Mommy's Little Marcher 🎺

Noel Powell

6 days ago

2 min read

Christian comic strip about the Fall of Jericho. A priest is talking to his mom in total embarrassment while the other priests march and blow their horns and look back at him. The mom says, “…And here’s your little trumpet… and Mr. Wooly… and some snacks–because I know you get hungry when you march. Now, you boys go have fun!”

I love revisiting the Sunday School classics as an adult and discovering how rich they are in meaning and interesting details.

The fall of Jericho did not disappoint!

Happy Mr. Woolly, stuffed animal sheep celebrating in confetti

Fun Facts:

• Yes, “the walls came a-tumblin’ down,” but Jericho was rebuilt many times. Located in the West Bank, it’s a contender for the world’s oldest city (11,000 years)!

• Joshua declared a curse on anyone who rebuilds Jericho, which was fulfilled in 1 Kings 16:34 with Hiel of Bethel.

• The archaeological site of biblical Jericho is Tell es-Sultan. It covered only about 8 acres. Even a slow march around it would take just 30 minutes.

• Up to 40,000 soldiers marched, while the population of Jericho was estimated at 1,000–3,000.

Sad stuffed animal sheep, Mr Wooly, looking away

Not-So-Fun-Facts:

• The Israelites killed every living thing in Jericho (except Rahab and her family). The conquest not only fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham, but it was also His judgment against the Canaanites.

• The Canaanites had gone full-dark side: pervasive idolatry, witchcraft, sexual violence, burning children alive as a sacrifice, and more. God actually delayed judgment because their sin “had not yet reached its full measure” (Genesis 15:16), giving them centuries to repent.

Cartoon illustration of the priests marching around Jericho, blowing ram's horns, with a tuba and drums, like a marching band.

Quick Recap:

Soon after the exodus from Egypt, God brought the Israelites to the edge of the Promised Land (Canaan). But they refused to trust Him and enter, so He sent them to wander the desert for 40 years. Under their new leader, Joshua, God gave them another shot.

To conquer Jericho’s fortified walls, He gave them an unusual battle plan: march around the city once a day for six days with the Ark of the Covenant. The priests blew ram’s horns while the people remained silent.

On the seventh day, they marched around it seven times, then blasted the horns and shouted. This generation obeyed, the walls crumbled, and they took the city.

Why On Earth?

Now, I’m no military strategist, but that plan sounds… counterintuitive, even absurd. Why would God want it done this way? Well, it demonstrated that God’s ways aren’t man’s ways, but more importantly, that victory came from God, not the Israelites themselves. He was teaching them to trust Him.

For me, the story is about faith and obedience. “Joshua” and “Jesus” are the same name in different languages. Both mean “The Lord saves.” Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land of Canaan; Jesus leads us into the promised land of Heaven. As with the Israelites, God’s promise to Christians is fulfilled through faith. But what does that even look like? Anyone can say, “I trust God.” But throughout the Bible, genuine faith is demonstrated through obedience. Can we trust God enough to obey Him, even when His ways seem counterintuitive? That’s faith.

Hebrews 11:30

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.