I. Introduction
The book
of Joshua is a book of the Bible that people either love or hate. Some people
have insisted that it should not belong in the Biblical canon because of the
bloodshed that is throughout these 24 chapters. While others insist that we
should include it because of God’s faithfulness to the Israelites shown
throughout this book.
When we
come to the book of Joshua in the Bible, we leave behind us the first five
books of the Old Testament which were written by Moses—the Pentateuch. We now
enter into a section of books that include a lot of historical information
about Israel. But this is not simply history which is recorded—these books are
interested in displaying how God worked through Israel and gave them this land
which was promised to Abraham back in Genesis 12.
But to
fully understand this passage, we must understand the historical context and
the biblical context which Israel was in. Israel had wandered in the desert for
40 years after being delivered from slavery in Egypt. Their first leader,
Moses, was a godly man, constantly interceding between God and the people. He
was a great man of the faith and the Israelites looked to him for everything.
At the end of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses dies and the people mourn his
death for thirty days. Now God appears to Joshua, who was the chosen successor,
in chapter 1, to encourage him to “Be
strong and courageous!” And at the end of chapter 1, the Israelites
promised to Joshua, “Just as we fully
obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.”
The Israelites
had to be getting anxious to enter into the Promised Land. As we heard from 1
Corinthians 10 this morning, we heard how the Israelites failed time and time
again with being faithful to God during their time in the wilderness, yet God
remained faithful to His chosen people. We also see God’s covenantal
faithfulness in this story because the Israelites are ready to enter into the
land which was promised to Abraham. They are camping near the Jordan River and
this is where we pick up this story of Rahab and the two spies.
II. What Rahab
Didn’t Know vv 1-7
This passage is roughly half of
the whole story of Rahab and the two spies. The first eleven verses are about
Rahab’s knowledge—what she doesn’t know and what she knows. And this is the key
to unlocking the truth of this passage—Rahab’s knowledge.
It begins with Joshua sending
two spies from their current location—Shittim—telling them to, “Look over the land, especially Jericho.”
This echoes the earlier event when the twelve spies were told to go spy over
the land in Numbers 13. Ten spies came back with a bad report and only 2
spies—Joshua and Caleb—came back with a good report. Therefore, Israel was
sentenced to 40 more years of wandering in the desert and Joshua and Caleb are
the only 2 Israelites from the first generation who will experience the
Promised Land. Joshua sends these spies not because he has a lack of confidence
in God nor is he fearful about what lies ahead; rather this was a normal
military strategy used before going into battle.
The two
spies enter the city of Jericho and make their way into the house of a
prostitute named Rahab. This portion of the text raises some questions by
people such as: “Why did they go to a prostitute? Did they have any sexual
union with her?” The original language of the Old Testament is Hebrew and the
words which are used in this scene strongly suggest that there was no sexual
union between the spies and Rahab. The spies probably went to her house for a
couple of reasons. First, she probably was used to being seen with unfamiliar
men all the time, therefore being seen with two other men wouldn’t seem suspicious.
Second, the spies were looking for information about the city and during those
times the prostitutes were known to have heard lots of stories from the men who
came and visited them; therefore the spies entered her house and stayed there.
But
ultimately we can see God’s faithfulness already in this story by providentially
setting the spies up with the prostitute Rahab. God provided a place of safety
well in advance to the spies knowing they would be sent out as well as
deliverance for the prostitute Rahab.
As the
spies are in Rahab’s house, the King somehow figures out that there are spies
in his city; therefore he sends a message to Rahab in verse 3 telling her to
bring out the men who have come to spy the land. Somehow the spies cover was
blown and as a reader of this story, everything seems like it is not going to
work out. As a reader of the text, this is scary stuff here because there is a
lot at stake: if these two spies get killed, therefore not returning to the
Israel camp—the Israelites and Joshua’s confidence probably would’ve been
lacking and their trust in God could’ve failed. But we know the story—Rahab
takes the two men and hides them on her roof. And in verses 4-5 we find out about
her knowledge—specifically what she doesn’t know. She replies to the King, “Yes,
the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when
it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don’t know which way they
went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them!” After she says
this, we are given a clue to where the spies really are—they are on the rooftop
under the stalks of flax. Flax is the plant from which linen is made; it is
made by a process of repeatedly soaking the fibers of the plant in water and
then drying them. The flat rooftops of houses were convenient places to do
this. So the spies were lying down under the stalks of flax unable to be seen.
Therefore, after being told that the spies were gone, the men who delivered the
message to Rahab left in pursuit of the spies hoping to catch them.
And in verses 4-5 is where we find out
that Rahab doesn’t know two things: she doesn’t know where the men had come
from and she doesn’t know which way they went. I am assuming that many of you
are thinking right now, the same thing as I am—but she did know where they had
come from and where they were. She lied to them! Well, yes Rahab did lie to the
messengers about the identity and location of the spies. She knew exactly where
the spies had come from and she knew exactly where the spies were when she was
talking with the messengers! There are some who support the idea that only in
certain circumstances is it okay to bear false testimony. John Calvin states in
his commentary on this passage: “Under no circumstance is it ok to bear false
testimony. We must be truthful in all circumstances, for this is what the Lord
desires.” We shall never be allowed to bear false testimony. Just because Rahab
did it—does not allow us to follow her example in this.
And to
prove this point even further we should remember that Rahab is mentioned three
other times in the New Testament and there is not one mention of her being
righteous to lie.
In Matthew 1 the prostitute
Rahab is mentioned in the Genealogy of Jesus.
In James 2:25, James is writing about how when
we have faith and no deeds, it is a dead faith. He goes on to say: “In the same way, was not even Rahab the
prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the
spies and sent them off in a different direction?” She was considered
righteous by what she did—by giving lodging/protection to the spies.
And finally in Hebrews 11:31
which says, “By faith the prostitute
Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were
unbelieving.” Once again, by her faith was her reason for welcoming the
spies—no mention of her lying.
People of God; our God is truth
and He bears truth and He expects those who follow Him to bear truth in all
circumstances as well. We shall never bear false testimony.
Through Rahab’s lying to the
messengers, she in essence was lying to the King of Jericho. By her lying to
the King was an act of treason. By her hiding spies in her house was an act of
treason. She was betraying her own city for two strangers who had come into her
house! She was feeling the need to no longer be identified with this city—she
was feeling the need to no longer be identified with this place. She was
feeling the need to no longer be identified with this people. And she feels
this way because of what she knows. She is longing to be identified with
someone else.
III. What Rahab
Knows vv 8-11
She
already has explained what she doesn’t know to her own people—lying to them and
committing treason. Now as we continue the story in verse 8, she goes to the
rooftop to explain to the spies what she does know. And in verse 9 she explains
to the spies three things which she knows. She says: “I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear
of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in
fear because of you.”
First,
Rahab knows that the LORD—notice what name of God she uses. She uses the proper
name of the only God of Israel, YHWH—she knows that the LORD has given this
land to Israel. This land is her land—Canaan—which includes the city where she
lives—Jericho. The Hebrew tense of the verb “to
know” suggests that she said this with absolute certainty.
The next
two things we find out that Rahab knows are subordinate to the first. She knows
that a “a great fear has fallen on
us(Jericho)” and she knows that “all
who live in this country(Canaan) are melting in fear because of Israel.” A
great terror of Israel has fallen upon Jericho, but what is amazing is that
Jericho isn’t the only city scared—the whole country of Canaan is “melting in fear because of Israel.” These last two things that Rahab knows are a
fulfillment of Moses’ song of celebration after the Israelites crossed safely
over the Red Sea which is found in Exodus 15. Verses 14-16 state this, “The nations will hear and tremble; anguish
will grip the people of Philistia. The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the
leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt
away; terror and dread will fall upon them.”
So what
Moses spoke long ago immediately after crossing the Red Sea came true many
years later.
Rahab
continues on in her speech by explaining why there is so much fear in her city
and her country. “We have heard how the
LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and
what you did for Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the
Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted
and everyone’s courage failed because of you.”
These
two events: the crossing of the Red Sea and the defeat of Sihon and Og are two
events that caused the whole land of Canaan to fear and their courage to fail.
The crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus 14 was an event which highlighted God’s
power for all to see. And the defeat of Sihon and Og came in Numbers 21. It is
interesting to note that after the defeat of Sihon and Og, Balak, King of Moab
became terrified of Israel also, therefore he summons Balaam to come and place
a curse on Israel. After being talked to by a donkey, Balaam fails in cursing
Israel; therefore all he can do is bless Israel. And after Israel is blessed,
the men of Israel began to have sexual relations with the Moabite women and 23,000
Israelites died that day. Once again this shows us, people of God that our God
is a God who does as He pleases and our God is a powerful God deserving all
praise, glory and honor from us.
This
proves the point then that the defeat of Sihon and Og was heard throughout all
the land of Canaan and all were scared because of Israel. You see, the
responses of the people were remarkable! All of Canaan was in fear because of
what was happening through one group of people. Their courage failed because of
Israel. No everyone was feeling this way though. Everyone’s courage failed,
everyone was in fear except the prostitute Rahab.
We know
this because the knowledge she had of these events did not drive her to be
“melting in fear” or for her “courage to fail” because she knew as the last
part of verse 11 states her beautiful confession to the spies, “for the LORD your God is God in heaven
above and on earth below.” You see, Rahab had a choice here, after hearing
about these two events, she could either choose to let her courage fail and to
melt in fear or she could choose to be courageous and identify herself with
God’s people. She chooses courage and identifies herself with God’s people. She
confesses that the God of Israel is the God in heaven above and on the earth
below. Therefore, because she knows that the God of Israel is the God in heaven
above and on the earth below—she knows that everything will be ok—no matter
what happens to her. We find in the second half of chapter 2 that she is
promised to be saved from God’s judgment on the city and in chapter 6 she is delivered
from the city.
But we don’t know that yet.
Right now in this part of the story, she doesn’t know if she will be delivered
or not. But she still trusts that God will deliver her, she still holds on to
her faith and she doesn’t let go. Her knowledge about who God is allows her to
have faith in God; her knowledge about who God is allows her to place her full
trust in God; her knowledge about who God is allows her to know that nothing
can harm her. She does not fear, she trusts.
This brings to my mind an email
correspondence that I’ve had with Chris Norman for the past six months or so.
In 2008 Chris was diagnosed with cancer. After chemotherapy, surgeries, many
trips to Boston, pain, and many different and difficult strains, in 2009 the
cancer was gone. This past summer, when I was leading a trip of 29 other people
to Guatemala, I was feeling very nervous, scared, etc. for what might happen on
this trip. I emailed Chris asking him to pray for me because I have been in awe
of his faith and trust in God even during his time with cancer.
However, this past November
2012, Chris received devastating news after a check up that there were some
positive signs of cancer. The day before he was headed into surgery I sent him
an email letting him know I was praying for him. That day of surgery, I
received an email back from him while he was in the waiting room. I want to
read a portion of it for you because it fits in very well with how our
knowledge of God can help our trust and faith in Him.
Chris writes, “I will never know
why this has happened to me or why but I have chosen to put my faith and trust
in God. This doesn’t mean that feelings of frustration and doubt don’t ever
occur but I keep reminding myself that feelings and emotions are just that and
they are not facts. What I KNOW is that God is faithful and that He will never
leave me or forsake me. As a result, I know that my own walk with God has
improved dramatically since I’ve had cancer. These are the ways that I am
convinced God can take a bad situation and turn it into good. I pray
continually that those who are following my story are looking deeply into their
own lives and determining if their own walk is where it should be. I’m
convinced that far too many of our generation have lost that deep connection of
devotion and awe that God alone deserves. I hope and pray that it doesn’t take
an experience like cancer to get others to do the same.”
Even during his struggles with cancer and now as he faces
radiation, Chris can place his full trust in God. He knows who God is—a
faithful God who will never leave Him or forsake Him.
IV. Rahab: An
Example For Us To Follow
Chris knew and still knows that
God is faithful. He found this out from reading the Scriptures as well as from his
life experience. Rahab knew that God is the God in heaven above and on the
earth below. She found this out from events of God’s power working through His
people. And she sets a great example for us to follow. What do you know about
your God? How does this knowledge affect your faith? How does this knowledge
affect your trust in Him? How does this knowledge affect the struggles that you
face?
One of
the ways in which we can get to know our God is through reading His Word. It is
given to us in many different versions and translations that there is no good
excuse not doing it. These are the very words of God and we have these words to
train us in righteousness, to correct us, to rebuke us and to teach us. We can
find ourselves learning so much about God if we would simply open this book and
read what is on these pages instead of someone else’s thoughts about what these
pages say.
Last year in January, I
challenged the high school youth group students to read the Bible through in
one year. And I heard last week that a few of them who took the challenge finished
reading the Bible—Genesis to Revelation—in one year. It’s roughly only 3
chapters a day. It seems so easy, yet it is so hard to do. But if we want to
really get to know God intimately, we need to take time each day to read His
Word.
V. Conclusion
In conclusion, many of us have
this knowledge of who God is, but we don’t apply it to our lives. We know that
God is in control, but do we live like it? We know that God cares for each one
of our lives, but do we let it sink down deep into our hearts? We know God will
never leave or forsake us, but do we only want this to be true in the bad
times? We know that our lives belong to God, but does our every day living
really reflect like we belong to Him?
This story of Rahab is
remarkable because she wasn’t part of God’s chosen people, Israel—she was an
outsider and also a prostitute. But God, by His divine providence, had the
spies seek a hiding spot at her house, so that she would be delivered from the
judgment which was coming upon Jericho.
God’s covenant faithfulness is
being displayed in this story to the spies, to Israel, to Rahab and finally to
us. You see, what the people longed for in the Old Testament was getting to the
Promised Land—the place of rest. The rest which was originally found in the
Garden of Eden was no longer present; therefore Israel was awaiting the
Promised Land for this rest. The book of Joshua time and time again speaks of
rest. The goal of all these battles and struggles in this book of Joshua was to
achieve the rest in the land which was promised. The Promised Land—Canaan
always had a symbolic meaning though. It spoke to Israel of the rest that they
should have in God—a higher, spiritual rest. So too it speaks to us of the
Sabbath rest that remains for the children of God. Canaan is a type of heavenly
rest. It pictures the eternal glory that awaits God’s children. And Joshua, who
was God’s servant to give Israel her rest, is pointing to Jesus Christ, in whom
God’s people are given their perfect rest.
But people of God, we will only
receive this rest if we join with Rahab and make this confession that our God
is the only God in heaven and on earth.
Amen.
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