Jericho could not put its trust in the courage of its people to take the offensive, so it trusted in the strength of its walls to provide a sturdy defense. Even in the midst of terror, Jericho placed trust in itself, not the Lord. And so Jericho was “shut up.” It did not possess the courage to deploy an attack, but neither did it possess the humility to offer surrender. None went out from the walls to offer a treatise of peace with the armies of Yahweh. In one sense, their hearts were melted like wax with fear, but in another sense their hearts were hardened to their own destruction. So is the miserable state of all those that strengthen themselves against the hand of the Almighty.
Theology Applied