This phrase stood out to me going through the book of Joshua. The first time, it just really painted a picture of the type of fear or more like utter discouragement that came across the people of Jericho; the Kings of the Amorites and Canaanites. If you’ve ever watched something melt, it’s not an immediate process. The process of taking something solid (whole) and slowly watching small pieces liquify like sweatt right before your eyes. As if their hearts just turned to mush. All of their livelihood turned to despair. What could possibly make a people feel like this? They remember all that was told to them about what God did to the Egyptians and the Pharaoh when they opposed the Children of Israel. Now those same Children of Israel were coming to oppose them. They saw their very destruction imminent.

Joshua 2:11 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+2%3A11&version=NKJV

Joshua 5:1 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+5%3A1&version=NKJV

However, the very Children of Israel would experience that same feeling only a few chapters (weeks) later. What made them feel such hopelessness?

Joshua 7:5 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+7%3A5&version=NKJV

It was the exact same thing that scared the daylights out of Jericho, just from a different perspective. Only one other person in the entire Bible ever felt this way. It turns out he felt this way for the same reason the Children of Israel feared this day. Jesus’ heart melted like water when He felt the presence of God leave Him on the cross.

Psalms 22:14 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalms+22%3A14&version=NKJV (Read the entire chapter to see just a taste of what Jesus would feel this week over 2000 years ago)

The people of Jericho, the Amorites and Canaanites were terrified that the Powerful Presence of God was coming against them. The Children of Israel realized that the Powerful Presence of God had departed from them. Ultimately, Jesus encountered this same realization and utter despair on the cross. Yet He did it so that nobody would have to feel that way ever again. I thank God that I will never know what they did, because of Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross. God declared “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” AMEN