The last time we met we noted that there are five chapters to this great story found in Joshua chapter 2. We looked at the first three chapters then.
Chapter 1 – The Commission of the Spies – v.1
Chapter 2 – The Concealment of the Spies – v.2-7
Chapter 3 – The Confession of Rahab’s Faith – v.8-14
In her confession she revealed the depth of her amazing faith acknowledging a conviction about God’s purposes (v.9b), God’s power (v.10-11a), God’s sovereignty (v.11b), and God’s mercy (v.12-13).
In the midst of her pagan environment and in the midst of this gracious light that she had received, she believed and then acted on her faith (Hebrews 11:31).
31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
What were the others disobedient to? The light they had been given. She was obedient and they were not. This is always how it works with the light of the truth. Some respond, most do not. “Many are called but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
Rahab stands out as a shining example of what happens to those who come to God by grace through faith. This pagan woman is mentioned three times (Mt. 1:5; Heb. 11:31; James 2:25) in the New Testament, each time she is portrayed in a positive light, as a beneficiary of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:4-7).
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
She also stands out as an example of the outworking of the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12:1-3.
1 Now the LORD said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. "
We also should mention Rahab’s evangelistic concern for her family. She could have easily asked the spies to take her with them. After all, she would now be suspect in the eyes of the King of Jericho and others. Instead, her first concern was for her family (Joshua 2:12-13).
12 Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth, 13 and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death."
The pledge of truth that she asks for was in essence a “truth token,” a sign of some kind that would assure her that she and her family would be spared. This, the spies willingly give her (v.14).
14 So the men said to her, "Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the LORD gives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you."
Chapter 4 – The Conditions of Deliverance – v.15-21
15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was living on the wall. 16 And she said to them, "Go to the hill country, lest the pursuers happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days, until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way." NAS
In this chapter we pick up the action again as Rahab lets the spies down by a rope through a window on the wall.
David M Howard writes,
The exact nature of Rahab’s house is unclear. Some Bible versions place her house “on” the wall (e.g., KJV, NASB), but the Hebrew preposition here is b-, which is the normal word for “in.” Two different words for “wall” are used here as well; the phrase here might be rendered as “in the double walls.” This would call to mind the defensive fortifications found in many cities in biblical times, called “casemate” walls, in which a double wall was erected, with the cross-walls built to create chambers that were then filled with rubble for strengthening, or else made into storage areas or living quarters. Rahab’s family may have lived in one of these residences, although her window must have been rather high, since she let the spies down using a rope. Perhaps the house was indeed atop the wall, but built “into” the wall in such a way that it was considered an integral part of it. The NRSV renders v.15b as “her house was on the outer side of the city wall and she resided within the wall itself,” while the NJPSV’s translation is essentially the same. The NIV’s “the house she lived in was part of the wall” would allow for any of the above possibilities (Joshua, NAC, pp. 113-114).
In any event, she instructed the spies to go in a different direction from the posse and then hide for three days before they returned to Israel’s camp.
Verses 17-21 resume and enlarge the conversation that began in verses 12-14, by laying down three conditions for Rahab and her family’s deliverance. The spies make it clear to her that if she and her family do not keep these conditions, they (the spies) would be free from their oath.
17 And the men said to her, "We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear,
Condition #1 – Involved placing a scarlet cord in her window – v.18a
18 unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down,
The scarlet cord was to be a sign meant to identify her house to the invading Israelites when they came to take the city. Much has been made about the color of the cord and how it is a type of the blood of Christ. Many early church fathers understood the “scarlet cord” to be a picture of the work of Christ on the believer’s behalf. However, the better symbolism here is not of the cross but of the Passover (Exodus 12:1-13; 22-23). Warren Wiersbe writes,
Just as the blood on the doorposts in Egypt marked a house that the angel of death was to pass over….so the scarlet rope marked a house on the Jericho wall whose occupants the Jewish soldiers were to protect (Be Strong, pp. 42).
This symbolism becomes even clearer when you look at the second condition that the spies give.
Condition #2 – Involved making every member of the family stay inside her house while the attack was ongoing – v.18b-19
and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father's household. 19 And it shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if a hand is laid on him.
Both with Israel during Passover and Rahab’s family during the attack, no one was allowed to venture outside of the home for any reason (Exodus 12:22). In both cases faith was to be expressed through their obedience to this condition and in both cases the consequences for disobedience would be serious.
Condition #3 – Involved keeping the spies’ plans secret – v.20
20 But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear."
This third condition is really a reinforcement of the instructions given to Rahab in verse 14.
In verse 21 Rahab accepts the conditions that had bee given her and notice her immediate faith and obedience,
21 And she said, "According to your words, so be it." So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
Chapter 5 – The Conclusion of the Mission – v.22-24
22 And they departed and came to the hill country, and remained there for three days until the pursuers returned. Now the pursuers had sought them all along the road, but had not found them. 23 Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all that had happened to them.
After three days the spies returned to camp and reported to Joshua what they had discovered. And they concluded their report with these encouraging words,
24 And they said to Joshua, "Surely the LORD has given all the land into our hands, and all the inhabitants of the land, moreover, have melted away before us."
What a difference we see between this report and the one that the ten spies had related to Moses and the people at Kadesh-Barnea (Numbers 13:27-29; 31-33). Think of all that Israel missed out on in those forty years of wandering all because of unbelief!
As we close this story we want to, by way of application, ask the question, why? Why is this story in the Bible? What was God trying to say and do by including it in Scripture? Three purposes come to mind.
(1) The story served to encourage Israel
If you recall, Joshua 1 was all about encouragement.
· God encouraging Joshua – v.1-9
· Joshua encouraging the people – v.10-15
· The people encouraging Joshua – v.16-18
Everyone needed encouraging because the task before them was daunting. They were to go in and take the land, no easy task. God wanted them to know that he was going to give them the land and victory would be theirs. In the story of the two spies and Rahab God is giving them more encouragement.
Joshua 2 is an encouragement from God to the people. Note again Rahab’s words to the spies in verse 9-11.
9 and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And when we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.
Dale Ralph Davis writes,
Someone might say that they should have been certain of the promise without this extra encouragement. True, Yahweh’s word is adequate in itself. The problem, however, is not that Yahweh’s promises are not sure but that we need to feel sure of them. His word should be sufficient to bolster us. But because of the weakness of our faith, he graciously stoops down and by a plethora of signs, evidences, and providences makes us feel assured of his already sure word. It is something like a husband who sends a card or note through the mail to his wife telling her how much she means to him. She shouldn’t need that to know that he loves her, but it is an extra effort that makes her feel loved and appreciated. So Yahweh understands our needs (No Falling Words, pp. 28).
This is why the Old Testament is so important to us, it spreads the encouragement around.
Romans 15:4
4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
The passage in Romans is a parallel passage to Joshua 1-2 in that it talks about mutual encouragement and mutual edification.
(2) The story signals the excellencies of God’s Grace
Here we have a story of a woman who was both a harlot and a heathen, living in the midst of a pagan culture, who is rescued by the grace of God. Her experience is proof of the gracious saving purposes of God.
God’s over-arching decree is repeated for us both in the Old and New Testaments.
Joel 2:32
32 "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD
Will be delivered;
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape,
As the LORD has said,
Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
Romans 10:13
13 for "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved."
Rahab believed God and turned to Him for deliverance and God graciously saved her, physically and most importantly, spiritually.
As I mentioned last time, there is a great postlude, if you will, to this story.
Joshua 6:22-25
22 And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the harlot's house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her." 23 So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives, and placed them outside the camp of Israel. 24 And they burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. 25 However, Rahab the harlot and her father's household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
If this story does not signal the Excellency of God’s grace – nothing will.
As Dale Ralph Davis points out, there is also a lesson within a lesson here in this story about our attitudes toward those who are outsiders.
Now that can be offensive. We say we can’t have that; the church is only for respectable, clean, middle-class folks. But that is like saying that hospitals are only for doctors, nurses, and x-ray machines instead of sick people. Or it is like saying that only morticians and coroners belong in morgues instead of dead people. Who then should be in the church but sinners? The church is not a club but a refuge for sinners who have been touched by the grace of God (No Falling Words pp. 29).
(3) The story shows us the evidences of real faith
True saving faith cannot be hidden for long! Real faith is a conspicuous faith. It is a faith that is visible and easy to see. Such was the case with Rahab’s faith. Her faith illustrates for us four aspects or evidences of real faith.
Þ Evidence #1 – Courageous Works
James makes the connection between faith and works in his epistle (James 2:25-26). James uses Rahab as an example of this truth.
25 And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
How did Rahab demonstrate her faith? She did it by risking her life to protect the spies.
We are not saved by works but we are saved unto Good works (Ephesians 2:10).
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
If there is no fruit in your life, then you need to check your faith.
Þ Evidence #2 – Confident Confession
Faith is only as good as its object. Most people today really have faith in faith, which is nothing more than superstition and mysticism. Rahab’s faith was in the God of Israel, the LORD, Jehovah, Yahweh, the I AM. Her faith was in the God who miraculously parted the waters of the Red Sea and helped Israel defeat the powerful Amorite Kings Sihon and Og (v.10). Her faith was in the Sovereign of Heaven and Earth (v.11) and the God who is infinitely merciful (v.12).
The great thing about Rahab’s faith is that she was not ashamed to confess this God as LORD. Real faith is not ashamed to declare the praises and promises of God (Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10).
Þ Evidence #3 – Compassionate Concern for Others
Once Rahab personally experienced the grace and mercy of God, she became burdened for her family as well. This is often a pattern we see in Scripture in regard to real faith. After Andrew met Jesus Christ he went and shared the good news with his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus (John 1:35-42). The cleansed leper went home and immediately told everyone what Jesus had done for him (Mark 1:40-45). The writer of Proverbs (11:30) said,
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who is wise wins souls.
Evidence #4 – Commitment and Change
The story tells us that Rahab immediately put the scarlet cord in the window and that she immediately obeyed the instructions given to her by the spies. She took great risk in doing what they instructed her to do. What if someone saw the scarlet cord? What if one her relatives reported to the king what she was doing? It didn’t matter because she was committed to this new life for her and her family.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Is there evidence of real faith in your life? Is your life marked by….
Courageous works?
Confident confession?
Compassionate concern?
Commitment and change?
No comments:
Post a Comment