Son. That Christ Jesus was the cost and is the foundation of the city of the great King, the place of eternal life and peace for the servants of God.
“To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life our redemption to win,
And opened the life-gate that all may go in.”
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