Why did God direct his people to fight the battle of Jericho in such a strange way?

Answer 1

God wanted to show the Israelites that it was Him not them who did it.

To understand the Biblical reason, go back to when Joshua was about to cross the other side of the Jordan river. The river was in flood and the inhabitants of Jericho regarded it as a secure barrier to invasion.

Jos 3:1-7, 10-11 NET Israel Crosses the Jordan Bright and early the next morning Joshua and the Israelites left Shittim and came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing the river. [v.2] After three days the leaders went through the camp [v. 3] and commanded the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you must leave here and walk behind it. [v. 4] But stay about three thousand feet behind it. Keep your distance so you can see which way you should go, for you have not traveled this way before." [v. 5] Joshua told the people, "Ritually consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will perform miraculous deeds among you." [v. 6] Joshua told the priests, "Pick up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they picked up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people. [v. 7] The LORD told Joshua, "This very day I will begin to honor you before all Israelso they will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.

Jos 3:10-11 NET ... "This is how you will know the living God is among you and that he will truly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. [v. 11] Look! The ark of the covenant of the Ruler of the whole earth is ready to enter the Jordan ahead of you.

Jos 3:14-17 NET So when the people left their tents to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. [v. 15] When the ones carrying the ark reached the Jordan and the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the surface of the water - (the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest time) - [v. 16] the water coming downstream toward them stopped flowing. It piled up far upstream at Adam (the city near Zarethan); there was no water at all flowing to the sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea). The people crossed the river opposite Jericho. [v. 17] The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan. All Israel crossed over on dry ground until the entire nation was on the other side.

Jos 4:14 NET That day the LORD brought honor to Joshua before all Israel. They respected him all his life,just as they had respected Moses.

Jos 4:17-18 NET So Joshua instructed the priests, "Come up from the Jordan!" [v. 18] The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up from the middle of the Jordan, and as soon as they set foot on dry land,the water of the Jordan flowed again and returned to flood stage.

Jos 4:23-24 NET For the LORD your God dried up the water of the Jordan before you while you crossed over.It was just like when the LORD your God dried up the Red Sea before us while we crossed it. [v. 24] He has done this so all the nationsof the earth might recognize theLORD's power and so you might always obeythe LORDyour God."

Jos 5:1 NET When all the Amorite kings on the west side of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the seacoast heard how the LORDhad dried up the water of the Jordan before the Israelites while theycrossed, they lost their courage and could not even breathe for fear of the Israelites.

That was all before the taking of Jericho, and the pre-Incarnate Jesus Christ told Joshua the battle plan.

Jos 5:13-15 NET Israel Conquers Jericho

When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him holding a drawn sword. Joshua approached him and asked him, "Are you on our side or allied with our enemies?" [v. 14] He ed, "Truly I am the commander of theLORD's army. Now I have arrived!" Joshua bowed down with his face to the ground and asked, "What does my master want to say to his servant?" [v. 15] The commander of the LORD's army ed Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you stand is holy." Joshua did so.Jos 6:1-5 NET Now Jericho was shut tightly because of the Israelites. No one was allowed to leave or enter. [v. 2] The LORD told Joshua, "See, I am about to defeat Jericho for you, along with its king and its warriors. [v. 3] Have all the warriors march around the city one time; do this for six days. [v. 4] Have seven priests carry seven rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns. [v. 5] When you hear the signal from the ram's horn, have the whole army give a loud battle cry. Then the city wall will collapse and the warriors should charge straight ahead."

Jos 6:11 NET So Joshua made sure they marched the ark of the LORDaround the city one time. Then they went back to the camp and spent the night there.

Jos 6:14-16 NET They marched around the city one time on the second day, then returned to the camp. They did this six days in all. [v. 15] On theseventh day they were up at the crack of dawn and marched around the city as before - only this time they marched around it seven times. [v. 16] The seventh time around, the priests blew the rams' horns and Joshua told the army,"Give the battle cry, for the LORD is handing the city over to you!

Jos 6:20 WEB So the people shouted, and the priests blew the trumpets. It happened, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that the people shouted with a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

Jos 6:27 WEB So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land.

Jericho was regarded by all, (including the Israelites), as impregnable to any attack by any army. Jericho could not be captured easily by any army, especially by a rag-tag "army" of ex-slaves, but God wanted to authenticate Joshua's leadership, boost their morale, and show that with Him all things were possible even if they didn't make human sense.

God treasures our faith more than anything else. So He put the Israelites up against impossible odds, gave them an unbelievable war plan, and told them to obey. God wanted them to believe that He could win this battle for them. And He was repaid with their faith. And, as promised, the walls of Jericho fell.

Answer 2

Joshua chapter 6 tells us God's instructions to Joshua. His men were to march around the walls of Jericho for six days, while priests blew on their trumpets of rams' horns. On the seventh day, they were to march around the walls seven times while the priests continued to blow their trumpets, then the Israelites were to give a great shout. The walls would come down.
Archaeologists now realise that the city of Jericho had been abandoned centuries before this supposed attack. However, there is a much older story that this account could be based upon. A Canaanite king besieged the city of Megiddo in what is now north-western Israel. He marched his army around the walls of Megiddo for several days, making as much noise as possible, but making no attempt to attack. When the defenders became tired of preparing for the expected attack, and their army ceased shadowing the attackers around the wall, the king suddenly ordered the attack. He was able to breach the wall before the defenders realised that the long-awaited attack was in progress and they were still scattered throughout the city.

Answer 3

It was in order to demonstrate that God is the Author of victories, not Man. This was to impress upon the Israelites that obedience to God is more important than normal military planning. See also:

Evidence of the conquest of Jericho

Archaeology and the Hebrew Bible