Joshua 2:1

The Bible says in 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.” We know the reason that the Israelites were going to invade the land of Canaan: God told them to do it because of a promise that God had made to Abraham. And so they had the power of Almighty God behind them. The ones like Joshua that were full of faith, believed God and they knew the victory was guaranteed. But notice what they did: they did that which was practical. They sent in the spies in order to be properly prepared. God will do what He promised, but we still must do our part. We must do what makes sense to do. That is the very reason that some Christian ministries fail: they believe, but they do not do what makes sense. They believe, but they get into too much debt.

The Bible says in Joshua 2:2-8, “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.[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.[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;” The spies went to the harlot’s house probably because her house was also like a hotel. That is where travelers went to stay the night. Rahab immediately defended the spies. She hid them and she said that she did not know where they were. God uses people: all kinds of people. Evidently, Rahab had a spiritual revival and was spiritually attracted to the spies and their belief in God. Somehow she knew that what they were saying was true, and what she had heard about religion from her own country was false.

The Bible says in Joshua 2:9-11, “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.[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.” Rahab heard the same message that all the other people of Canaan had heard. They all heard that God had delivered the Israelites from Egypt with the crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground. That deliverance from Egypt symbolizes what Jesus does for us when we are saved. Many people today also hear about the great salvation, but only a few turn to faith in Christ. Rahab was one of the few. Israel was coming to take the Promised Land. They had already conquered “the two kings of the Amorites.” That news was all that it took to put the fear of God into all the inhabitants of Jericho. God has His ways of putting His fear into people. There are a lot of unsaved people in this world, but the Lord can reach them. Jesus will keep giving them opportunities to wake up and start serving Him.

The Bible says in Joshua 2:12-13, “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.” Notice that Rahab the harlot already has faith in the Lord. She uses God’s name respectfully when she says to the spies in verse twelve, “swear unto me by the LORD.” Verse twelve shows the kind of person that Rahab was, and shows her wisdom. She was kind. And she knew that the best way to motivate others is to do them acts of kindness: “since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house.” We also see that Rahab was responsible for her family and she was motivated partly by a desire to take care of them. Rahab said in verse thirteen, “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.”

The Bible says in Joshua 2:14-20, “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.[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.[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 any hand 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.” What happened to Rahab the harlot symbolized salvation. Rahab symbolizes all human beings from the standpoint that all are sinners. She is called a harlot: “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Do not think that you are better than Rahab. God views you no differently than her. God rejects no one, but only wants to save everyone’s soul. Rahab wanted to do the right thing: she wanted to help the Israelites instead of wanting to see harm come to them. Rahab was attracted to the truth: somehow she knew that what the Israelites were saying was true, and so she started believing on the one true God. And then she asked the men for help. Someone who turns to the Lord finally realizes that they need help. Of course, the way to get saved is to call on the name of Jesus for that help and forgiveness. It says in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Once someone does get saved by faith, that person now has a chance to accomplish great things. Rahab the harlot was used as an example of faith and good works in the books of Hebrews and James. (Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.)

The Bible says in Joshua 2:21-24, “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.” Verse twenty-four is an important verse to notice. Because of faith and belief in the Word of the Lord, the men had a very positive attitude towards the challenges of the future. Before it even happened, they knew that the victories would come. And so they looked forward to the future. These men had wisdom and they were observant. Even before they faced the enemies in battle, they knew that the enemies would lose. They knew it because of what God said, and they knew it because God already gave them a setup for the victory. They saw that “all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.” Remember that God told Joshua in 1:9, “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” The Israelites had strength, and courage, and confidence, and faith; but the inhabitants of Canaan did not. This is what decided who would win and who would lose.

The Bible says in Joshua 3:1-4, “And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.[2] And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;[3] And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.[4] Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.” In verse two the people were told to follow “the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it.” One of the things inside the ark was the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments represented the Word of God that had been given to the Israelites. God used Moses to write the first five books of the Bible, and so this generation of believers was the first to have a written Word from God. Following God’s Word was important. Of course, we have even more of the written Word of God today, and it is very important that we follow the Word of God that has been given to us too: all sixty-six books of the Bible. Read the Bible, study it, and put it into practice the best that you can. In that way you will be following the Lord Jesus.

The Bible says in Joshua 3:5-7, “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.[6] And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.[7] And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.” God wanted Joshua to lead the children of Israel. Joshua was Moses’ replacement. God chose Joshua, and so it was up to God to establish Joshua and support him. If you are doing what God has led you to do, then He will give you the authority and He will back you up. That is a pretty good back-stop to have: the Almighty God to support you and to oppose your enemies. God decides who is cast down and who is lifted up. If God has cast you down, then accept what He has chosen for you. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. In due time, He will lift you up. Jesus humbled himself to become our Savior. It says in Philippians 2:5-9, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:[6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:[7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:[8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.[9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”

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