RAHAB- PART II & III
All along the two spies were hidden on the flat roof under bundles of flax. Since the roofs were used for storage of drying grain, the flax became a convenient hiding location. There would be no reason to search the roof having heard Rahab's story. Also, it would be logical for spies to operate under the cover of darkness and leave at that hour. All the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place.
B. The Request (vv. 8-14)
8. And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
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.
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.
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.
After the king's messengers left, Rahab spoke to the men on the rooftop. In verse 9 she acknowledged God's having given Jericho to Israel and that His terror had fallen on the people. She said, "All who live in this country are melting in fear" (NIV). They somehow knew of the distant past when God miraculously opened the Red Sea for Israel. Also known to them was the immediate past as God enabled Israel to destroy the army of the Amorites (Numbers 21:21-35).
These two events on either side of a 40-year span point to God's enabling of His people. Nothing could stand in His way. As a result, the people of Jericho's courage had melted. Where there once was strength, only weakness now resided. Apparently the people sensed the hopelessness of the future.
In verse 11 of the text, Rahab made a major confession regarding the God of Israel: He is the God of the heavens and earth. This can be seen as a statement in which she abandoned the gods of Canaan for the sovereign Almighty God.
Having made a confession concerning the true God, Rahab then requested kindness for herself and her father's household. She asked that the favor shown to the spies would be returned in like kind. She provided security and safety despite the king's request. Would they return a similar act of kindness when Israel's army invaded? Rahab also requested a token or sign of this agreement. The spies responded by agreeing to spare her life and those of her family in exchange for her actions. There was one requirement: Rahab must remain silent about their actions and intent. This points to the need for Rahab to continue on the path of commitment to God and His plans for Israel.
C. The Escape (vv. 15-24)
(Joshua 2:15-24 is not included in the printed text.)
Rahab's assistance to the spies went far beyond that of the initial hiding. Next they must leave the city unnoticed. Through the use of a rope, the men were lowered to the ground outside the city walls. It's not likely this rope remained tied to the window; otherwise it would be a "dead giveaway" of the duplicity and aiding of the spies. She was, however, to place a scarlet marker of some type in the window. Symbolically it seems similar to the blood on the doorposts when the death angel passed over Egypt. The scarlet cord became the sign of security.
Rahab's thoughtfulness can be seen in her directing the spies to go to the mountains for three days. By that time those watching the fording places would have given up and gone home. The spies followed her directions and returned safely to report to Joshua.
Before leaving, the spies reminded Rahab of the requirements of safety. The scarlet marker needed to be in place. Family members were to stay in her house and not wander into the streets. She was to maintain complete silence about their activities.
These verses remind us of the need to follow God's plans and directives. Our salvation isn't a do-it-yourself job in which we determine the parameters of belief and action. God sets the stage and writes the script.
II. HONORED FOR BRAVERY (Joshua 6:17-25)
A. The Plan (vv. 17-21)
(Joshua 6:18, 19, 21 is not included in the printed text.)
17. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers we sent.
20. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
God's plan for the capture of Jericho combines simple obedience of the people and divine intervention. They will march, trumpets will be blown, and the people will shout. Then the walls will fall flat. This part of the lesson opens at the beginning of the seventh day as the instructions are being given. On the six previous days, the Israelites had marched silently around Jericho once each day.
Though the people of Jericho are to be killed, a specific exemption is given. Rahab, once again labeled as a prostitute, and her family are to live. Only the people inside her house are to be spared.
The saving of Rahab and her family stands as a monumental distinctive in contrast to the destruction of the people and the city itself, and the burning of its contents. There is to be no taking of spoils for the captors. Only the silver, gold, bronze, and iron articles are to be taken and designated for the Lord's treasury (v. 19). Jericho will be a burnt offering to the Lord. It is of interest to note how archaeological digs have confirmed the fate of Jericho. The burned portion of the rubble is far greater than that found in other cities that were captured and spoiled.
B. The Reward (vv. 22-25)
22. But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23. And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
24. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
25. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Besides saving her and her family from destruction, Rahab's reward increased. She was allowed to continue to live in the land and was incorporated into God's people. This is not the picture of an outcast being tolerated. No, Rahab was a woman who, by faith and action, bravely made a commitment to God and His people. She had heard of Israel's God and His mighty works, and when the opportunity arose, she began her walk of faith by the risky business of hiding the spies and aiding in their escape.
Something similar occurs when we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord. With this commitment we become part of another people, God's family. We may live in the same region, but now there is a new citizenship.
III. MADE RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH (Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:21-26)
A. Christ's Lineage (Matthew 1:5)
5. And Salmon begat Booz [Boaz] of Rachab [Rahab]; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse.
Believers tend to skip over the genealogies which are recorded in the Old and New Testaments. The names are often difficult to pronounce. Yet they serve a vital part in validating other portions of Scripture and providing new information. In the New Testament, both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke include a genealogy of Jesus. Matthew traces Jesus' lineage through Joseph, His legal father. Luke records Jesus' lineage through Mary, His mother. Each reflects the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7), which promised a descendant would be on His throne forever.
In Matthew's genealogy we find Rahab's inclusion. Normally women are not included in these lineage lists. Matthew includes two—Ruth and Rahab (in one verse)—and both have "a past." Ruth was not an immoral woman, but she was a Moabitess, one of the forbidden people for intermarriage. Rahab was known for her sexual immorality. We are thereby reminded that Christ does not hold the past against any person, but opens the door for restoration for those who will believe and live a new life. Christ also raises the status of women, as can be seen so often in Luke's Gospel. One example is Mary Magdalene, who moved from being demon-possessed to become an ardent follower of Jesus.
Rahab's inclusion in Christ's lineage reflects a person who had "two strikes" against her. First, she was part of the Canaanites, who were to be completely destroyed for their sins. Second, she participated in immoral sexual behavior. But when she turned to God in faith, He responded in love, acceptance, and protection.
B. Rahab's Faith (Hebrews 11:31)
31. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
This section (along with James 2:21-26) stands as the heart of the lesson. It pulls together two dimensions in Rahab's life—her faith and her actions. Also, these verses remind us as believers of the dual dimensions which should be evident in each of our lives.
All along the two spies were hidden on the flat roof under bundles of flax. Since the roofs were used for storage of drying grain, the flax became a convenient hiding location. There would be no reason to search the roof having heard Rahab's story. Also, it would be logical for spies to operate under the cover of darkness and leave at that hour. All the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place.
B. The Request (vv. 8-14)
8. And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
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.
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.
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.
After the king's messengers left, Rahab spoke to the men on the rooftop. In verse 9 she acknowledged God's having given Jericho to Israel and that His terror had fallen on the people. She said, "All who live in this country are melting in fear" (NIV). They somehow knew of the distant past when God miraculously opened the Red Sea for Israel. Also known to them was the immediate past as God enabled Israel to destroy the army of the Amorites (Numbers 21:21-35).
These two events on either side of a 40-year span point to God's enabling of His people. Nothing could stand in His way. As a result, the people of Jericho's courage had melted. Where there once was strength, only weakness now resided. Apparently the people sensed the hopelessness of the future.
In verse 11 of the text, Rahab made a major confession regarding the God of Israel: He is the God of the heavens and earth. This can be seen as a statement in which she abandoned the gods of Canaan for the sovereign Almighty God.
Having made a confession concerning the true God, Rahab then requested kindness for herself and her father's household. She asked that the favor shown to the spies would be returned in like kind. She provided security and safety despite the king's request. Would they return a similar act of kindness when Israel's army invaded? Rahab also requested a token or sign of this agreement. The spies responded by agreeing to spare her life and those of her family in exchange for her actions. There was one requirement: Rahab must remain silent about their actions and intent. This points to the need for Rahab to continue on the path of commitment to God and His plans for Israel.
C. The Escape (vv. 15-24)
(Joshua 2:15-24 is not included in the printed text.)
Rahab's assistance to the spies went far beyond that of the initial hiding. Next they must leave the city unnoticed. Through the use of a rope, the men were lowered to the ground outside the city walls. It's not likely this rope remained tied to the window; otherwise it would be a "dead giveaway" of the duplicity and aiding of the spies. She was, however, to place a scarlet marker of some type in the window. Symbolically it seems similar to the blood on the doorposts when the death angel passed over Egypt. The scarlet cord became the sign of security.
Rahab's thoughtfulness can be seen in her directing the spies to go to the mountains for three days. By that time those watching the fording places would have given up and gone home. The spies followed her directions and returned safely to report to Joshua.
Before leaving, the spies reminded Rahab of the requirements of safety. The scarlet marker needed to be in place. Family members were to stay in her house and not wander into the streets. She was to maintain complete silence about their activities.
These verses remind us of the need to follow God's plans and directives. Our salvation isn't a do-it-yourself job in which we determine the parameters of belief and action. God sets the stage and writes the script.
II. HONORED FOR BRAVERY (Joshua 6:17-25)
A. The Plan (vv. 17-21)
(Joshua 6:18, 19, 21 is not included in the printed text.)
17. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers we sent.
20. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
God's plan for the capture of Jericho combines simple obedience of the people and divine intervention. They will march, trumpets will be blown, and the people will shout. Then the walls will fall flat. This part of the lesson opens at the beginning of the seventh day as the instructions are being given. On the six previous days, the Israelites had marched silently around Jericho once each day.
Though the people of Jericho are to be killed, a specific exemption is given. Rahab, once again labeled as a prostitute, and her family are to live. Only the people inside her house are to be spared.
The saving of Rahab and her family stands as a monumental distinctive in contrast to the destruction of the people and the city itself, and the burning of its contents. There is to be no taking of spoils for the captors. Only the silver, gold, bronze, and iron articles are to be taken and designated for the Lord's treasury (v. 19). Jericho will be a burnt offering to the Lord. It is of interest to note how archaeological digs have confirmed the fate of Jericho. The burned portion of the rubble is far greater than that found in other cities that were captured and spoiled.
B. The Reward (vv. 22-25)
22. But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
23. And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
24. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
25. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Besides saving her and her family from destruction, Rahab's reward increased. She was allowed to continue to live in the land and was incorporated into God's people. This is not the picture of an outcast being tolerated. No, Rahab was a woman who, by faith and action, bravely made a commitment to God and His people. She had heard of Israel's God and His mighty works, and when the opportunity arose, she began her walk of faith by the risky business of hiding the spies and aiding in their escape.
Something similar occurs when we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord. With this commitment we become part of another people, God's family. We may live in the same region, but now there is a new citizenship.
III. MADE RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH (Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:21-26)
A. Christ's Lineage (Matthew 1:5)
5. And Salmon begat Booz [Boaz] of Rachab [Rahab]; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse.
Believers tend to skip over the genealogies which are recorded in the Old and New Testaments. The names are often difficult to pronounce. Yet they serve a vital part in validating other portions of Scripture and providing new information. In the New Testament, both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke include a genealogy of Jesus. Matthew traces Jesus' lineage through Joseph, His legal father. Luke records Jesus' lineage through Mary, His mother. Each reflects the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7), which promised a descendant would be on His throne forever.
In Matthew's genealogy we find Rahab's inclusion. Normally women are not included in these lineage lists. Matthew includes two—Ruth and Rahab (in one verse)—and both have "a past." Ruth was not an immoral woman, but she was a Moabitess, one of the forbidden people for intermarriage. Rahab was known for her sexual immorality. We are thereby reminded that Christ does not hold the past against any person, but opens the door for restoration for those who will believe and live a new life. Christ also raises the status of women, as can be seen so often in Luke's Gospel. One example is Mary Magdalene, who moved from being demon-possessed to become an ardent follower of Jesus.
Rahab's inclusion in Christ's lineage reflects a person who had "two strikes" against her. First, she was part of the Canaanites, who were to be completely destroyed for their sins. Second, she participated in immoral sexual behavior. But when she turned to God in faith, He responded in love, acceptance, and protection.
B. Rahab's Faith (Hebrews 11:31)
31. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
This section (along with James 2:21-26) stands as the heart of the lesson. It pulls together two dimensions in Rahab's life—her faith and her actions. Also, these verses remind us as believers of the dual dimensions which should be evident in each of our lives.