Message

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Rahab and the Two Spies

Joshua 2:1-24

Key Verse:2:10 “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.”

  The title of today’s passage is “Rahab and the Two Spies”. It is not a love story between Rahab and two spies. It is not a war story, either. It is the story of Rahab, a woman of faith, who by faith hid the two spies. Today we will study why her act of faith is valued and what the result was. Besides, we see several images of our Lord Jesus in her story such as ‘the hiding place’ and ‘the scarlet cord’. 

First, Rahab and the two spies (1-7). After Moses died, God chose Joshua as a new leader who would lead his people into the Promised Land.  God encouraged Joshua, saying, “Be strong and courageous!” Now Joshua ordered his people to be ready to cross the Jordan River and be ready to fight against their enemies. Before he crossed the River, Joshua sent two men to spy out the land, especially Jericho. Look at verse 1. “Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.”  Joshua sent two spies to look over the land. The mission of the spies was to bring all information about the city of Jericho. At that time, Jericho was the doorway to Canaan. It was a fortified and walled city. Without passing Jericho, it was impossible for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. The two spies entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. Rahab’s house was a best place for the spies to gain information because many travelers stayed her house talking, drinking and resting. Look at verses 2,3. “The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent his message to Rabab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”  The king of Jericho learned about the visit of the two spies. The king sent a message for the immediate arrest the two spies.  Rahab had a great chance to get rewarded and make some money by turning in the two spies to the hand of Jericho’s city police. What did she do? How did she respond to the king’s message?

Look at verses 4-6. “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 gate, the men left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.)” To our surprise, Rahab hid the two spies in her house. In the Middle East, most houses have flat roofs which are useful for drying hay. Rahab hid the two spies under the stalks of flax and lied to the soldiers, who left in pursuit of the men. She put herself in jeopardy.  If she was caught, she would be executed as a traitor. Indeed, what Rahab did was an act of treason to her own country. So why did Rahab do this, risk her own life, and betray her own country?  Hebrews 11:31 says, “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”  She did it by faith. What kind of faith did Rahab have?

Second, Rahab’s faith in the God of Israel.(8-13) Look at verses 8-11. “Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “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. 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. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” What Rahab said makes us surprised again. She knew how the God of Israel delivered his people out of Egypt and who he really is. She had a sense of God’s history. She heard how the God of Israel opened the Red Sea and how the Israelites crossed the sea as on dry land. She also heard how God was with the Israelites when they completely destroyed Sihon and Og. (Nu 21:24) As an innkeeper, Rahab heard news of the Israelites from many different travelers. She had fear of God. She came to believe that the God of Israel is the only true God. She believed that the God of Israel is the Creator God who made the heavens and the earth and who controls the history of the world. She came to believe that God would hand over the city of Jericho to Israel.

  It is amazing that Rahab had a personal faith in the God of Israel. She was a gentile prostitute.  Tough travelers and strangers must have treated her roughly and randomly. She must have been despised and branded as a woman of shame. From a human point of view, she was a nobody. She lied to her king and betrayed her own country. But to the eyes of God, she was a great woman of faith. God valued her faith. Later, Rahab married Salmon, who became a great grandfather of King David. (Mt 1:5) God exalted her faith despite her poor human condition. There is saying, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Sa 16:7) The Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:17, “The righteous will live by faith.” God values our personal faith in God Almighty as righteous. Rahab risked her life by hiding the two spies. She did it by faith.

Here we learn that it is very important for us to have personal faith in God and have the sense of God’s history. When we live on this earth as Christians, we may encounter many dangers and challenges which test our faith. It sometimes becomes risky and costly to follow Jesus. But our faith is valued and exalted. Hanna Park just graduated from high school and will start college life at St. Louis University. She will meet lots of challenges and temptations in and out. But we believe that she will overcome and win the victory in her spiritual battle because she has fear of God and has the sense of God’s history. Her parents missionary Abraham Park and Grace Park have been praying for pioneering SLU for the last 8 years. Finally God answered their prayer and sent their daughter to SLU as a shepherd and prayer mother for many wandering sheep. Let us continue to pray for Hanna to have fear of God and have the sense of God’s history as Rahab did. Amen. Rahab hid the two Israelite spies by faith. Her act of faith laid a foundation for world salvation in God’s redemptive history

  In the Bible there are numerous women of faith and courage who risked their lives for their country and for their people. Esther was a Jewish queen of Xerxes, the Persian King. She knew that her people the Israelites were in great danger of extermination by an evil man, Haman. At that time, a queen could meet the king only with the king’s permission. If she violated the law, she could be dethroned and executed. But she said, “If I perish, I perish.” (Es 4:16) She risked her life for the sake of her people. She confronted her king by faith. God exalted her faith and rescued her people from the hand of the evil man. Her act of faith and courage has been admired and commemorated even up to these days. That’s why Jews celebrate ‘Purim’ every year.

  In her book, ‘The Hiding Place’(1970),  Cori Ten Boom by faith hid Jewish people in her upper room from the German police during the World War II. Her father Jasper Ten Boom moved a wall and made a secret room for the Jews. He made his house to be their hiding place. He risked his life and all his family’s lives. In fact, he was caught and imprisoned. Only one of his daughters survived and told the whole story. The Boom’s act of faith and courage saved many Jewish lives during the World War II, and moved the hearts of millions of people around the world.  The story about the hiding place of Rahab and the Boom reminds me of the song of David, “You are my hiding place.” It is based on Psalm 32:7, which says, “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance…” “You are my hiding place. You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance whenever I am afraid. I will trust in you. I will trust in you. Let the weak say I am strong in the strength of the Lord…” The Lord was the hiding place for David. Where is your hiding place? Someone may say, “It is a basement when a tornado hits.” Jesus Christ is our hiding place. Jesus Christ protects us and saves us from all dangers and harms. In order to become our hiding place, Jesus sacrificed his life on the cross. He gave his life in order to bring us into our eternal dwelling place, the Kingdom of God.  Praise Jesus!

Third, the scarlet cord (12-24) Rahab encouraged the spies with her report. Then, she negotiated with the spies for her and her family’s safety when God would hand over Jericho to the Israelites. Look at verses 12,13. “Now, then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I show 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.” What was the spies’ response? They said, “Our lives for your lives!” (14)  They agreed with her on the condition that they would escape and return to their camp safely. What was the sure sign of salvation for Rahab’s family? It was the scarlet cord in the window. Look at verses 17,18. “The men 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 brothers and all your family into your house…” The scarlet cord in the window would be the sure sign for her salvation. Later, when Joshua and the Israelites invaded Jericho, they spared Rahab and all her family members in their house because of this scarlet cord. (5:25)

  This scarlet cord in the window reminds us of the blood of the lamb which was put on the doorposts of the houses of the Israelites when God punished Egypt. When God judged all the firstborn of the Egyptians, the angel of the Lord passed over the houses which were marked with the blood of lamb. The Lord said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” (Ex 12:13)  The blood of lamb is the sure sign of salvation for the Israelites.

Jesus shed his precious blood as the Lamb of God for the sins of the world. (Jn 1:29) The blood of Jesus is God’s sure sign for our salvation. When we are judged by God at the last day, we will be recognized as God’s people by the blood of Jesus. Those who have the mark of the blood of Jesus will be saved. The blood of Jesus is the same as the scarlet cord in the book of Joshua. When the Lord comes again and separates his people from the others, he will see his blood in our hearts. The blood of Jesus can be gained only through faith in Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus contains forgiveness of sin. It contains God’s divine forgiving love and righteousness. As Joshua spared the life of Rahab because of the scarlet cord in the window, Jesus will save us because of his crimson blood in our hearts. Do you have the blood of Jesus in your heart?

After making the security oath with Rahab, the two spies left and returned to their camp safely. They reported to Joshua everything that had happened to them. (23) They told how Rahab had hid them from the king of Jericho and how the people of Jericho were melting with fear of the God of Israel. They planted confidence and faith in the hearts of Joshua and his people through their encouraging report. They said, “The Lord has surely given the whole land in our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.” (24)

Through today’s passage we learn how important one person’s faith in God Almighty is for God’s redemptive history. Rahab hid the two spies by faith. She provided her house as a hiding place for them. She risked her life to hide them. But her faith and act of courage not only saved her family but also saved many lives in the future. Jesus Christ is our hiding place. He is the scarlet cord for our salvation. When we believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again from the dead, and accepts him as our Lord and Savior, our heart will be marked by the blood of Jesus. May God bless you when you do so.  Amen.

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Attachment

• Rahab and the Two Spies-message-edited.doc

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