With the exception of Rahab and her family, every thing and everyone else had a curse upon them and that’s why the entire city was to be destroyed. Curses do not come upon persons or things by mere accident, for the accursed thing, or person is always invariably, the result of a departure from the plainly stated will of God, and deliberate persistence in the paths of unrighteousness, where mercy no longer is allowed to do its work.
The question is: How did Jericho receive such a bad designation as being accursed? Was it an arbitrary classification by God, or was it something definitive the inhabitants and national leaders had done, for it to be labelled as being accursed? Consider what is being said carefully, because it has personal, and it can also have national implications, according to the Bible. And what about the animals and the inanimate objects of Jericho?
How is it that they too could also fall under the very same designation, even though as far as we know, they didn’t knowingly participate in whatsoever the issue or problem was? This raises very grave and important questions, for if indeed, the entire city did fall under the designation of being accursed then it means that there would be issues of domain, jurisdiction, and territory at stake, which must now be addressed, for to the cursory reader it may seem an arbitrary act on God’s part.
Joshua 7:But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!