Joshua 2

Joshua 2:1

B. The Spies at Jericho (Chap. 2)2:1a In preparation for the invasion, Joshua the son of Nun sent out two spies from Acacia Grove to Jericho. This was not an indication of lack of faith on his part; rather, it was a matter of military strategy. They were not to spy out the whole land, as had been done years earlier, but only to look ahead one step at a time. 2:1b-24 The spies found shelter in the house of a harlot named Rahab. As Keil and Delitzsch point out, “Their entering the house of such a person would not excite so much suspicion.” It is clear from the narrative that Rahab had heard of the marvelous victories which the LORD had given to the Jewish people (vv. 8-11). She concluded that their God must be the true God, and so she trusted in Him, becoming a true convert. She proved the reality of her faith by protecting the spies, even though it meant betraying her country. The spies promised to spare Rahab and her family if she hung a scarlet cord in the window of her home and if the household remained indoors during the attack against Jericho (vv. 6-21). The scarlet cord makes us think of a house protected by the blood, as at the original Passover (Ex. 12). When messengers from the King of Jericho asked Rahab where the spies were, she told them they had already left the city (v. 5). While the men of Jericho searched for them on the road to the Jordan, Rahab sent the spies westward to the mountain. After hiding there for three days, the spies escaped across the Jordan, carrying a confident report to Joshua (vv. 22-24). Rahab’s “works” and not her “words” justified her (Jam_2:25). The Bible does not commend her deceit (vv. 4, 5) but it does commend her faith (Heb_11:31). James also calls her deed a work of faith (Jam_2:25). She risked her life to save the lives of the spies because she believed in the power and sovereignty of their God. So in our Lord’s day some outside the commonwealth of Israel showed more faith than those who were eyewitnesses of His glory (Luk_7:2-9). Great faith, wherever it is found, is always rewarded (see chap. 6), for it is pleasing to God (Heb_11:6).