Joshua 2

A LONG THOUGHT from the Holy Bible’s Old Testament from THE BOOK OF JOSHUA, chapter 2.

This is a unique chapter that tells the story of Joshua send spies into the city of Jericho, prior to the Israelites fighting this city. You know the story as they marched around the city and the “walls came tumbling down” in chapter six.

I want us to examine the woman that the spies met in Jericho. Her name was Rahab; she was a prostitute, who also had a lodging place where people could stay. What is unique about Rahab is that she is one of the four women who are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in the GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, chapter one.She is also mentioned the BOOK OFHEBREWS, chapter 11, which is the Hall of Faith chapter.

When the spies had entered Jericho, the King heard of them and sent a search party to find them. The search party went to Rahab’s lodging to find them. Before they came looking for the men, she hid them on the roof under some stalks of flax.As the search party inquired from her where they were, “she said, ‘True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.’” (V. 4. ESV)Furthermore she said, “And when the (city) gate was about to be closed at far, the men went out.I do not know where the men went.” (V. 5, ESV)

The Bible is very clear about telling us that Rahab lied about the whereabouts of spies from the Israelites. So Scripture tells us that she was a prostitute and a liar as well as a worshiper of the Canaanite pagan gods. Remember that the Bible teaches that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23, ESV)

In Joshua chapter 2 the Bible also clearly tells us that she had heard of the God of the Jews. In fact all of Jericho had heard of Almighty God who delivered the Jews from Egypt and led them across the Red Sea on dry land. She told the spies that Joshua had sent to Jericho that “for the LORD your God, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” (V. 11, ESV)

Now for the rest of the story. Rahab became a follower of Almighty God.She placed her faith in Almighty God. She called Him her LORD. (V. 12, ESV) Her faith was displayed by her actions.She let the Jewish spies down a window and told them to go to the hills and stay there three days until their pursuers returned to Jericho.

The Jewish spies gave her a scarlet cord to tie in the window that they escaped through. When the Jews would return to capture Jericho (chapter 6), the scarlet cord would be the identifying mark that the people inside that house was not to be harmed. The cord was a sign of the Rahab’s faith in Almighty God.

What is there in your household and life that identifies that you are a follower of Jesus Christ? Rahab displayed the scarlet cord because of her faith in Almighty God. James says that followers of Christ, “should show their faith by their works.” (James 2:18, ESV)

Remember that “true saving faith involves, ‘the whole personality’: The mind is instructed, the emotions are stirred, and the will then acts in obedience to God.” (Warren Wiersbe) Display your faith so that others will know that Jesus Christ is your LORD!