Commentary on Joshua - Keil & Delitzsch - David Cox

Keil and Delitzsch <strong>Commentary</strong> on the Old Testament
in the place of the ark of Jehovah. Seven priests went before the ark, bearing jubilee
trumpets and blowing during the march. The first time that we read of a trumpet-blast
is at Sinai, where the Lord announced His descent upon the mount to the people
assembled at the foot to receive Him, not only by other fearful phenomena, but also
by a loud and long-continued trumpet-blast (Ex 19:16,19; 20:1418). After this we
find the blowing of trumpets prescribed as part of the Israelitish worship in
connection with the observance of the seventh new moon's day (Lev 23:24), and at
the proclamation of the great year of jubilee (Lev 25:9).
Just as the trumpet-blast heard by the people when the covenant was made at Sinai
was as it were a herald's call, announcing to the tribes of Israel the arrival of the Lord
their God to complete His covenant and establish His kingdom upon earth; so the
blowing of trumpets in connection with the round of feasts was intended partly to
bring the people into remembrance before the Lord year by year at the
commencement of the sabbatical month, that He might come to them and grant them
the Sabbath rest of His kingdom, and partly at the end of every seven times seven
years to announce on the great day of atonement the coming of the great year of grace
and freedom, which was to bring to the people of God deliverance from bondage,
return to their own possessions, and deliverance from the bitter labours of this earth,
and to give them a foretaste of the blessed and glorious liberty to which the children
of God would attain at the return of the Lord to perfect His kingdom (vid.,
Pentateuch, pp. 631f.). But when the Lord comes to found, to build up, and to perfect
His kingdom upon earth, He also comes to overthrow and destroy the worldly power
which opposes His kingdom.
The revelation of the grace and mercy of God to His children, goes ever side by side
with the revelation of justice and judgment towards the ungodly who are His foes. If
therefore the blast of trumpets was the signal to the congregation of Israel of the
gracious arrival of the Lord its God to enter into fellowship with it, no less did it
proclaim the advent of judgment to an ungodly world. This shows clearly enough the
meaning of the trumpet-blast at Jericho. The priests, who went before the ark of the
covenant (the visible throne of the invisible God who dwelt among His people) and in
the midst of the hosts of Israel, were to announce through the blast of trumpets both
to
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