Joshua

Joshua Chapter 2

• Joshua 2:1  And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

She probably ran a small lodge or inn where travelers stayed. A harlot is another name for prostitute. In those days of course they didn’t have the news media and technology like we do today but we see that they had no trouble communicating. Right away the king knew spies were in the city. Perhaps the spies went to the harlot’s house hoping the people would assume they came for the purpose of what men usually went to a harlot for and no one would ask questions. Yet the reputation of Israel had already preceded them and fear of these people already had entered the hearts of the inhabitants of Jericho. 

• Joshua 2:2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.

They knew other countries were destroyed by the Israelites so they had a reason to fear. 

• Joshua 2:3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.
• 4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:
• 5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.

This woman was clever and could think. She did lie but did so because she wanted to escape the defeat of Jericho that she knew was coming. Here we are going to see an example of salvation by faith.

Rahab believed God was with Israel and there was no defeating a people who had God on their side. We could learn from her. Once any country discovers that God has put His favor on a certain group of people, we should leave them alone. I have the feeling Rahab also knew Jericho’s days were numbered. Perhaps she knew the city was wicked and that their time of judgment had come. She wanted to save her own family.

• Joshua 2:6  But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
• 7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
• 8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

Before the spies went to sleep for the night, Rabah came to them to make a deal with them to save her and her family.

• Joshua 2:9  And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

What an example of faith. This harlot was able to discern and believe that God had given the land to Israel. All this time, she wasn’t unaware of the things that were happening. She knew there was something different about these people that had come to take over Canaan. Such faith is to be commended. 

I wish we as a country would see that. God gave that land to Israel  Because of the sins of Canaan, God allowed those inhabitants to be defeated. They did it to themselves  It is one thing to ignore God and worship idols but when you murder innocent children by child sacrifices and do all kinds of evil in that is totally against God and what is right, a nation’s days are numbered unless they repeat and turn to God.  

Nineveh was this way once. They repented at the preaching of Jonah and their judgment was delayed. Later though they went back to their old sins and they were defeated but God spared them after the preaching of Jonah. Ignoring God is never good for any nation. I would hope the United States would wake up to the great sin of murdering innocent children by abortion. Our days may be numbered if we do not repent of this. Since first writing this study, we found out that it isn't just a private mother's decision between her and her doctor. Body parts are sold for organ harvesting and medical research. The closer to birth the baby gets, the more they can harvest for organs. This is murder plain and simple. Their cells are used in some vaccines. 

• Joshua 2:10  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
• 11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

I wouldn’t doubt that if the whole city would have repented and turned to God, they would have been spared but only this harlot was able to see what was going on. God must have had people around who were aware of the parting of the Red Sea and also the other events and the news spread to other nations. People were not innocent and ignorant as we might assume. 

• Joshua 2:12  Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:
• 13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.
• 14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

The deal between them was good as long as Rabab or her family did not betray them to turn them over to the authorities. The bible does teach submitting to authorities but we also see that sometimes doing what is right in the fear of God will overrule the ruling authority. This would apply to churches and households too. If evil prevails and people do not know God, their authority is on a shaky foundation and they could lose it. We obey authority unless the go against God’s authority and His word. 

• Joshua 2:15  Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

• Joshua 2:16  And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.
• 17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
• 18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.
• 19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if anyhand be upon him.
• 20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.

So we see these wise spies that Joshua picked to spy out the land were willing to promise them safety but they had to all meet at this house and not go back out. They also had to bind the scarlet thread in the window. It must have been a stronger rope, not what we think is a thread because we know of course they couldn’t have escaped by climbing down what we know as thread.

• Joshua 2:21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
• 22 And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.
• 23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:
• 24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

God gave them encouragement here. By learning that Jericho had heard of how God was with Israel and delivered nations into their hands and that the hearing of God being with Israel caused Jericho to fear, it gave the Israelites much encouragement. 

We can read a New Testament in Hebrews 11:31.

• “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.”

Her faith saved her but her faith produced action. It was not passive faith.  

• James 2:25."Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? "

Salvation by faith was taught as far back as the Old Testament but the faith was alive and active. It wasn’t passive. The devils also believe but their works do not follow. That is not real faith. Real faith in God produces action that shows that we believe.  

A person might believe they are married but if they do not act married and live with their spouse, it is not a real marriage. A person might have money in the bank but if they never touch it or use it, the money has no real purpose for them.  

We say we believe in God but do we act like we believe? Do we seek to know God and seek His will or are we passive and letting it be just head knowledge with no real fruits of faith to show that we believe. We are not saved by religious rituals, works and such but we are saved by faith in Christ and His finished work that He died for our sins.  

Faith saves those that obey God by repenting of sin or turning away from sin and receiving Jesus Christ by faith. We then stop living in our old ways and start seeking to live by the example of Christ and His word, it shows active faith. Faith is trusting in Christ to guide us into all truth and not in ourselves or many times even those around us. DC

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