THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GOD
Joshua 2:1-24
Key Verse: 11
“When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”
In the previous passage, we learned that God installed Joshua as Moses’ successor. Joshua’s task was to possess the Promised Land with the second generation foot soldiers. Today, we will study how the two spies carried out their mission faithfully. Most of all, we will encounter a woman of faith Rahab who welcomed the two spies by faith. Her decision of faith saved herself and all her family members who were under God’s judgment. Let us think of what faith is and how the people of faith should act in their life journey.
1.Joshua sent out two spies(1-7)
Look at verse 1. “Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. ‘Go, look over the land,’ he said, ‘especially Jericho.’”Forty years before, when the Israelites had reached to the border of Canaan- Kadesh-Barnea, Joshua was one of the 12 spies sent to survey the land. Only he and Caleb urged the Israelites saying “we should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” However, their advice was not acceptedbecause of 10 other leaders’ discouraging reports. After 40 years of wilderness training, the people of Israel were now at the border of the Promised Land again, ready to go and conquer it.
Joshua sent only two reliable men to spy out the city of Jericho. Verse 1b says, “So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.”Why did they go to a prostitute’s house? It sounds strange. The NIV footnote says that Rahab was an innkeeper. So the Israelite spies could enter the house without raising much suspicion from the natives.
Rahab’s home was always open to travelers. Travelers from all over the world came and stayed at her house. So she could hearthe latest news aboutall the events from everywhere like CP24, Toronto breaking news. Rahab also heard amazing stories about the God of Israel.
Verse 2 says,“The kings of Jericho was told, ‘Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.’” The information network of Jericho was thorough and very fast that someone had already reported suspicion to the king of Jericho. The king dispatched his soldiersimmediately to Rahab’s house to capture the spies. The pursuers demanded saying, “Bring out the men who entered your house…” How fearful Rahab must have been! Rahab quickly hid the spies before thesoldier’s arrival. Rahab had taken the spies up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax that she had laid out on the roof. She must be sweating with dry mouth while talking with pursuers.The spies on Rahab’s roof must be very nervous, staying still, making even no breathing sound while Rahab was talking with the soldiers. Their lives were in the hands of Rahab depending on how she answered to the soldiers. Look at verses 4,5. “‘But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.’ She said ‘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 gates, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.’”
Rahab knew what she was doing was morally wrong. Rahab knew the risk that the king’s soldiers might search for her house thoroughly and find them. She put her life in jeopardy. But she decided to protect the spies.
Why did she do such a dangerous thing? All her dangerous actions were based on her faith. James 2:25 says, “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?” Rahab’s faith was in her action. Hebrews 11:31 says, “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”It was an act of her faith.
As the Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940, a Christian watchmaker named Casper Ten Boom and his family allowedJews to hide in a part of their home that was specially remodeled for hiding purpose. Through these activities, the ten Boom family and their friends saved the lives of an estimated 800 Jews.The Nazis eventually discovered that Casper and his family were hiding Jews. On February 28, 1944, the Gestapo(German secret police) raided the Ten Boom home.Six individuals including both Jews and resistance workers managed to reach the secret room and remain undetected during the raid. But the Gestapo arrested the entire Ten Boom family. The Nazis sent them to Ravensbruck concentration camp located near Berlin, Germany. Casper said before his death, “It would be an honor to give my life to save God’s people.” Only one daughter – Corrie Ten Boom survived and shared the hidden story later by her book, “The Hiding Place.”
Outwardly, Rahab’s actions were reckless and unreasonable, rather very risky like that of Casper who cost his life and family. She betrayed her king and her people in order to save God’s people. She might face ethical dilemma when she had lied to the soldiers. ButIf she told the truth, the two men would certainly be killed. But the seed of God’s promise rooted in her heart let her make a risky decision.
Many of us became a first believer from unbelieving family backgrounds and cultures like Buddhism, Confucianism, idol worshipping and so on. Some family members put their human hope on them. But when the seeds of God’s promise were planted in their hearts, one day they all made a decision of faith to believe in God like Abraham in their family. They passed through a painful moment of decision to stand with God and His way even leaving beloved family behind. Butin the end, they all became a source of blessing bringing their family members one by one to Jesus the Savior. Standing with the people of God is like crossing a bridge and burn it. It is a difficult decision for them. But all Christians must overcome this critical moment to stand on the side of God. We Christians are thepromise holders. May God enable us to hold on to God’s promise and follow His way faithfully.
2.Rahab’s confession of faith (8-24)
After sending the soldiers into wrong direction, Rahab went up on the roof and said to the spies, “I know that the Lord has given you this land 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.” Her saying “The Lord has given you this land” was God’s promise to His chosen people- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and so on. But Rahab took God’s promise as her own in spite of her identity as a Gentile. She continued her saying in verse 10. “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 to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.”Rahab never saw all these Israel’s historymaking events. The Exodus took place 40years ago probably even before her birth. But she came to believe in God by hearing about what God had done. Then a seed of God’s word, the promise to the Israelites was planted in the heart of Rahab. It grew constantly until she stood firm in the faith.
She said in verse 11b, “for the Lord Your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”“The Lord” in Hebrew in her confession is Jehovah(Yahweh). Rahab believed that Yahweh God is supreme, that he is the sovereign ruler over whole world and all creation. There were pagan gods in the Canaan land at that time like Baal, Ashtoreth and Molech. But Rahab confessed that these were not true gods. She knew that her own country was doomed to be destroyed. Rahab decided to jump out of thedoomed city of Jericho. Rahab changed her destiny by siding with God when the opportunity was given to her. What should we do with our life? One day, we should make a decision in order to take a journey to celestial city leaving behind the perishing city as a holy pilgrimage.
Look at verses 12,13.“Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them- and that you will save us from death.” She was a shrewdwoman. She didn’t take risk of hiding spies for no reason. She asked the spies mercy. She wanted salvation not only herself but also all family members and relatives. Rahab wanted to share the salvation of God with the people whom she deeply cared about.
The spies answered, “Our lives for your lives!If you don’t tell what we are doing we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”They made life to life agreement. She told them when and where to go, how to get back to the Jordan river crossing without getting caught. After waiting until the pursuers were gone, she let them down through a window.
Look at verses 17,18. “Now the men had said to her, ‘This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brother and all your family into your house.’”The spies gave Rahab a scarlet cord. Outwardly, a scarlet cord in the window was the sign of prostitute’s house. It was the mark of a house of sin. However, because of Rahab’s faith in God and her commitment to the God of Israel, it became a sign of salvation.
There must be many similar houses attached to Jericho walls with some ropes for emergency usage. But only the house with a scarlet cord was recognized bythe Israelites soldiers. When the Israelites captured the city of Jericho, they did exactly what the spies had promised to her. By seeing the scarlet cord in the window they spared all the people in the house. The scarlet cord was the sign of salvation that the Israelite spies gave to her. Then Rahab trusted the promise of salvation. Likewise, God saves those who follow his way of salvation.
God saved Noah and his family when he had obeyed God’s word by building an ark. Many people must have sneered at him. In Noah’s time, building an ark and entering it were the sign of salvation against the flood. When Noah’s 8 family members entered the ark, they were saved from God’s judgment.
God also provided the way of salvation through the blood of the lamb smeared on the doorposts. Exodus 12:12-13 say, “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.”The day before the Exodus was dreadful night when the Lord went through the land to strike down Egyptians. But the Israelites under the house of lamb’s blood were secure and safe.
Then what is the sign of salvation in our times? God has given us the scarlet cord. It is the blood of Jesus that saves us. It is the blood of Jesus that forgives the sins of repentant sinners. Jesus’ cross smeared with His own blood was once a symbol of shame and guilt. But it became the sign of God’s love and salvation.
The gospel song “Under the blood” describes the security under Jesus’ blood. “O the blood of the Passover Lamb is applied to the door of my life. No power of darkness could ever withstand the force of the blood sacrifice. I’m under the blood of the Lamb, I’m safe and secure from the enemy’s plan, no weapon formed against me will stand, I’m under the blood of the Lamb.” Yes, Jesus’ blood covers the guilt of our past and let us pass over God’s wrath and judgment.
Is that all that the spies told Rahab to do?No! The spies assured their safety with two conditions. Verse 18b says “Unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house.” Second one is to stay in the house. If anyone stays outside her house, their safety cannot be guaranteed.
By faith Rahab accepted the way of salvation for her and her family. She answered, “Agreed,” “Let it be as you say.” She sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. All the terms here in their conversation are legal ones like “oath, a sure sign, swear, binding, not responsible, be released from the oath, and agreed.” They made a mutual agreement. It is a covenant. It means that Rahab must do what spies told her. And the spies would keep the promises accordingly. Carrying out only one thing either tying a scarlet cord only or gathering her family into her house only cannot guarantee their salvation.
Rahab must have persuaded her family members to gather in her house. Our faith in God can have tremendous impact on people around us, especially those whom we love. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household.”
Acts 20:28b says “the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”Church was born on the sprinkling of Jesus’ blood. It is the community that Jesus built with his own sacrifice.” Church is not just a physical building, but the gathering of believers who are saved by Jesus’ blood. We need to belong to a church, the body of Christ. So we need to gather in the invisible church as a family of God. Then we find salvation under Jesus’ blood together with other believers in the house of God, church.
Finally, mission impossible became mission possible. The spies safely arrived at the Israelite camp as they followed Rahab’s instruction carefully. They gave Joshua a triumphant report in verse 24. “They said to Joshua, ‘The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands, all the people are melting in fear because of us.’”Rahab’s faith encouraged Joshua and all the people of Israel. They were now sure of God’s victory.
Once, Rahab’s life was downward spiral living in a hopeless situation with a most degrading job. But when she heard the word of God’s promise, she opened her heart toward God. She took God’s promise as her own and built her personal faith. Rahab put herself in the hands of God. Then God used her faith as a sign of victory to possess the Promised Land starting from Jericho. May God give us faith that we may stand with God’s side and take journey with God’s people together.