1 Kings 16:34: “In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. 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.”

July 19th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Joshua 6 records the story of the battle of Jericho. God told Joshua and the people of Israel to march around the city walls, carrying the Ark of the Covenant and blowing horns. That was all they did, and yet the walls fell and the city of Jericho was destroyed. And since a horn can’t bring down a wall, neither Israel nor Joshua could take credit for the supernatural victory. God did it all.

After the destruction of Jericho, God expressly forbid rebuilding the city so that future generations would see the ruined walls and remember what God Almighty had done for His people. However, Joshua predicted that a man and his sons would ignore God’s command and the sons would die trying to fortify the city: “At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay it’s foundations, and at the cost of his youngest shall he set up its gates” (Josh. 6:26).

Although Jericho was reinhabited not long after Israel’s entry into the Promised Land, it was not fortified. No one rebuilt the walls and gates. But in 1 Kings 16 we read of Hiel of Bethel who planned to make Jericho a fortress again. He had a strange set of priorities in his life since he was willing to sacrifice his family to build a city. Many men today still make that same strange value choice and willing lose their families in order to gain a small foothold in this world.

When billionaire John Paul Getty died, he was alone because he had become estranged from his children who despised him. He is reported to have whispered to the nurse, “I am the loneliest man in the world.” We can be sure that this man, Hiel, who sacrificed his sons, died with the same thought in his mind. We must remember what Jesus said in Mark 8:36, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

“LORD, our souls belong to You alone. Please keep us focused on that today, in Jesus’ name.”