Christ’s work of building the church, of building Jerusalem, is quite different from the rebuilding of Jericho. To be sure, both are built upon blood. But the one was built at the cost of the sons of man; the other, at the cost of the Son of God! And whereas the blood of Hiel’s sons was shed after he illegally started to build, Christ poured out his blood before he received all authority to build.1
The foundations of the city of God are founded upon the blood of Christ. That blood bore the curse of God for our disobedience, our apostasy, our rebellion. But because that blood bore our curse, the foundations and the walls of God’s city will stand forever. Whereas the walls of Jericho proclaim the burden of God’s curse, the walls of Jerusalem proclaim our freedom from God’s curse. That’s a proclamation that can never be shut up. Those walls bear an inscription that can never be erased. Christ Jesus has brought us the gospel of God’s good pleasure toward sinners.
34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.