Joshua 10

Joshua 10:1

The Willingness of the People

It seems that what is said here is said by the whole people and not just by the two and a half tribes. They all warmly acknowledge Joshua’s leadership as the successor to Moses and express their unconditional obedience to him. They will do without objection what he asks of them and go where he wants them to go. All the people wish Joshua that the LORD his God be with him, as He was with Moses. With this they show that also for them the strength for the fight lies with the LORD.

Recognizing leadership is also important in the church (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). It is not about recognizing people-appointed leaders. God’s Word doesn’t know such leaders (cf. Galatians 1:1). God gives leaders formed by Himself.

There is no attempt by the two and a half tribes to evade their earlier promise, made to Moses. They speak good, honest and worthy words. It shows pride if we look down on them because they are only there to fight for the land and not for its possession. The question is whether we are fighting to take possession of the land. Although they are not an example to us in sharing God’s desires, they are a good example in fight.

Joshua 10:3

Introduction

Before the crossing takes place, we meet Rahab in this chapter. The New Testament speaks about the “faith” of “Rahab the harlot” and about the “works” of “Rahab the harlot”:

“By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

“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?” (James 2:25).

Rahab connects herself with the people of God even before they have gained a victory. By her attitude she gives up her connection with Jericho. She believes that the judgment comes on the city. But she also believes in the mercy of God. Her request to save her whole family from judgment was met.

We need this kind of faith to enjoy the blessings God has given us. On the one hand we belong to the church of God and on the other hand we separate from the world which is under judgment. To make this true, it must be a reality for us what Rahab says in Joshua 2:11b: “For the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

Besides the practical application for us, in the history of Rahab there is also an application for the future for the people of Israel. The same can be done with the book of Acts, in which the origin and the first years of the church are described. Before the people enter the land, God shows us in Rahab that He thinks also of the Gentiles to enter into His people.

When God’s people are about to take possession of the blessing, this history shows that God also opens up this blessing to the Gentiles. Rahab belongs to “the Gentiles in the flesh” who have no right to or share in anything (Ephesians 2:11-12), but to whom the blessing of God comes as well as to His earthly people. And among these Gentiles she takes a place that is abhorrent: that of a harlot. In her incorporation into the people of God, God’s grace shines in a great way.

In the passage through the Red Sea we don’t see a figure like Rahab, because after that journey the people enter the wilderness. The wilderness is not part of God’s counsels. When God speaks to Moses from the bush about His plan to lead the people out of Egypt and bring them to the promised land, He does not speak about the wilderness either (Exodus 3:4; 8).

The land is the land of blessing. The people are on the verge of entering into the counsels of God, which contain only blessings. And when it comes to blessing, God involves the Gentiles and they may participate in it. It is as with the law and grace. The law is given to one people: Israel. Grace is not limited to one people, but goes further: to all people. Thus, all people can participate in God’s blessing if they have a faith like that of Rahab.

When Israel will be in the land in the future, after it has been converted, there will also be a great mass of nations sharing in the blessing. The nations will be given a share in these blessings through the messengers which the Lord will send out (Matthew 25:31-40). The beginning of the church also shows that the nations are given access to the blessing (Acts 8:26-39; Acts 10:44-48).

The first application is that God in the present Christian time gathers His people from all nations to connect them with the glorified Head, Christ, in heaven. The church, the body of Christ, is not only connected with Him, but made one with Him in heaven. That is why we have our place there.

In the book of Acts the first Gentiles of whom we read that they come to faith are those with a high social position. We read about a eunuch who is the treasurer, or minister of finance, of the queen of Ethiopia (Acts 8:27) and about a Roman centurion (Acts 10:1). But here a harlot is presented to us. So she is mentioned twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). That she is taken up in God’s people shows God’s special grace. That grace shines all the more when we notice that she even becomes the ancestor of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

The Spies with Rahab

Joshua sends two spies. This is not necessary to decide on a possible entry into the land. That decision has already been made (Joshua 1:11). So why is it necessary? And does not the LORD himself go out before them? Viewing the land is not like it happened from the wilderness before. There it was because of the unbelief of the people. Here it is because God wants to show us that He wants to engage His own as His instruments and that our responsibility remains fully intact. We have to look at the situation we have to face in order to act with understanding and dependence on Him.

By viewing the land, it is revealed that the hearts of the inhabitants of the land have melted (Joshua 2:11). To know this will encourage Israel. It is also God’s purpose to save Rahab and her family. He has started a work in her heart. The spies are used by Him to complete that work.

The land and Jericho must be spied out. Jericho is the door to the land and must be conquered before the land can be taken. Jericho is a picture of the world. It presents the world as the system through which satan wants to hinder us to take possession of our spiritual inheritance. The world exerts great attraction on us. As long as that is the case, we are weak. We must therefore first condemn it in our hearts, so that we are free from any bondage to the world.

The spies have to spy out the land. Does that mean that we also have to examine the world first, because only then do we know what to turn away from? No. In the way God sends the spies, we see how these two men are doing. In this way we learn the lesson of spying out the world.

The two men enter the land to spy out the power of the enemy. But they don’t get to see that power. Instead they met the power of God in Jericho in Rahab. God leads the spies straight to Rahab’s house. They did not go far into town. Maybe they entered the first house they can enter. And that’s all. They have been only in the house of Rahab. There they saw the work of God in the heart and life of Rahab. God is able to do such a powerful work in that city and in the heart of such a woman. In this way they come into contact with God’s work in power and testimony.

This action of God teaches us that, to see the real character of the world, we must look at the cross. In rejecting the Son of God when He is in goodness on earth, we see the true nature of the world. There we also see God’s judgment of the world. There is no longer any connection between Him and the world. Whoever sees this, gives up the world (Galatians 6:14). This can only be realized by people in whom God has worked the new life. A huge change can be seen in them. First there is love for the world and God’s people are hated. Now there is love for God’s people and the world is hated. That is the power of the gospel. That power the spies in Rahab. That is why they do not have to go further into the land.

Forty years earlier, twelve other Israelites have spied out the whole land. Ten of them returned in unbelief and “gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out” (Numbers 13:32-33). So we have to spy out in the right way and that is: see what God does in lives. That convinces. A God Who is so powerful that He can change people so completely, is also powerful to give the whole land.

It is mentioned of Rahab that “she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). That is diametrically opposed to the intentions of the king of Jericho. He is looking for the spies to kill them. The kings of Canaan, including those of Jericho, are a picture of the demons. They hate God and His ambassadors.

Rahab lies about the spies. That is her old nature. We should not put this in a good light. God does not bring anyone in circumstances to sin (James 1:13). But we should not condemn her too harshly either. What would we do in a situation that involves life or death for others and ourselves? And have men of God like Abraham and David not lied in threatening situations (Genesis 12:11-13; 1 Samuel 21:2) for more selfish motives than Rahab?

With all understanding for the behavior of Rahab it must be clear to us that lying does not belong to the new man, but to the old man (Ephesians 4:20-25). We are still in danger of showing the works of the old man. What Rahab does is part of the works of Canaan. If she had spoken the truth, God could have somehow prevented her and the spies from being harmed (Genesis 19:11; Jeremiah 36:26).

God allows Rahab to lie. He doesn’t depend on her lie to save the spies. For the men it is clear which side Rahab is on. At the risk of her own life, she has taken them in. When the soldiers come to catch them, she warns them and hides them. This act is her creed.

Rahab hides the spies because she knows these men are her only hope for salvation to escape the upcoming judgment. Her liberation depends on their hiding. She not only believes in the God of Israel, but here she makes herself one with the Israel of God. She makes herself one with them, while the people still own nothing but God.

Rahab hides the spies under stalks of flax. This has a beautiful spiritual meaning. Flax is the raw material for linen. Linen speaks of the righteous deeds of the believers (Revelation 19:8). The fact that Rahab has flax at her disposal and does a good job with it, indicates in the spiritual application that in her debauched life a reversal has already taken place earlier. She has been diligent in the good (Proverbs 31:13). By doing so, she has in her house means with which she can protect the spies against the murderousness of the enemy.

Joshua 10:4

Introduction

Before the crossing takes place, we meet Rahab in this chapter. The New Testament speaks about the “faith” of “Rahab the harlot” and about the “works” of “Rahab the harlot”:

“By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

“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?” (James 2:25).

Rahab connects herself with the people of God even before they have gained a victory. By her attitude she gives up her connection with Jericho. She believes that the judgment comes on the city. But she also believes in the mercy of God. Her request to save her whole family from judgment was met.

We need this kind of faith to enjoy the blessings God has given us. On the one hand we belong to the church of God and on the other hand we separate from the world which is under judgment. To make this true, it must be a reality for us what Rahab says in Joshua 2:11b: “For the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

Besides the practical application for us, in the history of Rahab there is also an application for the future for the people of Israel. The same can be done with the book of Acts, in which the origin and the first years of the church are described. Before the people enter the land, God shows us in Rahab that He thinks also of the Gentiles to enter into His people.

When God’s people are about to take possession of the blessing, this history shows that God also opens up this blessing to the Gentiles. Rahab belongs to “the Gentiles in the flesh” who have no right to or share in anything (Ephesians 2:11-12), but to whom the blessing of God comes as well as to His earthly people. And among these Gentiles she takes a place that is abhorrent: that of a harlot. In her incorporation into the people of God, God’s grace shines in a great way.

In the passage through the Red Sea we don’t see a figure like Rahab, because after that journey the people enter the wilderness. The wilderness is not part of God’s counsels. When God speaks to Moses from the bush about His plan to lead the people out of Egypt and bring them to the promised land, He does not speak about the wilderness either (Exodus 3:4; 8).

The land is the land of blessing. The people are on the verge of entering into the counsels of God, which contain only blessings. And when it comes to blessing, God involves the Gentiles and they may participate in it. It is as with the law and grace. The law is given to one people: Israel. Grace is not limited to one people, but goes further: to all people. Thus, all people can participate in God’s blessing if they have a faith like that of Rahab.

When Israel will be in the land in the future, after it has been converted, there will also be a great mass of nations sharing in the blessing. The nations will be given a share in these blessings through the messengers which the Lord will send out (Matthew 25:31-40). The beginning of the church also shows that the nations are given access to the blessing (Acts 8:26-39; Acts 10:44-48).

The first application is that God in the present Christian time gathers His people from all nations to connect them with the glorified Head, Christ, in heaven. The church, the body of Christ, is not only connected with Him, but made one with Him in heaven. That is why we have our place there.

In the book of Acts the first Gentiles of whom we read that they come to faith are those with a high social position. We read about a eunuch who is the treasurer, or minister of finance, of the queen of Ethiopia (Acts 8:27) and about a Roman centurion (Acts 10:1). But here a harlot is presented to us. So she is mentioned twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). That she is taken up in God’s people shows God’s special grace. That grace shines all the more when we notice that she even becomes the ancestor of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

The Spies with Rahab

Joshua sends two spies. This is not necessary to decide on a possible entry into the land. That decision has already been made (Joshua 1:11). So why is it necessary? And does not the LORD himself go out before them? Viewing the land is not like it happened from the wilderness before. There it was because of the unbelief of the people. Here it is because God wants to show us that He wants to engage His own as His instruments and that our responsibility remains fully intact. We have to look at the situation we have to face in order to act with understanding and dependence on Him.

By viewing the land, it is revealed that the hearts of the inhabitants of the land have melted (Joshua 2:11). To know this will encourage Israel. It is also God’s purpose to save Rahab and her family. He has started a work in her heart. The spies are used by Him to complete that work.

The land and Jericho must be spied out. Jericho is the door to the land and must be conquered before the land can be taken. Jericho is a picture of the world. It presents the world as the system through which satan wants to hinder us to take possession of our spiritual inheritance. The world exerts great attraction on us. As long as that is the case, we are weak. We must therefore first condemn it in our hearts, so that we are free from any bondage to the world.

The spies have to spy out the land. Does that mean that we also have to examine the world first, because only then do we know what to turn away from? No. In the way God sends the spies, we see how these two men are doing. In this way we learn the lesson of spying out the world.

The two men enter the land to spy out the power of the enemy. But they don’t get to see that power. Instead they met the power of God in Jericho in Rahab. God leads the spies straight to Rahab’s house. They did not go far into town. Maybe they entered the first house they can enter. And that’s all. They have been only in the house of Rahab. There they saw the work of God in the heart and life of Rahab. God is able to do such a powerful work in that city and in the heart of such a woman. In this way they come into contact with God’s work in power and testimony.

This action of God teaches us that, to see the real character of the world, we must look at the cross. In rejecting the Son of God when He is in goodness on earth, we see the true nature of the world. There we also see God’s judgment of the world. There is no longer any connection between Him and the world. Whoever sees this, gives up the world (Galatians 6:14). This can only be realized by people in whom God has worked the new life. A huge change can be seen in them. First there is love for the world and God’s people are hated. Now there is love for God’s people and the world is hated. That is the power of the gospel. That power the spies in Rahab. That is why they do not have to go further into the land.

Forty years earlier, twelve other Israelites have spied out the whole land. Ten of them returned in unbelief and “gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out” (Numbers 13:32-33). So we have to spy out in the right way and that is: see what God does in lives. That convinces. A God Who is so powerful that He can change people so completely, is also powerful to give the whole land.

It is mentioned of Rahab that “she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). That is diametrically opposed to the intentions of the king of Jericho. He is looking for the spies to kill them. The kings of Canaan, including those of Jericho, are a picture of the demons. They hate God and His ambassadors.

Rahab lies about the spies. That is her old nature. We should not put this in a good light. God does not bring anyone in circumstances to sin (James 1:13). But we should not condemn her too harshly either. What would we do in a situation that involves life or death for others and ourselves? And have men of God like Abraham and David not lied in threatening situations (Genesis 12:11-13; 1 Samuel 21:2) for more selfish motives than Rahab?

With all understanding for the behavior of Rahab it must be clear to us that lying does not belong to the new man, but to the old man (Ephesians 4:20-25). We are still in danger of showing the works of the old man. What Rahab does is part of the works of Canaan. If she had spoken the truth, God could have somehow prevented her and the spies from being harmed (Genesis 19:11; Jeremiah 36:26).

God allows Rahab to lie. He doesn’t depend on her lie to save the spies. For the men it is clear which side Rahab is on. At the risk of her own life, she has taken them in. When the soldiers come to catch them, she warns them and hides them. This act is her creed.

Rahab hides the spies because she knows these men are her only hope for salvation to escape the upcoming judgment. Her liberation depends on their hiding. She not only believes in the God of Israel, but here she makes herself one with the Israel of God. She makes herself one with them, while the people still own nothing but God.

Rahab hides the spies under stalks of flax. This has a beautiful spiritual meaning. Flax is the raw material for linen. Linen speaks of the righteous deeds of the believers (Revelation 19:8). The fact that Rahab has flax at her disposal and does a good job with it, indicates in the spiritual application that in her debauched life a reversal has already taken place earlier. She has been diligent in the good (Proverbs 31:13). By doing so, she has in her house means with which she can protect the spies against the murderousness of the enemy.

Joshua 10:5

Introduction

Before the crossing takes place, we meet Rahab in this chapter. The New Testament speaks about the “faith” of “Rahab the harlot” and about the “works” of “Rahab the harlot”:

“By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

“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?” (James 2:25).

Rahab connects herself with the people of God even before they have gained a victory. By her attitude she gives up her connection with Jericho. She believes that the judgment comes on the city. But she also believes in the mercy of God. Her request to save her whole family from judgment was met.

We need this kind of faith to enjoy the blessings God has given us. On the one hand we belong to the church of God and on the other hand we separate from the world which is under judgment. To make this true, it must be a reality for us what Rahab says in Joshua 2:11b: “For the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

Besides the practical application for us, in the history of Rahab there is also an application for the future for the people of Israel. The same can be done with the book of Acts, in which the origin and the first years of the church are described. Before the people enter the land, God shows us in Rahab that He thinks also of the Gentiles to enter into His people.

When God’s people are about to take possession of the blessing, this history shows that God also opens up this blessing to the Gentiles. Rahab belongs to “the Gentiles in the flesh” who have no right to or share in anything (Ephesians 2:11-12), but to whom the blessing of God comes as well as to His earthly people. And among these Gentiles she takes a place that is abhorrent: that of a harlot. In her incorporation into the people of God, God’s grace shines in a great way.

In the passage through the Red Sea we don’t see a figure like Rahab, because after that journey the people enter the wilderness. The wilderness is not part of God’s counsels. When God speaks to Moses from the bush about His plan to lead the people out of Egypt and bring them to the promised land, He does not speak about the wilderness either (Exodus 3:4; 8).

The land is the land of blessing. The people are on the verge of entering into the counsels of God, which contain only blessings. And when it comes to blessing, God involves the Gentiles and they may participate in it. It is as with the law and grace. The law is given to one people: Israel. Grace is not limited to one people, but goes further: to all people. Thus, all people can participate in God’s blessing if they have a faith like that of Rahab.

When Israel will be in the land in the future, after it has been converted, there will also be a great mass of nations sharing in the blessing. The nations will be given a share in these blessings through the messengers which the Lord will send out (Matthew 25:31-40). The beginning of the church also shows that the nations are given access to the blessing (Acts 8:26-39; Acts 10:44-48).

The first application is that God in the present Christian time gathers His people from all nations to connect them with the glorified Head, Christ, in heaven. The church, the body of Christ, is not only connected with Him, but made one with Him in heaven. That is why we have our place there.

In the book of Acts the first Gentiles of whom we read that they come to faith are those with a high social position. We read about a eunuch who is the treasurer, or minister of finance, of the queen of Ethiopia (Acts 8:27) and about a Roman centurion (Acts 10:1). But here a harlot is presented to us. So she is mentioned twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). That she is taken up in God’s people shows God’s special grace. That grace shines all the more when we notice that she even becomes the ancestor of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

The Spies with Rahab

Joshua sends two spies. This is not necessary to decide on a possible entry into the land. That decision has already been made (Joshua 1:11). So why is it necessary? And does not the LORD himself go out before them? Viewing the land is not like it happened from the wilderness before. There it was because of the unbelief of the people. Here it is because God wants to show us that He wants to engage His own as His instruments and that our responsibility remains fully intact. We have to look at the situation we have to face in order to act with understanding and dependence on Him.

By viewing the land, it is revealed that the hearts of the inhabitants of the land have melted (Joshua 2:11). To know this will encourage Israel. It is also God’s purpose to save Rahab and her family. He has started a work in her heart. The spies are used by Him to complete that work.

The land and Jericho must be spied out. Jericho is the door to the land and must be conquered before the land can be taken. Jericho is a picture of the world. It presents the world as the system through which satan wants to hinder us to take possession of our spiritual inheritance. The world exerts great attraction on us. As long as that is the case, we are weak. We must therefore first condemn it in our hearts, so that we are free from any bondage to the world.

The spies have to spy out the land. Does that mean that we also have to examine the world first, because only then do we know what to turn away from? No. In the way God sends the spies, we see how these two men are doing. In this way we learn the lesson of spying out the world.

The two men enter the land to spy out the power of the enemy. But they don’t get to see that power. Instead they met the power of God in Jericho in Rahab. God leads the spies straight to Rahab’s house. They did not go far into town. Maybe they entered the first house they can enter. And that’s all. They have been only in the house of Rahab. There they saw the work of God in the heart and life of Rahab. God is able to do such a powerful work in that city and in the heart of such a woman. In this way they come into contact with God’s work in power and testimony.

This action of God teaches us that, to see the real character of the world, we must look at the cross. In rejecting the Son of God when He is in goodness on earth, we see the true nature of the world. There we also see God’s judgment of the world. There is no longer any connection between Him and the world. Whoever sees this, gives up the world (Galatians 6:14). This can only be realized by people in whom God has worked the new life. A huge change can be seen in them. First there is love for the world and God’s people are hated. Now there is love for God’s people and the world is hated. That is the power of the gospel. That power the spies in Rahab. That is why they do not have to go further into the land.

Forty years earlier, twelve other Israelites have spied out the whole land. Ten of them returned in unbelief and “gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out” (Numbers 13:32-33). So we have to spy out in the right way and that is: see what God does in lives. That convinces. A God Who is so powerful that He can change people so completely, is also powerful to give the whole land.

It is mentioned of Rahab that “she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). That is diametrically opposed to the intentions of the king of Jericho. He is looking for the spies to kill them. The kings of Canaan, including those of Jericho, are a picture of the demons. They hate God and His ambassadors.

Rahab lies about the spies. That is her old nature. We should not put this in a good light. God does not bring anyone in circumstances to sin (James 1:13). But we should not condemn her too harshly either. What would we do in a situation that involves life or death for others and ourselves? And have men of God like Abraham and David not lied in threatening situations (Genesis 12:11-13; 1 Samuel 21:2) for more selfish motives than Rahab?

With all understanding for the behavior of Rahab it must be clear to us that lying does not belong to the new man, but to the old man (Ephesians 4:20-25). We are still in danger of showing the works of the old man. What Rahab does is part of the works of Canaan. If she had spoken the truth, God could have somehow prevented her and the spies from being harmed (Genesis 19:11; Jeremiah 36:26).

God allows Rahab to lie. He doesn’t depend on her lie to save the spies. For the men it is clear which side Rahab is on. At the risk of her own life, she has taken them in. When the soldiers come to catch them, she warns them and hides them. This act is her creed.

Rahab hides the spies because she knows these men are her only hope for salvation to escape the upcoming judgment. Her liberation depends on their hiding. She not only believes in the God of Israel, but here she makes herself one with the Israel of God. She makes herself one with them, while the people still own nothing but God.

Rahab hides the spies under stalks of flax. This has a beautiful spiritual meaning. Flax is the raw material for linen. Linen speaks of the righteous deeds of the believers (Revelation 19:8). The fact that Rahab has flax at her disposal and does a good job with it, indicates in the spiritual application that in her debauched life a reversal has already taken place earlier. She has been diligent in the good (Proverbs 31:13). By doing so, she has in her house means with which she can protect the spies against the murderousness of the enemy.

Joshua 10:6

Introduction

Before the crossing takes place, we meet Rahab in this chapter. The New Testament speaks about the “faith” of “Rahab the harlot” and about the “works” of “Rahab the harlot”:

“By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

“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?” (James 2:25).

Rahab connects herself with the people of God even before they have gained a victory. By her attitude she gives up her connection with Jericho. She believes that the judgment comes on the city. But she also believes in the mercy of God. Her request to save her whole family from judgment was met.

We need this kind of faith to enjoy the blessings God has given us. On the one hand we belong to the church of God and on the other hand we separate from the world which is under judgment. To make this true, it must be a reality for us what Rahab says in Joshua 2:11b: “For the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

Besides the practical application for us, in the history of Rahab there is also an application for the future for the people of Israel. The same can be done with the book of Acts, in which the origin and the first years of the church are described. Before the people enter the land, God shows us in Rahab that He thinks also of the Gentiles to enter into His people.

When God’s people are about to take possession of the blessing, this history shows that God also opens up this blessing to the Gentiles. Rahab belongs to “the Gentiles in the flesh” who have no right to or share in anything (Ephesians 2:11-12), but to whom the blessing of God comes as well as to His earthly people. And among these Gentiles she takes a place that is abhorrent: that of a harlot. In her incorporation into the people of God, God’s grace shines in a great way.

In the passage through the Red Sea we don’t see a figure like Rahab, because after that journey the people enter the wilderness. The wilderness is not part of God’s counsels. When God speaks to Moses from the bush about His plan to lead the people out of Egypt and bring them to the promised land, He does not speak about the wilderness either (Exodus 3:4; 8).

The land is the land of blessing. The people are on the verge of entering into the counsels of God, which contain only blessings. And when it comes to blessing, God involves the Gentiles and they may participate in it. It is as with the law and grace. The law is given to one people: Israel. Grace is not limited to one people, but goes further: to all people. Thus, all people can participate in God’s blessing if they have a faith like that of Rahab.

When Israel will be in the land in the future, after it has been converted, there will also be a great mass of nations sharing in the blessing. The nations will be given a share in these blessings through the messengers which the Lord will send out (Matthew 25:31-40). The beginning of the church also shows that the nations are given access to the blessing (Acts 8:26-39; Acts 10:44-48).

The first application is that God in the present Christian time gathers His people from all nations to connect them with the glorified Head, Christ, in heaven. The church, the body of Christ, is not only connected with Him, but made one with Him in heaven. That is why we have our place there.

In the book of Acts the first Gentiles of whom we read that they come to faith are those with a high social position. We read about a eunuch who is the treasurer, or minister of finance, of the queen of Ethiopia (Acts 8:27) and about a Roman centurion (Acts 10:1). But here a harlot is presented to us. So she is mentioned twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). That she is taken up in God’s people shows God’s special grace. That grace shines all the more when we notice that she even becomes the ancestor of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

The Spies with Rahab

Joshua sends two spies. This is not necessary to decide on a possible entry into the land. That decision has already been made (Joshua 1:11). So why is it necessary? And does not the LORD himself go out before them? Viewing the land is not like it happened from the wilderness before. There it was because of the unbelief of the people. Here it is because God wants to show us that He wants to engage His own as His instruments and that our responsibility remains fully intact. We have to look at the situation we have to face in order to act with understanding and dependence on Him.

By viewing the land, it is revealed that the hearts of the inhabitants of the land have melted (Joshua 2:11). To know this will encourage Israel. It is also God’s purpose to save Rahab and her family. He has started a work in her heart. The spies are used by Him to complete that work.

The land and Jericho must be spied out. Jericho is the door to the land and must be conquered before the land can be taken. Jericho is a picture of the world. It presents the world as the system through which satan wants to hinder us to take possession of our spiritual inheritance. The world exerts great attraction on us. As long as that is the case, we are weak. We must therefore first condemn it in our hearts, so that we are free from any bondage to the world.

The spies have to spy out the land. Does that mean that we also have to examine the world first, because only then do we know what to turn away from? No. In the way God sends the spies, we see how these two men are doing. In this way we learn the lesson of spying out the world.

The two men enter the land to spy out the power of the enemy. But they don’t get to see that power. Instead they met the power of God in Jericho in Rahab. God leads the spies straight to Rahab’s house. They did not go far into town. Maybe they entered the first house they can enter. And that’s all. They have been only in the house of Rahab. There they saw the work of God in the heart and life of Rahab. God is able to do such a powerful work in that city and in the heart of such a woman. In this way they come into contact with God’s work in power and testimony.

This action of God teaches us that, to see the real character of the world, we must look at the cross. In rejecting the Son of God when He is in goodness on earth, we see the true nature of the world. There we also see God’s judgment of the world. There is no longer any connection between Him and the world. Whoever sees this, gives up the world (Galatians 6:14). This can only be realized by people in whom God has worked the new life. A huge change can be seen in them. First there is love for the world and God’s people are hated. Now there is love for God’s people and the world is hated. That is the power of the gospel. That power the spies in Rahab. That is why they do not have to go further into the land.

Forty years earlier, twelve other Israelites have spied out the whole land. Ten of them returned in unbelief and “gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out” (Numbers 13:32-33). So we have to spy out in the right way and that is: see what God does in lives. That convinces. A God Who is so powerful that He can change people so completely, is also powerful to give the whole land.

It is mentioned of Rahab that “she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). That is diametrically opposed to the intentions of the king of Jericho. He is looking for the spies to kill them. The kings of Canaan, including those of Jericho, are a picture of the demons. They hate God and His ambassadors.

Rahab lies about the spies. That is her old nature. We should not put this in a good light. God does not bring anyone in circumstances to sin (James 1:13). But we should not condemn her too harshly either. What would we do in a situation that involves life or death for others and ourselves? And have men of God like Abraham and David not lied in threatening situations (Genesis 12:11-13; 1 Samuel 21:2) for more selfish motives than Rahab?

With all understanding for the behavior of Rahab it must be clear to us that lying does not belong to the new man, but to the old man (Ephesians 4:20-25). We are still in danger of showing the works of the old man. What Rahab does is part of the works of Canaan. If she had spoken the truth, God could have somehow prevented her and the spies from being harmed (Genesis 19:11; Jeremiah 36:26).

God allows Rahab to lie. He doesn’t depend on her lie to save the spies. For the men it is clear which side Rahab is on. At the risk of her own life, she has taken them in. When the soldiers come to catch them, she warns them and hides them. This act is her creed.

Rahab hides the spies because she knows these men are her only hope for salvation to escape the upcoming judgment. Her liberation depends on their hiding. She not only believes in the God of Israel, but here she makes herself one with the Israel of God. She makes herself one with them, while the people still own nothing but God.

Rahab hides the spies under stalks of flax. This has a beautiful spiritual meaning. Flax is the raw material for linen. Linen speaks of the righteous deeds of the believers (Revelation 19:8). The fact that Rahab has flax at her disposal and does a good job with it, indicates in the spiritual application that in her debauched life a reversal has already taken place earlier. She has been diligent in the good (Proverbs 31:13). By doing so, she has in her house means with which she can protect the spies against the murderousness of the enemy.

Joshua 10:7

Introduction

Before the crossing takes place, we meet Rahab in this chapter. The New Testament speaks about the “faith” of “Rahab the harlot” and about the “works” of “Rahab the harlot”:

“By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

“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?” (James 2:25).

Rahab connects herself with the people of God even before they have gained a victory. By her attitude she gives up her connection with Jericho. She believes that the judgment comes on the city. But she also believes in the mercy of God. Her request to save her whole family from judgment was met.

We need this kind of faith to enjoy the blessings God has given us. On the one hand we belong to the church of God and on the other hand we separate from the world which is under judgment. To make this true, it must be a reality for us what Rahab says in Joshua 2:11b: “For the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

Besides the practical application for us, in the history of Rahab there is also an application for the future for the people of Israel. The same can be done with the book of Acts, in which the origin and the first years of the church are described. Before the people enter the land, God shows us in Rahab that He thinks also of the Gentiles to enter into His people.

When God’s people are about to take possession of the blessing, this history shows that God also opens up this blessing to the Gentiles. Rahab belongs to “the Gentiles in the flesh” who have no right to or share in anything (Ephesians 2:11-12), but to whom the blessing of God comes as well as to His earthly people. And among these Gentiles she takes a place that is abhorrent: that of a harlot. In her incorporation into the people of God, God’s grace shines in a great way.

In the passage through the Red Sea we don’t see a figure like Rahab, because after that journey the people enter the wilderness. The wilderness is not part of God’s counsels. When God speaks to Moses from the bush about His plan to lead the people out of Egypt and bring them to the promised land, He does not speak about the wilderness either (Exodus 3:4; 8).

The land is the land of blessing. The people are on the verge of entering into the counsels of God, which contain only blessings. And when it comes to blessing, God involves the Gentiles and they may participate in it. It is as with the law and grace. The law is given to one people: Israel. Grace is not limited to one people, but goes further: to all people. Thus, all people can participate in God’s blessing if they have a faith like that of Rahab.

When Israel will be in the land in the future, after it has been converted, there will also be a great mass of nations sharing in the blessing. The nations will be given a share in these blessings through the messengers which the Lord will send out (Matthew 25:31-40). The beginning of the church also shows that the nations are given access to the blessing (Acts 8:26-39; Acts 10:44-48).

The first application is that God in the present Christian time gathers His people from all nations to connect them with the glorified Head, Christ, in heaven. The church, the body of Christ, is not only connected with Him, but made one with Him in heaven. That is why we have our place there.

In the book of Acts the first Gentiles of whom we read that they come to faith are those with a high social position. We read about a eunuch who is the treasurer, or minister of finance, of the queen of Ethiopia (Acts 8:27) and about a Roman centurion (Acts 10:1). But here a harlot is presented to us. So she is mentioned twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). That she is taken up in God’s people shows God’s special grace. That grace shines all the more when we notice that she even becomes the ancestor of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

The Spies with Rahab

Joshua sends two spies. This is not necessary to decide on a possible entry into the land. That decision has already been made (Joshua 1:11). So why is it necessary? And does not the LORD himself go out before them? Viewing the land is not like it happened from the wilderness before. There it was because of the unbelief of the people. Here it is because God wants to show us that He wants to engage His own as His instruments and that our responsibility remains fully intact. We have to look at the situation we have to face in order to act with understanding and dependence on Him.

By viewing the land, it is revealed that the hearts of the inhabitants of the land have melted (Joshua 2:11). To know this will encourage Israel. It is also God’s purpose to save Rahab and her family. He has started a work in her heart. The spies are used by Him to complete that work.

The land and Jericho must be spied out. Jericho is the door to the land and must be conquered before the land can be taken. Jericho is a picture of the world. It presents the world as the system through which satan wants to hinder us to take possession of our spiritual inheritance. The world exerts great attraction on us. As long as that is the case, we are weak. We must therefore first condemn it in our hearts, so that we are free from any bondage to the world.

The spies have to spy out the land. Does that mean that we also have to examine the world first, because only then do we know what to turn away from? No. In the way God sends the spies, we see how these two men are doing. In this way we learn the lesson of spying out the world.

The two men enter the land to spy out the power of the enemy. But they don’t get to see that power. Instead they met the power of God in Jericho in Rahab. God leads the spies straight to Rahab’s house. They did not go far into town. Maybe they entered the first house they can enter. And that’s all. They have been only in the house of Rahab. There they saw the work of God in the heart and life of Rahab. God is able to do such a powerful work in that city and in the heart of such a woman. In this way they come into contact with God’s work in power and testimony.

This action of God teaches us that, to see the real character of the world, we must look at the cross. In rejecting the Son of God when He is in goodness on earth, we see the true nature of the world. There we also see God’s judgment of the world. There is no longer any connection between Him and the world. Whoever sees this, gives up the world (Galatians 6:14). This can only be realized by people in whom God has worked the new life. A huge change can be seen in them. First there is love for the world and God’s people are hated. Now there is love for God’s people and the world is hated. That is the power of the gospel. That power the spies in Rahab. That is why they do not have to go further into the land.

Forty years earlier, twelve other Israelites have spied out the whole land. Ten of them returned in unbelief and “gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out” (Numbers 13:32-33). So we have to spy out in the right way and that is: see what God does in lives. That convinces. A God Who is so powerful that He can change people so completely, is also powerful to give the whole land.

It is mentioned of Rahab that “she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). That is diametrically opposed to the intentions of the king of Jericho. He is looking for the spies to kill them. The kings of Canaan, including those of Jericho, are a picture of the demons. They hate God and His ambassadors.

Rahab lies about the spies. That is her old nature. We should not put this in a good light. God does not bring anyone in circumstances to sin (James 1:13). But we should not condemn her too harshly either. What would we do in a situation that involves life or death for others and ourselves? And have men of God like Abraham and David not lied in threatening situations (Genesis 12:11-13; 1 Samuel 21:2) for more selfish motives than Rahab?

With all understanding for the behavior of Rahab it must be clear to us that lying does not belong to the new man, but to the old man (Ephesians 4:20-25). We are still in danger of showing the works of the old man. What Rahab does is part of the works of Canaan. If she had spoken the truth, God could have somehow prevented her and the spies from being harmed (Genesis 19:11; Jeremiah 36:26).

God allows Rahab to lie. He doesn’t depend on her lie to save the spies. For the men it is clear which side Rahab is on. At the risk of her own life, she has taken them in. When the soldiers come to catch them, she warns them and hides them. This act is her creed.

Rahab hides the spies because she knows these men are her only hope for salvation to escape the upcoming judgment. Her liberation depends on their hiding. She not only believes in the God of Israel, but here she makes herself one with the Israel of God. She makes herself one with them, while the people still own nothing but God.

Rahab hides the spies under stalks of flax. This has a beautiful spiritual meaning. Flax is the raw material for linen. Linen speaks of the righteous deeds of the believers (Revelation 19:8). The fact that Rahab has flax at her disposal and does a good job with it, indicates in the spiritual application that in her debauched life a reversal has already taken place earlier. She has been diligent in the good (Proverbs 31:13). By doing so, she has in her house means with which she can protect the spies against the murderousness of the enemy.

Joshua 10:8

Introduction

Before the crossing takes place, we meet Rahab in this chapter. The New Testament speaks about the “faith” of “Rahab the harlot” and about the “works” of “Rahab the harlot”:

“By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

“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?” (James 2:25).

Rahab connects herself with the people of God even before they have gained a victory. By her attitude she gives up her connection with Jericho. She believes that the judgment comes on the city. But she also believes in the mercy of God. Her request to save her whole family from judgment was met.

We need this kind of faith to enjoy the blessings God has given us. On the one hand we belong to the church of God and on the other hand we separate from the world which is under judgment. To make this true, it must be a reality for us what Rahab says in Joshua 2:11b: “For the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

Besides the practical application for us, in the history of Rahab there is also an application for the future for the people of Israel. The same can be done with the book of Acts, in which the origin and the first years of the church are described. Before the people enter the land, God shows us in Rahab that He thinks also of the Gentiles to enter into His people.

When God’s people are about to take possession of the blessing, this history shows that God also opens up this blessing to the Gentiles. Rahab belongs to “the Gentiles in the flesh” who have no right to or share in anything (Ephesians 2:11-12), but to whom the blessing of God comes as well as to His earthly people. And among these Gentiles she takes a place that is abhorrent: that of a harlot. In her incorporation into the people of God, God’s grace shines in a great way.

In the passage through the Red Sea we don’t see a figure like Rahab, because after that journey the people enter the wilderness. The wilderness is not part of God’s counsels. When God speaks to Moses from the bush about His plan to lead the people out of Egypt and bring them to the promised land, He does not speak about the wilderness either (Exodus 3:4; 8).

The land is the land of blessing. The people are on the verge of entering into the counsels of God, which contain only blessings. And when it comes to blessing, God involves the Gentiles and they may participate in it. It is as with the law and grace. The law is given to one people: Israel. Grace is not limited to one people, but goes further: to all people. Thus, all people can participate in God’s blessing if they have a faith like that of Rahab.

When Israel will be in the land in the future, after it has been converted, there will also be a great mass of nations sharing in the blessing. The nations will be given a share in these blessings through the messengers which the Lord will send out (Matthew 25:31-40). The beginning of the church also shows that the nations are given access to the blessing (Acts 8:26-39; Acts 10:44-48).

The first application is that God in the present Christian time gathers His people from all nations to connect them with the glorified Head, Christ, in heaven. The church, the body of Christ, is not only connected with Him, but made one with Him in heaven. That is why we have our place there.

In the book of Acts the first Gentiles of whom we read that they come to faith are those with a high social position. We read about a eunuch who is the treasurer, or minister of finance, of the queen of Ethiopia (Acts 8:27) and about a Roman centurion (Acts 10:1). But here a harlot is presented to us. So she is mentioned twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). That she is taken up in God’s people shows God’s special grace. That grace shines all the more when we notice that she even becomes the ancestor of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

The Spies with Rahab

Joshua sends two spies. This is not necessary to decide on a possible entry into the land. That decision has already been made (Joshua 1:11). So why is it necessary? And does not the LORD himself go out before them? Viewing the land is not like it happened from the wilderness before. There it was because of the unbelief of the people. Here it is because God wants to show us that He wants to engage His own as His instruments and that our responsibility remains fully intact. We have to look at the situation we have to face in order to act with understanding and dependence on Him.

By viewing the land, it is revealed that the hearts of the inhabitants of the land have melted (Joshua 2:11). To know this will encourage Israel. It is also God’s purpose to save Rahab and her family. He has started a work in her heart. The spies are used by Him to complete that work.

The land and Jericho must be spied out. Jericho is the door to the land and must be conquered before the land can be taken. Jericho is a picture of the world. It presents the world as the system through which satan wants to hinder us to take possession of our spiritual inheritance. The world exerts great attraction on us. As long as that is the case, we are weak. We must therefore first condemn it in our hearts, so that we are free from any bondage to the world.

The spies have to spy out the land. Does that mean that we also have to examine the world first, because only then do we know what to turn away from? No. In the way God sends the spies, we see how these two men are doing. In this way we learn the lesson of spying out the world.

The two men enter the land to spy out the power of the enemy. But they don’t get to see that power. Instead they met the power of God in Jericho in Rahab. God leads the spies straight to Rahab’s house. They did not go far into town. Maybe they entered the first house they can enter. And that’s all. They have been only in the house of Rahab. There they saw the work of God in the heart and life of Rahab. God is able to do such a powerful work in that city and in the heart of such a woman. In this way they come into contact with God’s work in power and testimony.

This action of God teaches us that, to see the real character of the world, we must look at the cross. In rejecting the Son of God when He is in goodness on earth, we see the true nature of the world. There we also see God’s judgment of the world. There is no longer any connection between Him and the world. Whoever sees this, gives up the world (Galatians 6:14). This can only be realized by people in whom God has worked the new life. A huge change can be seen in them. First there is love for the world and God’s people are hated. Now there is love for God’s people and the world is hated. That is the power of the gospel. That power the spies in Rahab. That is why they do not have to go further into the land.

Forty years earlier, twelve other Israelites have spied out the whole land. Ten of them returned in unbelief and “gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out” (Numbers 13:32-33). So we have to spy out in the right way and that is: see what God does in lives. That convinces. A God Who is so powerful that He can change people so completely, is also powerful to give the whole land.

It is mentioned of Rahab that “she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). That is diametrically opposed to the intentions of the king of Jericho. He is looking for the spies to kill them. The kings of Canaan, including those of Jericho, are a picture of the demons. They hate God and His ambassadors.

Rahab lies about the spies. That is her old nature. We should not put this in a good light. God does not bring anyone in circumstances to sin (James 1:13). But we should not condemn her too harshly either. What would we do in a situation that involves life or death for others and ourselves? And have men of God like Abraham and David not lied in threatening situations (Genesis 12:11-13; 1 Samuel 21:2) for more selfish motives than Rahab?

With all understanding for the behavior of Rahab it must be clear to us that lying does not belong to the new man, but to the old man (Ephesians 4:20-25). We are still in danger of showing the works of the old man. What Rahab does is part of the works of Canaan. If she had spoken the truth, God could have somehow prevented her and the spies from being harmed (Genesis 19:11; Jeremiah 36:26).

God allows Rahab to lie. He doesn’t depend on her lie to save the spies. For the men it is clear which side Rahab is on. At the risk of her own life, she has taken them in. When the soldiers come to catch them, she warns them and hides them. This act is her creed.

Rahab hides the spies because she knows these men are her only hope for salvation to escape the upcoming judgment. Her liberation depends on their hiding. She not only believes in the God of Israel, but here she makes herself one with the Israel of God. She makes herself one with them, while the people still own nothing but God.

Rahab hides the spies under stalks of flax. This has a beautiful spiritual meaning. Flax is the raw material for linen. Linen speaks of the righteous deeds of the believers (Revelation 19:8). The fact that Rahab has flax at her disposal and does a good job with it, indicates in the spiritual application that in her debauched life a reversal has already taken place earlier. She has been diligent in the good (Proverbs 31:13). By doing so, she has in her house means with which she can protect the spies against the murderousness of the enemy.

Joshua 10:9

Introduction

Before the crossing takes place, we meet Rahab in this chapter. The New Testament speaks about the “faith” of “Rahab the harlot” and about the “works” of “Rahab the harlot”:

“By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

“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?” (James 2:25).

Rahab connects herself with the people of God even before they have gained a victory. By her attitude she gives up her connection with Jericho. She believes that the judgment comes on the city. But she also believes in the mercy of God. Her request to save her whole family from judgment was met.

We need this kind of faith to enjoy the blessings God has given us. On the one hand we belong to the church of God and on the other hand we separate from the world which is under judgment. To make this true, it must be a reality for us what Rahab says in Joshua 2:11b: “For the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

Besides the practical application for us, in the history of Rahab there is also an application for the future for the people of Israel. The same can be done with the book of Acts, in which the origin and the first years of the church are described. Before the people enter the land, God shows us in Rahab that He thinks also of the Gentiles to enter into His people.

When God’s people are about to take possession of the blessing, this history shows that God also opens up this blessing to the Gentiles. Rahab belongs to “the Gentiles in the flesh” who have no right to or share in anything (Ephesians 2:11-12), but to whom the blessing of God comes as well as to His earthly people. And among these Gentiles she takes a place that is abhorrent: that of a harlot. In her incorporation into the people of God, God’s grace shines in a great way.

In the passage through the Red Sea we don’t see a figure like Rahab, because after that journey the people enter the wilderness. The wilderness is not part of God’s counsels. When God speaks to Moses from the bush about His plan to lead the people out of Egypt and bring them to the promised land, He does not speak about the wilderness either (Exodus 3:4; 8).

The land is the land of blessing. The people are on the verge of entering into the counsels of God, which contain only blessings. And when it comes to blessing, God involves the Gentiles and they may participate in it. It is as with the law and grace. The law is given to one people: Israel. Grace is not limited to one people, but goes further: to all people. Thus, all people can participate in God’s blessing if they have a faith like that of Rahab.

When Israel will be in the land in the future, after it has been converted, there will also be a great mass of nations sharing in the blessing. The nations will be given a share in these blessings through the messengers which the Lord will send out (Matthew 25:31-40). The beginning of the church also shows that the nations are given access to the blessing (Acts 8:26-39; Acts 10:44-48).

The first application is that God in the present Christian time gathers His people from all nations to connect them with the glorified Head, Christ, in heaven. The church, the body of Christ, is not only connected with Him, but made one with Him in heaven. That is why we have our place there.

In the book of Acts the first Gentiles of whom we read that they come to faith are those with a high social position. We read about a eunuch who is the treasurer, or minister of finance, of the queen of Ethiopia (Acts 8:27) and about a Roman centurion (Acts 10:1). But here a harlot is presented to us. So she is mentioned twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). That she is taken up in God’s people shows God’s special grace. That grace shines all the more when we notice that she even becomes the ancestor of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

The Spies with Rahab

Joshua sends two spies. This is not necessary to decide on a possible entry into the land. That decision has already been made (Joshua 1:11). So why is it necessary? And does not the LORD himself go out before them? Viewing the land is not like it happened from the wilderness before. There it was because of the unbelief of the people. Here it is because God wants to show us that He wants to engage His own as His instruments and that our responsibility remains fully intact. We have to look at the situation we have to face in order to act with understanding and dependence on Him.

By viewing the land, it is revealed that the hearts of the inhabitants of the land have melted (Joshua 2:11). To know this will encourage Israel. It is also God’s purpose to save Rahab and her family. He has started a work in her heart. The spies are used by Him to complete that work.

The land and Jericho must be spied out. Jericho is the door to the land and must be conquered before the land can be taken. Jericho is a picture of the world. It presents the world as the system through which satan wants to hinder us to take possession of our spiritual inheritance. The world exerts great attraction on us. As long as that is the case, we are weak. We must therefore first condemn it in our hearts, so that we are free from any bondage to the world.

The spies have to spy out the land. Does that mean that we also have to examine the world first, because only then do we know what to turn away from? No. In the way God sends the spies, we see how these two men are doing. In this way we learn the lesson of spying out the world.

The two men enter the land to spy out the power of the enemy. But they don’t get to see that power. Instead they met the power of God in Jericho in Rahab. God leads the spies straight to Rahab’s house. They did not go far into town. Maybe they entered the first house they can enter. And that’s all. They have been only in the house of Rahab. There they saw the work of God in the heart and life of Rahab. God is able to do such a powerful work in that city and in the heart of such a woman. In this way they come into contact with God’s work in power and testimony.

This action of God teaches us that, to see the real character of the world, we must look at the cross. In rejecting the Son of God when He is in goodness on earth, we see the true nature of the world. There we also see God’s judgment of the world. There is no longer any connection between Him and the world. Whoever sees this, gives up the world (Galatians 6:14). This can only be realized by people in whom God has worked the new life. A huge change can be seen in them. First there is love for the world and God’s people are hated. Now there is love for God’s people and the world is hated. That is the power of the gospel. That power the spies in Rahab. That is why they do not have to go further into the land.

Forty years earlier, twelve other Israelites have spied out the whole land. Ten of them returned in unbelief and “gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out” (Numbers 13:32-33). So we have to spy out in the right way and that is: see what God does in lives. That convinces. A God Who is so powerful that He can change people so completely, is also powerful to give the whole land.

It is mentioned of Rahab that “she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). That is diametrically opposed to the intentions of the king of Jericho. He is looking for the spies to kill them. The kings of Canaan, including those of Jericho, are a picture of the demons. They hate God and His ambassadors.

Rahab lies about the spies. That is her old nature. We should not put this in a good light. God does not bring anyone in circumstances to sin (James 1:13). But we should not condemn her too harshly either. What would we do in a situation that involves life or death for others and ourselves? And have men of God like Abraham and David not lied in threatening situations (Genesis 12:11-13; 1 Samuel 21:2) for more selfish motives than Rahab?

With all understanding for the behavior of Rahab it must be clear to us that lying does not belong to the new man, but to the old man (Ephesians 4:20-25). We are still in danger of showing the works of the old man. What Rahab does is part of the works of Canaan. If she had spoken the truth, God could have somehow prevented her and the spies from being harmed (Genesis 19:11; Jeremiah 36:26).

God allows Rahab to lie. He doesn’t depend on her lie to save the spies. For the men it is clear which side Rahab is on. At the risk of her own life, she has taken them in. When the soldiers come to catch them, she warns them and hides them. This act is her creed.

Rahab hides the spies because she knows these men are her only hope for salvation to escape the upcoming judgment. Her liberation depends on their hiding. She not only believes in the God of Israel, but here she makes herself one with the Israel of God. She makes herself one with them, while the people still own nothing but God.

Rahab hides the spies under stalks of flax. This has a beautiful spiritual meaning. Flax is the raw material for linen. Linen speaks of the righteous deeds of the believers (Revelation 19:8). The fact that Rahab has flax at her disposal and does a good job with it, indicates in the spiritual application that in her debauched life a reversal has already taken place earlier. She has been diligent in the good (Proverbs 31:13). By doing so, she has in her house means with which she can protect the spies against the murderousness of the enemy.

Joshua 10:10

Testimony of Rahab

By confessing “I know”, she gives testimony of her personal faith. It shows a greater faith than the ten aforementioned spies. Furthermore, she speaks a confession in the name of all the inhabitants of the land (Joshua 2:9b-11). She confesses that terror has fallen on all and that they all have melted away. This is what Moses predicted when the people were passed through the Red Sea: “No man will be able to stand before you; the LORD your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you” (Deuteronomy 11:25; cf. Exodus 15:14-16).

The mere observation that their hearts have melted away because of what God has done is not a confession of faith that frees them from judgment. We also know from the demons that they believe “that God is one … and shudder” (James 2:19). This belief is not the saving faith as it is present in Rahab personally. Demons are represented in the kings of Canaan. Their faith, like that of the demons, is a belief in the power of God, while they at the same time hate this God. The king of Jericho shows this because he wants to kill the spies. He can only hate God.

Not all people who live in Canaan are a picture of the demons. Many are only slaves of demonic powers. Such a person is also Rahab. For her is hope, not for the demons. Rahab speaks in faith that the LORD has given the land to His people. That brings no hatred in her heart, but trust. She also believes in the LORD Himself and not as the God of any particular people only, but as the God of heaven and earth (Joshua 2:11b). This confession is strongly reminiscent of what Moses told the Israelites and what he wants them to take to heart: “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

Joshua 10:11

Testimony of Rahab

By confessing “I know”, she gives testimony of her personal faith. It shows a greater faith than the ten aforementioned spies. Furthermore, she speaks a confession in the name of all the inhabitants of the land (Joshua 2:9b-11). She confesses that terror has fallen on all and that they all have melted away. This is what Moses predicted when the people were passed through the Red Sea: “No man will be able to stand before you; the LORD your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you” (Deuteronomy 11:25; cf. Exodus 15:14-16).

The mere observation that their hearts have melted away because of what God has done is not a confession of faith that frees them from judgment. We also know from the demons that they believe “that God is one … and shudder” (James 2:19). This belief is not the saving faith as it is present in Rahab personally. Demons are represented in the kings of Canaan. Their faith, like that of the demons, is a belief in the power of God, while they at the same time hate this God. The king of Jericho shows this because he wants to kill the spies. He can only hate God.

Not all people who live in Canaan are a picture of the demons. Many are only slaves of demonic powers. Such a person is also Rahab. For her is hope, not for the demons. Rahab speaks in faith that the LORD has given the land to His people. That brings no hatred in her heart, but trust. She also believes in the LORD Himself and not as the God of any particular people only, but as the God of heaven and earth (Joshua 2:11b). This confession is strongly reminiscent of what Moses told the Israelites and what he wants them to take to heart: “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

Joshua 10:12

Testimony of Rahab

By confessing “I know”, she gives testimony of her personal faith. It shows a greater faith than the ten aforementioned spies. Furthermore, she speaks a confession in the name of all the inhabitants of the land (Joshua 2:9b-11). She confesses that terror has fallen on all and that they all have melted away. This is what Moses predicted when the people were passed through the Red Sea: “No man will be able to stand before you; the LORD your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you” (Deuteronomy 11:25; cf. Exodus 15:14-16).

The mere observation that their hearts have melted away because of what God has done is not a confession of faith that frees them from judgment. We also know from the demons that they believe “that God is one … and shudder” (James 2:19). This belief is not the saving faith as it is present in Rahab personally. Demons are represented in the kings of Canaan. Their faith, like that of the demons, is a belief in the power of God, while they at the same time hate this God. The king of Jericho shows this because he wants to kill the spies. He can only hate God.

Not all people who live in Canaan are a picture of the demons. Many are only slaves of demonic powers. Such a person is also Rahab. For her is hope, not for the demons. Rahab speaks in faith that the LORD has given the land to His people. That brings no hatred in her heart, but trust. She also believes in the LORD Himself and not as the God of any particular people only, but as the God of heaven and earth (Joshua 2:11b). This confession is strongly reminiscent of what Moses told the Israelites and what he wants them to take to heart: “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

Joshua 10:13

Testimony of Rahab

By confessing “I know”, she gives testimony of her personal faith. It shows a greater faith than the ten aforementioned spies. Furthermore, she speaks a confession in the name of all the inhabitants of the land (Joshua 2:9b-11). She confesses that terror has fallen on all and that they all have melted away. This is what Moses predicted when the people were passed through the Red Sea: “No man will be able to stand before you; the LORD your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you” (Deuteronomy 11:25; cf. Exodus 15:14-16).

The mere observation that their hearts have melted away because of what God has done is not a confession of faith that frees them from judgment. We also know from the demons that they believe “that God is one … and shudder” (James 2:19). This belief is not the saving faith as it is present in Rahab personally. Demons are represented in the kings of Canaan. Their faith, like that of the demons, is a belief in the power of God, while they at the same time hate this God. The king of Jericho shows this because he wants to kill the spies. He can only hate God.

Not all people who live in Canaan are a picture of the demons. Many are only slaves of demonic powers. Such a person is also Rahab. For her is hope, not for the demons. Rahab speaks in faith that the LORD has given the land to His people. That brings no hatred in her heart, but trust. She also believes in the LORD Himself and not as the God of any particular people only, but as the God of heaven and earth (Joshua 2:11b). This confession is strongly reminiscent of what Moses told the Israelites and what he wants them to take to heart: “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

Joshua 10:14

Rahab Pleads for Her Family

Rahab doesn’t only ask for salvation for herself. Although she is not the head of a family, she still asks for salvation for all of her family. That is her wish. She makes this known. She trusts in the goodness of God. It is according to God’s thought to save families. That does not take away our responsibility to tell them about it. Rahab must also go to her relatives to tell them what is needed to be saved. We must go out to announce the only way of salvation.

Caring for her family is proof that she has already broken with her harlotry. For a harlot, family relationships established by God mean nothing, no matter how much she herself may sometimes claim the opposite. When there is a real conversion, we also notice a desire for broken family relationships to be restored.

There is no valid motive for God we could imagine why someone goes or stays in prostitution. Nowhere in the Bible is there any mention of harlotry with any respect or even understanding. It is always strongly condemned. All sins are bad, but God describes fornication as a special sin (1 Corinthians 6:18). But also for a harlot there is grace. We see that in Rahab.

Joshua 10:15

Rahab Pleads for Her Family

Rahab doesn’t only ask for salvation for herself. Although she is not the head of a family, she still asks for salvation for all of her family. That is her wish. She makes this known. She trusts in the goodness of God. It is according to God’s thought to save families. That does not take away our responsibility to tell them about it. Rahab must also go to her relatives to tell them what is needed to be saved. We must go out to announce the only way of salvation.

Caring for her family is proof that she has already broken with her harlotry. For a harlot, family relationships established by God mean nothing, no matter how much she herself may sometimes claim the opposite. When there is a real conversion, we also notice a desire for broken family relationships to be restored.

There is no valid motive for God we could imagine why someone goes or stays in prostitution. Nowhere in the Bible is there any mention of harlotry with any respect or even understanding. It is always strongly condemned. All sins are bad, but God describes fornication as a special sin (1 Corinthians 6:18). But also for a harlot there is grace. We see that in Rahab.

Joshua 10:16

The Rescue Plan

When Rahab has expressed her wish, she needs words of salvation. Those words are spoken by the spies. She doesn’t have to perish along with the people of Jericho. The means is offered to her. If she really wants to benefit from it, then it is necessary that she believes the testimony of both spies and does what they have said.

Rahab believes the testimony of the men. She also has the faith that her testimony will be accepted by her family. When she tells her family that there is salvation in her house, her family believes her. They come to her house and are saved (Joshua 6:22-23). Because they believe her words, they are saved. How are we known; do they believe our testimony?

Long ago, two men, angels, also gave testimony of the judgment that would come upon Sodom to a man who lived there: Lot. They warned him of that judgment and asked him who else he had in his house. When it came down to it, his sons-in-law would not come along. They did not believe the testimony of Lot (Genesis 19:14). The testimony of Lot is in stark contrast to that of Rahab. This is because Lot is a believer, but does not live according to that at all, while Rahab has radically broken with her old life and puts herself on the side of God and the side of God’s people.

In the two spies who bear witness to salvation, we can see a picture of the two Witnesses God has given us in our time: the Word and the Spirit. God’s Word gives us the certainty of judgment and salvation. Rahab has believed what the spies, the witnesses, have said. That is how she was saved. Thus the faith in what God has said gives the certainty of salvation.

The second Witness is the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit bear witness to a Man in heaven. This speaks of an accomplished work. The Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to testify of Him: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you” (John 16:13-14). If the enemy wants to attack us, we may look on Him.

Rahab shows two works of faith, both mentioned in the New Testament. The first work of faith is that she had “welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). The second work of faith is that she “sent them out by another way” (James 2:25). In Hebrews 11:31 there is talk of her faith. In James 2:25 there is talk of her works in welcoming the messengers, who she sends out by another way. Both testimonies complement each other. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Rahab proves her faith through her actions.

She lets the spies go in relying on their promise. James speaks of “messengers”, although they are spies. But for Rahab they are men who have come to her with a message from God. They speak words of salvation she needs. She is convinced of the coming judgment, but does not yet know how she can escape it. They told her.

The spies entered through the door, but to leave, Rahab sends them outside through another way, the window. She lets them go, but in the confidence that they will come back. Rahab stays behind with a happy and hopeful heart. She no longer lives by the door, but by the window: she is looking forward to salvation. The window of Rahab is not directed to Jericho, but outward, to the people of God.

The name of Rahab appears in two remarkable lists of names in the New Testament. First in Matthew 1, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She is one of the four women mentioned in that genealogy. The second list of names is that of the witnesses of faith in Hebrews 11. In that list, only two women are mentioned: Sarah and she (Hebrews 11:11; 31). In this way she is connected in a special way with the wife of Abraham.

Her mention in James 2 links her to Abraham whose work of faith is quoted in the preceding verses (James 2:21-25). Both Abraham and she are quoted by James to show how the present but invisible faith becomes visible through one’s works. Saying you believe is not enough. The confession of faith is only justified if there are works that come from your faith and therefore provide proof that there is real faith present (James 2:26).

By the way, the acts of faith of either Rahab or Abraham are not directly acts that are admired by the world. In the eyes of the world, Rahab is a land traitor and Abraham a child murderer. That is why it is not the world that determines what works of faith are, but God.

As soon as the spies have left, she hangs the cord out of the window (Joshua 2:21). She does not wait, as the spies have told her, until the people of God enter the land (Joshua 2:18). She immediately bears witness to her faith. The cord means her salvation. In this way she is in contact with the people of God. Her house is on the wall, on the outside. There she lets the spies leave her house. The scarlet cord symbolizes the work of the Lord Jesus. Scarlet is a red dye obtained from a specific type of worm. This is in connection with a statement prophetically referring to the Lord Jesus on the cross: “But I am a worm and not a man” (Psalms 22:6).

Scarlet speaks not only of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, but also of His kingdom. Kings go dressed in scarlet. He obtains His kingship through suffering. It is remarkable that the Gospel that presents the Lord Jesus as King, the Gospel according to Matthew, as the only one of the four Gospels speaks of “a scarlet robe” that is mockingly put on Him (Matthew 27:28).

The red color speaks of the blood. Not only the words of the spies, but also the foundation of the shed blood gives the certainty of salvation. Rahab and her family hide, as it were, behind the blood (cf. Exodus 12:7; 12-13).

Joshua 10:17

The Rescue Plan

When Rahab has expressed her wish, she needs words of salvation. Those words are spoken by the spies. She doesn’t have to perish along with the people of Jericho. The means is offered to her. If she really wants to benefit from it, then it is necessary that she believes the testimony of both spies and does what they have said.

Rahab believes the testimony of the men. She also has the faith that her testimony will be accepted by her family. When she tells her family that there is salvation in her house, her family believes her. They come to her house and are saved (Joshua 6:22-23). Because they believe her words, they are saved. How are we known; do they believe our testimony?

Long ago, two men, angels, also gave testimony of the judgment that would come upon Sodom to a man who lived there: Lot. They warned him of that judgment and asked him who else he had in his house. When it came down to it, his sons-in-law would not come along. They did not believe the testimony of Lot (Genesis 19:14). The testimony of Lot is in stark contrast to that of Rahab. This is because Lot is a believer, but does not live according to that at all, while Rahab has radically broken with her old life and puts herself on the side of God and the side of God’s people.

In the two spies who bear witness to salvation, we can see a picture of the two Witnesses God has given us in our time: the Word and the Spirit. God’s Word gives us the certainty of judgment and salvation. Rahab has believed what the spies, the witnesses, have said. That is how she was saved. Thus the faith in what God has said gives the certainty of salvation.

The second Witness is the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit bear witness to a Man in heaven. This speaks of an accomplished work. The Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to testify of Him: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you” (John 16:13-14). If the enemy wants to attack us, we may look on Him.

Rahab shows two works of faith, both mentioned in the New Testament. The first work of faith is that she had “welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). The second work of faith is that she “sent them out by another way” (James 2:25). In Hebrews 11:31 there is talk of her faith. In James 2:25 there is talk of her works in welcoming the messengers, who she sends out by another way. Both testimonies complement each other. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Rahab proves her faith through her actions.

She lets the spies go in relying on their promise. James speaks of “messengers”, although they are spies. But for Rahab they are men who have come to her with a message from God. They speak words of salvation she needs. She is convinced of the coming judgment, but does not yet know how she can escape it. They told her.

The spies entered through the door, but to leave, Rahab sends them outside through another way, the window. She lets them go, but in the confidence that they will come back. Rahab stays behind with a happy and hopeful heart. She no longer lives by the door, but by the window: she is looking forward to salvation. The window of Rahab is not directed to Jericho, but outward, to the people of God.

The name of Rahab appears in two remarkable lists of names in the New Testament. First in Matthew 1, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She is one of the four women mentioned in that genealogy. The second list of names is that of the witnesses of faith in Hebrews 11. In that list, only two women are mentioned: Sarah and she (Hebrews 11:11; 31). In this way she is connected in a special way with the wife of Abraham.

Her mention in James 2 links her to Abraham whose work of faith is quoted in the preceding verses (James 2:21-25). Both Abraham and she are quoted by James to show how the present but invisible faith becomes visible through one’s works. Saying you believe is not enough. The confession of faith is only justified if there are works that come from your faith and therefore provide proof that there is real faith present (James 2:26).

By the way, the acts of faith of either Rahab or Abraham are not directly acts that are admired by the world. In the eyes of the world, Rahab is a land traitor and Abraham a child murderer. That is why it is not the world that determines what works of faith are, but God.

As soon as the spies have left, she hangs the cord out of the window (Joshua 2:21). She does not wait, as the spies have told her, until the people of God enter the land (Joshua 2:18). She immediately bears witness to her faith. The cord means her salvation. In this way she is in contact with the people of God. Her house is on the wall, on the outside. There she lets the spies leave her house. The scarlet cord symbolizes the work of the Lord Jesus. Scarlet is a red dye obtained from a specific type of worm. This is in connection with a statement prophetically referring to the Lord Jesus on the cross: “But I am a worm and not a man” (Psalms 22:6).

Scarlet speaks not only of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, but also of His kingdom. Kings go dressed in scarlet. He obtains His kingship through suffering. It is remarkable that the Gospel that presents the Lord Jesus as King, the Gospel according to Matthew, as the only one of the four Gospels speaks of “a scarlet robe” that is mockingly put on Him (Matthew 27:28).

The red color speaks of the blood. Not only the words of the spies, but also the foundation of the shed blood gives the certainty of salvation. Rahab and her family hide, as it were, behind the blood (cf. Exodus 12:7; 12-13).

Joshua 10:18

The Rescue Plan

When Rahab has expressed her wish, she needs words of salvation. Those words are spoken by the spies. She doesn’t have to perish along with the people of Jericho. The means is offered to her. If she really wants to benefit from it, then it is necessary that she believes the testimony of both spies and does what they have said.

Rahab believes the testimony of the men. She also has the faith that her testimony will be accepted by her family. When she tells her family that there is salvation in her house, her family believes her. They come to her house and are saved (Joshua 6:22-23). Because they believe her words, they are saved. How are we known; do they believe our testimony?

Long ago, two men, angels, also gave testimony of the judgment that would come upon Sodom to a man who lived there: Lot. They warned him of that judgment and asked him who else he had in his house. When it came down to it, his sons-in-law would not come along. They did not believe the testimony of Lot (Genesis 19:14). The testimony of Lot is in stark contrast to that of Rahab. This is because Lot is a believer, but does not live according to that at all, while Rahab has radically broken with her old life and puts herself on the side of God and the side of God’s people.

In the two spies who bear witness to salvation, we can see a picture of the two Witnesses God has given us in our time: the Word and the Spirit. God’s Word gives us the certainty of judgment and salvation. Rahab has believed what the spies, the witnesses, have said. That is how she was saved. Thus the faith in what God has said gives the certainty of salvation.

The second Witness is the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit bear witness to a Man in heaven. This speaks of an accomplished work. The Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to testify of Him: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you” (John 16:13-14). If the enemy wants to attack us, we may look on Him.

Rahab shows two works of faith, both mentioned in the New Testament. The first work of faith is that she had “welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). The second work of faith is that she “sent them out by another way” (James 2:25). In Hebrews 11:31 there is talk of her faith. In James 2:25 there is talk of her works in welcoming the messengers, who she sends out by another way. Both testimonies complement each other. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Rahab proves her faith through her actions.

She lets the spies go in relying on their promise. James speaks of “messengers”, although they are spies. But for Rahab they are men who have come to her with a message from God. They speak words of salvation she needs. She is convinced of the coming judgment, but does not yet know how she can escape it. They told her.

The spies entered through the door, but to leave, Rahab sends them outside through another way, the window. She lets them go, but in the confidence that they will come back. Rahab stays behind with a happy and hopeful heart. She no longer lives by the door, but by the window: she is looking forward to salvation. The window of Rahab is not directed to Jericho, but outward, to the people of God.

The name of Rahab appears in two remarkable lists of names in the New Testament. First in Matthew 1, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She is one of the four women mentioned in that genealogy. The second list of names is that of the witnesses of faith in Hebrews 11. In that list, only two women are mentioned: Sarah and she (Hebrews 11:11; 31). In this way she is connected in a special way with the wife of Abraham.

Her mention in James 2 links her to Abraham whose work of faith is quoted in the preceding verses (James 2:21-25). Both Abraham and she are quoted by James to show how the present but invisible faith becomes visible through one’s works. Saying you believe is not enough. The confession of faith is only justified if there are works that come from your faith and therefore provide proof that there is real faith present (James 2:26).

By the way, the acts of faith of either Rahab or Abraham are not directly acts that are admired by the world. In the eyes of the world, Rahab is a land traitor and Abraham a child murderer. That is why it is not the world that determines what works of faith are, but God.

As soon as the spies have left, she hangs the cord out of the window (Joshua 2:21). She does not wait, as the spies have told her, until the people of God enter the land (Joshua 2:18). She immediately bears witness to her faith. The cord means her salvation. In this way she is in contact with the people of God. Her house is on the wall, on the outside. There she lets the spies leave her house. The scarlet cord symbolizes the work of the Lord Jesus. Scarlet is a red dye obtained from a specific type of worm. This is in connection with a statement prophetically referring to the Lord Jesus on the cross: “But I am a worm and not a man” (Psalms 22:6).

Scarlet speaks not only of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, but also of His kingdom. Kings go dressed in scarlet. He obtains His kingship through suffering. It is remarkable that the Gospel that presents the Lord Jesus as King, the Gospel according to Matthew, as the only one of the four Gospels speaks of “a scarlet robe” that is mockingly put on Him (Matthew 27:28).

The red color speaks of the blood. Not only the words of the spies, but also the foundation of the shed blood gives the certainty of salvation. Rahab and her family hide, as it were, behind the blood (cf. Exodus 12:7; 12-13).

Joshua 10:19

The Rescue Plan

When Rahab has expressed her wish, she needs words of salvation. Those words are spoken by the spies. She doesn’t have to perish along with the people of Jericho. The means is offered to her. If she really wants to benefit from it, then it is necessary that she believes the testimony of both spies and does what they have said.

Rahab believes the testimony of the men. She also has the faith that her testimony will be accepted by her family. When she tells her family that there is salvation in her house, her family believes her. They come to her house and are saved (Joshua 6:22-23). Because they believe her words, they are saved. How are we known; do they believe our testimony?

Long ago, two men, angels, also gave testimony of the judgment that would come upon Sodom to a man who lived there: Lot. They warned him of that judgment and asked him who else he had in his house. When it came down to it, his sons-in-law would not come along. They did not believe the testimony of Lot (Genesis 19:14). The testimony of Lot is in stark contrast to that of Rahab. This is because Lot is a believer, but does not live according to that at all, while Rahab has radically broken with her old life and puts herself on the side of God and the side of God’s people.

In the two spies who bear witness to salvation, we can see a picture of the two Witnesses God has given us in our time: the Word and the Spirit. God’s Word gives us the certainty of judgment and salvation. Rahab has believed what the spies, the witnesses, have said. That is how she was saved. Thus the faith in what God has said gives the certainty of salvation.

The second Witness is the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit bear witness to a Man in heaven. This speaks of an accomplished work. The Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to testify of Him: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you” (John 16:13-14). If the enemy wants to attack us, we may look on Him.

Rahab shows two works of faith, both mentioned in the New Testament. The first work of faith is that she had “welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). The second work of faith is that she “sent them out by another way” (James 2:25). In Hebrews 11:31 there is talk of her faith. In James 2:25 there is talk of her works in welcoming the messengers, who she sends out by another way. Both testimonies complement each other. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Rahab proves her faith through her actions.

She lets the spies go in relying on their promise. James speaks of “messengers”, although they are spies. But for Rahab they are men who have come to her with a message from God. They speak words of salvation she needs. She is convinced of the coming judgment, but does not yet know how she can escape it. They told her.

The spies entered through the door, but to leave, Rahab sends them outside through another way, the window. She lets them go, but in the confidence that they will come back. Rahab stays behind with a happy and hopeful heart. She no longer lives by the door, but by the window: she is looking forward to salvation. The window of Rahab is not directed to Jericho, but outward, to the people of God.

The name of Rahab appears in two remarkable lists of names in the New Testament. First in Matthew 1, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She is one of the four women mentioned in that genealogy. The second list of names is that of the witnesses of faith in Hebrews 11. In that list, only two women are mentioned: Sarah and she (Hebrews 11:11; 31). In this way she is connected in a special way with the wife of Abraham.

Her mention in James 2 links her to Abraham whose work of faith is quoted in the preceding verses (James 2:21-25). Both Abraham and she are quoted by James to show how the present but invisible faith becomes visible through one’s works. Saying you believe is not enough. The confession of faith is only justified if there are works that come from your faith and therefore provide proof that there is real faith present (James 2:26).

By the way, the acts of faith of either Rahab or Abraham are not directly acts that are admired by the world. In the eyes of the world, Rahab is a land traitor and Abraham a child murderer. That is why it is not the world that determines what works of faith are, but God.

As soon as the spies have left, she hangs the cord out of the window (Joshua 2:21). She does not wait, as the spies have told her, until the people of God enter the land (Joshua 2:18). She immediately bears witness to her faith. The cord means her salvation. In this way she is in contact with the people of God. Her house is on the wall, on the outside. There she lets the spies leave her house. The scarlet cord symbolizes the work of the Lord Jesus. Scarlet is a red dye obtained from a specific type of worm. This is in connection with a statement prophetically referring to the Lord Jesus on the cross: “But I am a worm and not a man” (Psalms 22:6).

Scarlet speaks not only of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, but also of His kingdom. Kings go dressed in scarlet. He obtains His kingship through suffering. It is remarkable that the Gospel that presents the Lord Jesus as King, the Gospel according to Matthew, as the only one of the four Gospels speaks of “a scarlet robe” that is mockingly put on Him (Matthew 27:28).

The red color speaks of the blood. Not only the words of the spies, but also the foundation of the shed blood gives the certainty of salvation. Rahab and her family hide, as it were, behind the blood (cf. Exodus 12:7; 12-13).

Joshua 10:20

The Rescue Plan

When Rahab has expressed her wish, she needs words of salvation. Those words are spoken by the spies. She doesn’t have to perish along with the people of Jericho. The means is offered to her. If she really wants to benefit from it, then it is necessary that she believes the testimony of both spies and does what they have said.

Rahab believes the testimony of the men. She also has the faith that her testimony will be accepted by her family. When she tells her family that there is salvation in her house, her family believes her. They come to her house and are saved (Joshua 6:22-23). Because they believe her words, they are saved. How are we known; do they believe our testimony?

Long ago, two men, angels, also gave testimony of the judgment that would come upon Sodom to a man who lived there: Lot. They warned him of that judgment and asked him who else he had in his house. When it came down to it, his sons-in-law would not come along. They did not believe the testimony of Lot (Genesis 19:14). The testimony of Lot is in stark contrast to that of Rahab. This is because Lot is a believer, but does not live according to that at all, while Rahab has radically broken with her old life and puts herself on the side of God and the side of God’s people.

In the two spies who bear witness to salvation, we can see a picture of the two Witnesses God has given us in our time: the Word and the Spirit. God’s Word gives us the certainty of judgment and salvation. Rahab has believed what the spies, the witnesses, have said. That is how she was saved. Thus the faith in what God has said gives the certainty of salvation.

The second Witness is the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit bear witness to a Man in heaven. This speaks of an accomplished work. The Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to testify of Him: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you” (John 16:13-14). If the enemy wants to attack us, we may look on Him.

Rahab shows two works of faith, both mentioned in the New Testament. The first work of faith is that she had “welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). The second work of faith is that she “sent them out by another way” (James 2:25). In Hebrews 11:31 there is talk of her faith. In James 2:25 there is talk of her works in welcoming the messengers, who she sends out by another way. Both testimonies complement each other. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Rahab proves her faith through her actions.

She lets the spies go in relying on their promise. James speaks of “messengers”, although they are spies. But for Rahab they are men who have come to her with a message from God. They speak words of salvation she needs. She is convinced of the coming judgment, but does not yet know how she can escape it. They told her.

The spies entered through the door, but to leave, Rahab sends them outside through another way, the window. She lets them go, but in the confidence that they will come back. Rahab stays behind with a happy and hopeful heart. She no longer lives by the door, but by the window: she is looking forward to salvation. The window of Rahab is not directed to Jericho, but outward, to the people of God.

The name of Rahab appears in two remarkable lists of names in the New Testament. First in Matthew 1, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She is one of the four women mentioned in that genealogy. The second list of names is that of the witnesses of faith in Hebrews 11. In that list, only two women are mentioned: Sarah and she (Hebrews 11:11; 31). In this way she is connected in a special way with the wife of Abraham.

Her mention in James 2 links her to Abraham whose work of faith is quoted in the preceding verses (James 2:21-25). Both Abraham and she are quoted by James to show how the present but invisible faith becomes visible through one’s works. Saying you believe is not enough. The confession of faith is only justified if there are works that come from your faith and therefore provide proof that there is real faith present (James 2:26).

By the way, the acts of faith of either Rahab or Abraham are not directly acts that are admired by the world. In the eyes of the world, Rahab is a land traitor and Abraham a child murderer. That is why it is not the world that determines what works of faith are, but God.

As soon as the spies have left, she hangs the cord out of the window (Joshua 2:21). She does not wait, as the spies have told her, until the people of God enter the land (Joshua 2:18). She immediately bears witness to her faith. The cord means her salvation. In this way she is in contact with the people of God. Her house is on the wall, on the outside. There she lets the spies leave her house. The scarlet cord symbolizes the work of the Lord Jesus. Scarlet is a red dye obtained from a specific type of worm. This is in connection with a statement prophetically referring to the Lord Jesus on the cross: “But I am a worm and not a man” (Psalms 22:6).

Scarlet speaks not only of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, but also of His kingdom. Kings go dressed in scarlet. He obtains His kingship through suffering. It is remarkable that the Gospel that presents the Lord Jesus as King, the Gospel according to Matthew, as the only one of the four Gospels speaks of “a scarlet robe” that is mockingly put on Him (Matthew 27:28).

The red color speaks of the blood. Not only the words of the spies, but also the foundation of the shed blood gives the certainty of salvation. Rahab and her family hide, as it were, behind the blood (cf. Exodus 12:7; 12-13).

Joshua 10:21

The Rescue Plan

When Rahab has expressed her wish, she needs words of salvation. Those words are spoken by the spies. She doesn’t have to perish along with the people of Jericho. The means is offered to her. If she really wants to benefit from it, then it is necessary that she believes the testimony of both spies and does what they have said.

Rahab believes the testimony of the men. She also has the faith that her testimony will be accepted by her family. When she tells her family that there is salvation in her house, her family believes her. They come to her house and are saved (Joshua 6:22-23). Because they believe her words, they are saved. How are we known; do they believe our testimony?

Long ago, two men, angels, also gave testimony of the judgment that would come upon Sodom to a man who lived there: Lot. They warned him of that judgment and asked him who else he had in his house. When it came down to it, his sons-in-law would not come along. They did not believe the testimony of Lot (Genesis 19:14). The testimony of Lot is in stark contrast to that of Rahab. This is because Lot is a believer, but does not live according to that at all, while Rahab has radically broken with her old life and puts herself on the side of God and the side of God’s people.

In the two spies who bear witness to salvation, we can see a picture of the two Witnesses God has given us in our time: the Word and the Spirit. God’s Word gives us the certainty of judgment and salvation. Rahab has believed what the spies, the witnesses, have said. That is how she was saved. Thus the faith in what God has said gives the certainty of salvation.

The second Witness is the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit bear witness to a Man in heaven. This speaks of an accomplished work. The Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to testify of Him: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you” (John 16:13-14). If the enemy wants to attack us, we may look on Him.

Rahab shows two works of faith, both mentioned in the New Testament. The first work of faith is that she had “welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). The second work of faith is that she “sent them out by another way” (James 2:25). In Hebrews 11:31 there is talk of her faith. In James 2:25 there is talk of her works in welcoming the messengers, who she sends out by another way. Both testimonies complement each other. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Rahab proves her faith through her actions.

She lets the spies go in relying on their promise. James speaks of “messengers”, although they are spies. But for Rahab they are men who have come to her with a message from God. They speak words of salvation she needs. She is convinced of the coming judgment, but does not yet know how she can escape it. They told her.

The spies entered through the door, but to leave, Rahab sends them outside through another way, the window. She lets them go, but in the confidence that they will come back. Rahab stays behind with a happy and hopeful heart. She no longer lives by the door, but by the window: she is looking forward to salvation. The window of Rahab is not directed to Jericho, but outward, to the people of God.

The name of Rahab appears in two remarkable lists of names in the New Testament. First in Matthew 1, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She is one of the four women mentioned in that genealogy. The second list of names is that of the witnesses of faith in Hebrews 11. In that list, only two women are mentioned: Sarah and she (Hebrews 11:11; 31). In this way she is connected in a special way with the wife of Abraham.

Her mention in James 2 links her to Abraham whose work of faith is quoted in the preceding verses (James 2:21-25). Both Abraham and she are quoted by James to show how the present but invisible faith becomes visible through one’s works. Saying you believe is not enough. The confession of faith is only justified if there are works that come from your faith and therefore provide proof that there is real faith present (James 2:26).

By the way, the acts of faith of either Rahab or Abraham are not directly acts that are admired by the world. In the eyes of the world, Rahab is a land traitor and Abraham a child murderer. That is why it is not the world that determines what works of faith are, but God.

As soon as the spies have left, she hangs the cord out of the window (Joshua 2:21). She does not wait, as the spies have told her, until the people of God enter the land (Joshua 2:18). She immediately bears witness to her faith. The cord means her salvation. In this way she is in contact with the people of God. Her house is on the wall, on the outside. There she lets the spies leave her house. The scarlet cord symbolizes the work of the Lord Jesus. Scarlet is a red dye obtained from a specific type of worm. This is in connection with a statement prophetically referring to the Lord Jesus on the cross: “But I am a worm and not a man” (Psalms 22:6).

Scarlet speaks not only of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, but also of His kingdom. Kings go dressed in scarlet. He obtains His kingship through suffering. It is remarkable that the Gospel that presents the Lord Jesus as King, the Gospel according to Matthew, as the only one of the four Gospels speaks of “a scarlet robe” that is mockingly put on Him (Matthew 27:28).

The red color speaks of the blood. Not only the words of the spies, but also the foundation of the shed blood gives the certainty of salvation. Rahab and her family hide, as it were, behind the blood (cf. Exodus 12:7; 12-13).

Joshua 10:22

The Rescue Plan

When Rahab has expressed her wish, she needs words of salvation. Those words are spoken by the spies. She doesn’t have to perish along with the people of Jericho. The means is offered to her. If she really wants to benefit from it, then it is necessary that she believes the testimony of both spies and does what they have said.

Rahab believes the testimony of the men. She also has the faith that her testimony will be accepted by her family. When she tells her family that there is salvation in her house, her family believes her. They come to her house and are saved (Joshua 6:22-23). Because they believe her words, they are saved. How are we known; do they believe our testimony?

Long ago, two men, angels, also gave testimony of the judgment that would come upon Sodom to a man who lived there: Lot. They warned him of that judgment and asked him who else he had in his house. When it came down to it, his sons-in-law would not come along. They did not believe the testimony of Lot (Genesis 19:14). The testimony of Lot is in stark contrast to that of Rahab. This is because Lot is a believer, but does not live according to that at all, while Rahab has radically broken with her old life and puts herself on the side of God and the side of God’s people.

In the two spies who bear witness to salvation, we can see a picture of the two Witnesses God has given us in our time: the Word and the Spirit. God’s Word gives us the certainty of judgment and salvation. Rahab has believed what the spies, the witnesses, have said. That is how she was saved. Thus the faith in what God has said gives the certainty of salvation.

The second Witness is the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit bear witness to a Man in heaven. This speaks of an accomplished work. The Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to testify of Him: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you” (John 16:13-14). If the enemy wants to attack us, we may look on Him.

Rahab shows two works of faith, both mentioned in the New Testament. The first work of faith is that she had “welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). The second work of faith is that she “sent them out by another way” (James 2:25). In Hebrews 11:31 there is talk of her faith. In James 2:25 there is talk of her works in welcoming the messengers, who she sends out by another way. Both testimonies complement each other. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Rahab proves her faith through her actions.

She lets the spies go in relying on their promise. James speaks of “messengers”, although they are spies. But for Rahab they are men who have come to her with a message from God. They speak words of salvation she needs. She is convinced of the coming judgment, but does not yet know how she can escape it. They told her.

The spies entered through the door, but to leave, Rahab sends them outside through another way, the window. She lets them go, but in the confidence that they will come back. Rahab stays behind with a happy and hopeful heart. She no longer lives by the door, but by the window: she is looking forward to salvation. The window of Rahab is not directed to Jericho, but outward, to the people of God.

The name of Rahab appears in two remarkable lists of names in the New Testament. First in Matthew 1, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She is one of the four women mentioned in that genealogy. The second list of names is that of the witnesses of faith in Hebrews 11. In that list, only two women are mentioned: Sarah and she (Hebrews 11:11; 31). In this way she is connected in a special way with the wife of Abraham.

Her mention in James 2 links her to Abraham whose work of faith is quoted in the preceding verses (James 2:21-25). Both Abraham and she are quoted by James to show how the present but invisible faith becomes visible through one’s works. Saying you believe is not enough. The confession of faith is only justified if there are works that come from your faith and therefore provide proof that there is real faith present (James 2:26).

By the way, the acts of faith of either Rahab or Abraham are not directly acts that are admired by the world. In the eyes of the world, Rahab is a land traitor and Abraham a child murderer. That is why it is not the world that determines what works of faith are, but God.

As soon as the spies have left, she hangs the cord out of the window (Joshua 2:21). She does not wait, as the spies have told her, until the people of God enter the land (Joshua 2:18). She immediately bears witness to her faith. The cord means her salvation. In this way she is in contact with the people of God. Her house is on the wall, on the outside. There she lets the spies leave her house. The scarlet cord symbolizes the work of the Lord Jesus. Scarlet is a red dye obtained from a specific type of worm. This is in connection with a statement prophetically referring to the Lord Jesus on the cross: “But I am a worm and not a man” (Psalms 22:6).

Scarlet speaks not only of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, but also of His kingdom. Kings go dressed in scarlet. He obtains His kingship through suffering. It is remarkable that the Gospel that presents the Lord Jesus as King, the Gospel according to Matthew, as the only one of the four Gospels speaks of “a scarlet robe” that is mockingly put on Him (Matthew 27:28).

The red color speaks of the blood. Not only the words of the spies, but also the foundation of the shed blood gives the certainty of salvation. Rahab and her family hide, as it were, behind the blood (cf. Exodus 12:7; 12-13).

Joshua 10:23

The Rescue Plan

When Rahab has expressed her wish, she needs words of salvation. Those words are spoken by the spies. She doesn’t have to perish along with the people of Jericho. The means is offered to her. If she really wants to benefit from it, then it is necessary that she believes the testimony of both spies and does what they have said.

Rahab believes the testimony of the men. She also has the faith that her testimony will be accepted by her family. When she tells her family that there is salvation in her house, her family believes her. They come to her house and are saved (Joshua 6:22-23). Because they believe her words, they are saved. How are we known; do they believe our testimony?

Long ago, two men, angels, also gave testimony of the judgment that would come upon Sodom to a man who lived there: Lot. They warned him of that judgment and asked him who else he had in his house. When it came down to it, his sons-in-law would not come along. They did not believe the testimony of Lot (Genesis 19:14). The testimony of Lot is in stark contrast to that of Rahab. This is because Lot is a believer, but does not live according to that at all, while Rahab has radically broken with her old life and puts herself on the side of God and the side of God’s people.

In the two spies who bear witness to salvation, we can see a picture of the two Witnesses God has given us in our time: the Word and the Spirit. God’s Word gives us the certainty of judgment and salvation. Rahab has believed what the spies, the witnesses, have said. That is how she was saved. Thus the faith in what God has said gives the certainty of salvation.

The second Witness is the Holy Spirit. The Word and the Spirit bear witness to a Man in heaven. This speaks of an accomplished work. The Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to testify of Him: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you” (John 16:13-14). If the enemy wants to attack us, we may look on Him.

Rahab shows two works of faith, both mentioned in the New Testament. The first work of faith is that she had “welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31). The second work of faith is that she “sent them out by another way” (James 2:25). In Hebrews 11:31 there is talk of her faith. In James 2:25 there is talk of her works in welcoming the messengers, who she sends out by another way. Both testimonies complement each other. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Rahab proves her faith through her actions.

She lets the spies go in relying on their promise. James speaks of “messengers”, although they are spies. But for Rahab they are men who have come to her with a message from God. They speak words of salvation she needs. She is convinced of the coming judgment, but does not yet know how she can escape it. They told her.

The spies entered through the door, but to leave, Rahab sends them outside through another way, the window. She lets them go, but in the confidence that they will come back. Rahab stays behind with a happy and hopeful heart. She no longer lives by the door, but by the window: she is looking forward to salvation. The window of Rahab is not directed to Jericho, but outward, to the people of God.

The name of Rahab appears in two remarkable lists of names in the New Testament. First in Matthew 1, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She is one of the four women mentioned in that genealogy. The second list of names is that of the witnesses of faith in Hebrews 11. In that list, only two women are mentioned: Sarah and she (Hebrews 11:11; 31). In this way she is connected in a special way with the wife of Abraham.

Her mention in James 2 links her to Abraham whose work of faith is quoted in the preceding verses (James 2:21-25). Both Abraham and she are quoted by James to show how the present but invisible faith becomes visible through one’s works. Saying you believe is not enough. The confession of faith is only justified if there are works that come from your faith and therefore provide proof that there is real faith present (James 2:26).

By the way, the acts of faith of either Rahab or Abraham are not directly acts that are admired by the world. In the eyes of the world, Rahab is a land traitor and Abraham a child murderer. That is why it is not the world that determines what works of faith are, but God.

As soon as the spies have left, she hangs the cord out of the window (Joshua 2:21). She does not wait, as the spies have told her, until the people of God enter the land (Joshua 2:18). She immediately bears witness to her faith. The cord means her salvation. In this way she is in contact with the people of God. Her house is on the wall, on the outside. There she lets the spies leave her house. The scarlet cord symbolizes the work of the Lord Jesus. Scarlet is a red dye obtained from a specific type of worm. This is in connection with a statement prophetically referring to the Lord Jesus on the cross: “But I am a worm and not a man” (Psalms 22:6).

Scarlet speaks not only of the suffering of the Lord Jesus, but also of His kingdom. Kings go dressed in scarlet. He obtains His kingship through suffering. It is remarkable that the Gospel that presents the Lord Jesus as King, the Gospel according to Matthew, as the only one of the four Gospels speaks of “a scarlet robe” that is mockingly put on Him (Matthew 27:28).

The red color speaks of the blood. Not only the words of the spies, but also the foundation of the shed blood gives the certainty of salvation. Rahab and her family hide, as it were, behind the blood (cf. Exodus 12:7; 12-13).

Joshua 10:24

Return of the Spies

The spies have been in the land for three days. The number three, which occurs more often in the first chapters of Joshua, refers to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He rose from the dead on the third day after His death (Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:23; Matthew 20:19; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). To know the blessing of the land, it is always important to remember the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

The testimony that the spies give to Joshua about the situation in the land is the testimony that they have heard from Rahab’s mouth and seen in her actions. In her they have seen what God does.

Joshua 10:25

Return of the Spies

The spies have been in the land for three days. The number three, which occurs more often in the first chapters of Joshua, refers to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He rose from the dead on the third day after His death (Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:23; Matthew 20:19; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). To know the blessing of the land, it is always important to remember the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

The testimony that the spies give to Joshua about the situation in the land is the testimony that they have heard from Rahab’s mouth and seen in her actions. In her they have seen what God does.

Joshua 10:26

Return of the Spies

The spies have been in the land for three days. The number three, which occurs more often in the first chapters of Joshua, refers to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He rose from the dead on the third day after His death (Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:23; Matthew 20:19; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). To know the blessing of the land, it is always important to remember the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

The testimony that the spies give to Joshua about the situation in the land is the testimony that they have heard from Rahab’s mouth and seen in her actions. In her they have seen what God does.

Joshua 10:28

Introduction

The ark occupies the central place here. The ark descends first into the water of the Jordan. Thereby the water stays at a distance and the way is free for the people. At a respectful distance, they pass by the ark, which remains in the middle until all the people have safely crossed over.

Here we see a beautiful picture of the work of the Lord Jesus. He has cleared the way to the blessings of the heavenly land by undergoing the judgment – of which the water is a picture here (Psalms 42:7) – for the church. All who belong to the church look at Him with gratitude at a respectful distance for He has turned away the judgment for them by undergoing the judgment for them.

Going through the Jordan is an inadvertent reminder of passing through the Red Sea. If we compare the two crossings, we see that there are some differences. Both crossings are in their spiritual application a picture of the death of the Lord Jesus, but both waters represent two different perspectives of His death. What has happened to Israel at two different times in their history, is different for us in the spiritual sense. At our conversion we went, in picture, through both the Red Sea and the Jordan.

The Red Sea represents the death of the Lord Jesus by which we are freed from the power of sin. The people of Israel come into the wilderness after the Red Sea and that is what the world has become for us after our conversion. The Jordan represents the death of the Lord Jesus by which we entered the heavenly land. The land is a picture of the heavenly places, where we are blessed “with very spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3).

We are not, like Israel, leaving the wilderness behind us. They are pictures. As long as we live on earth, we remain in the wilderness and also in the heavenly places, but we are not at the same time in both territories. For example, when we work hard and get tired, we experience life in the wilderness. As well as when our (small) children give us a lot of work. However, when we are busy with God’s Word and enjoy the Lord Jesus, we experience what it is like to be in the heavenly places.

There are even more differences between the passage through the Red Sea and the passage through the Jordan. The passage through the Red Sea happens at night – the passage through the Jordan happens during the day. The passage through the Red Sea is a run, with the enemy on the heels – the passage through the Jordan happens in peace, in majesty, where the people go to the enemy. The people go through the Red Sea between two walls of water – when going through the Jordan, the water is kept at a great distance, while in the middle only the ark is seen.

At the Red Sea, Moses says to the people: “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent” (Exodus 14:14). God does everything. He defeats the enemy from whom the people are fleeing. On the other bank they see that God has freed them from the power of the enemy (Exodus 14:30). Moses comes first. With his staff he divides the water, so that the people can pass freely.

The truth of this is shown in the letter to the Romans. In that letter we see our life as sinners in the world. There we are added to a dead Christ in baptism (Romans 6:3), just as the people are added to Moses in the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). After our baptism we see the world as a wilderness, the land of death.

In the letter to the Romans we do not read anywhere that we are raised with Christ. For this we have to go to the letter to the Colossians and the letter to the Ephesians. In those letters we read about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and His place in heaven now. That is what is represented to us in the Jordan. In our spiritual development the awareness of this comes later. First we only have an eye for the needs of our sins. We have the solution in Christ Who died for us.

Later we discover that we went with Him through the Jordan, that is to say that we get an eye for all that God has given us through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus because of our connection with Him. This requires a quiet consultation of three days. The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus are enclosed in the number three (Joshua 3:2). It takes food (Joshua 1:11), exercises in our souls and hearts, to understand what the Jordan means, and then enter the land.

The Red Sea is an exit (Exodus); the Jordan shows that the death of the Lord Jesus is not only an exit, but also an entrance. The exit from the power of death is great and gives joy. But God wants us to enter the land through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. As said, this truth is presented to us in the letter to the Colossians and in the letter to the Ephesians. We not only died with Christ (letter to the Romans), but also are raised up with Him (letter to the Colossians) and put in Him in the heavenly places (letter to the Ephesians).

The Red Sea says that we died with Christ. The Jordan says that we are also raised with Him, but with the whole land still before us. Therefore we have to keep seeking “the things above” (Colossians 3:1-2). The letter to the Ephesians goes one step further and already sees us in possession of the land. The struggle there is a defensive struggle which we see in the picture at the end of the book Joshua.

The book of Joshua can be considered as the bridge between the letter to the Colossians and the letter to the Ephesians. We are made alive and seated in Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:4-6). We are already in heaven. That is our position. The book of Joshua shows us how we can experience that position, how we can realize what we are. But then we first need to know the meaning of the Jordan. Even after the Israelites have gone through the Jordan, they do not conquer the land lightning fast. First they stay three weeks before Jericho. Everything proceeds peacefully.

All these pictures want us to reflect on the question: What does the death of the Lord Jesus mean? Not only has He taken away my sins, but He has also acquired heaven for Himself and also for me. I will show my answer in the practice of my life of faith. It makes clear what I have seen of this and what significance I attach to it.

Instructions for the Crossing

Joshua rises early on that important day with that important event. As the leader of the people, he must take the lead in everything. To rise early is a characteristic of him (Joshua 6:12; Joshua 7:16; Joshua 8:10), as well as of other leaders of God’s people: Moses (Exodus 24:4; Exodus 34:4), David (Psalms 57:8; Psalms 119:147), Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29:20). Above all, it is a characteristic of the superior Leader (Mark 1:35; cf. Isaiah 50:4).

When the moment for the crossing has actually come, the attention is first turned to the ark: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God.” Everything is about the ark, which does everything; the people must only follow. In Joshua 3-4 the eyes of the people are on this – the ark is mentioned sixteen times in these two chapters. The people see the blue of the garment that lies over the ark, the color of heaven.

Thus we can only learn what the blessings of the land mean when our eyes are constantly on the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. ‘The ark of the LORD’ is a picture the Lord Jesus as God, what is represented in the gold of the ark, and as Man, what is represented in the wood of the ark. His Person stands before us. God wants to glorify Him. That it is the ark of the “covenant” reminds us of God’s promises.

It is also the ark of “the Lord of all the earth” (Joshua 3:11). That shows us that the land belongs to Him. Therefore He can give it to whom He wants. To this end He says after His resurrection: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). The ark is also called “the ark of the testimony” (Joshua 4:16). This points to God’s testimony to us through His Word – the law, the tablets in the ark. In this way, too, the ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus: He speaks to us.

The ark is carried by the Levitical priests. Priests are used to approaching God and being in His direct presence. They represent spiritual believers who can show us this Person through their service. They carry the ark on their shoulders and thus keep the ark high, so that we can see the ark better.

Joshua 10:29

Introduction

The ark occupies the central place here. The ark descends first into the water of the Jordan. Thereby the water stays at a distance and the way is free for the people. At a respectful distance, they pass by the ark, which remains in the middle until all the people have safely crossed over.

Here we see a beautiful picture of the work of the Lord Jesus. He has cleared the way to the blessings of the heavenly land by undergoing the judgment – of which the water is a picture here (Psalms 42:7) – for the church. All who belong to the church look at Him with gratitude at a respectful distance for He has turned away the judgment for them by undergoing the judgment for them.

Going through the Jordan is an inadvertent reminder of passing through the Red Sea. If we compare the two crossings, we see that there are some differences. Both crossings are in their spiritual application a picture of the death of the Lord Jesus, but both waters represent two different perspectives of His death. What has happened to Israel at two different times in their history, is different for us in the spiritual sense. At our conversion we went, in picture, through both the Red Sea and the Jordan.

The Red Sea represents the death of the Lord Jesus by which we are freed from the power of sin. The people of Israel come into the wilderness after the Red Sea and that is what the world has become for us after our conversion. The Jordan represents the death of the Lord Jesus by which we entered the heavenly land. The land is a picture of the heavenly places, where we are blessed “with very spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3).

We are not, like Israel, leaving the wilderness behind us. They are pictures. As long as we live on earth, we remain in the wilderness and also in the heavenly places, but we are not at the same time in both territories. For example, when we work hard and get tired, we experience life in the wilderness. As well as when our (small) children give us a lot of work. However, when we are busy with God’s Word and enjoy the Lord Jesus, we experience what it is like to be in the heavenly places.

There are even more differences between the passage through the Red Sea and the passage through the Jordan. The passage through the Red Sea happens at night – the passage through the Jordan happens during the day. The passage through the Red Sea is a run, with the enemy on the heels – the passage through the Jordan happens in peace, in majesty, where the people go to the enemy. The people go through the Red Sea between two walls of water – when going through the Jordan, the water is kept at a great distance, while in the middle only the ark is seen.

At the Red Sea, Moses says to the people: “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent” (Exodus 14:14). God does everything. He defeats the enemy from whom the people are fleeing. On the other bank they see that God has freed them from the power of the enemy (Exodus 14:30). Moses comes first. With his staff he divides the water, so that the people can pass freely.

The truth of this is shown in the letter to the Romans. In that letter we see our life as sinners in the world. There we are added to a dead Christ in baptism (Romans 6:3), just as the people are added to Moses in the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). After our baptism we see the world as a wilderness, the land of death.

In the letter to the Romans we do not read anywhere that we are raised with Christ. For this we have to go to the letter to the Colossians and the letter to the Ephesians. In those letters we read about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and His place in heaven now. That is what is represented to us in the Jordan. In our spiritual development the awareness of this comes later. First we only have an eye for the needs of our sins. We have the solution in Christ Who died for us.

Later we discover that we went with Him through the Jordan, that is to say that we get an eye for all that God has given us through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus because of our connection with Him. This requires a quiet consultation of three days. The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus are enclosed in the number three (Joshua 3:2). It takes food (Joshua 1:11), exercises in our souls and hearts, to understand what the Jordan means, and then enter the land.

The Red Sea is an exit (Exodus); the Jordan shows that the death of the Lord Jesus is not only an exit, but also an entrance. The exit from the power of death is great and gives joy. But God wants us to enter the land through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. As said, this truth is presented to us in the letter to the Colossians and in the letter to the Ephesians. We not only died with Christ (letter to the Romans), but also are raised up with Him (letter to the Colossians) and put in Him in the heavenly places (letter to the Ephesians).

The Red Sea says that we died with Christ. The Jordan says that we are also raised with Him, but with the whole land still before us. Therefore we have to keep seeking “the things above” (Colossians 3:1-2). The letter to the Ephesians goes one step further and already sees us in possession of the land. The struggle there is a defensive struggle which we see in the picture at the end of the book Joshua.

The book of Joshua can be considered as the bridge between the letter to the Colossians and the letter to the Ephesians. We are made alive and seated in Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:4-6). We are already in heaven. That is our position. The book of Joshua shows us how we can experience that position, how we can realize what we are. But then we first need to know the meaning of the Jordan. Even after the Israelites have gone through the Jordan, they do not conquer the land lightning fast. First they stay three weeks before Jericho. Everything proceeds peacefully.

All these pictures want us to reflect on the question: What does the death of the Lord Jesus mean? Not only has He taken away my sins, but He has also acquired heaven for Himself and also for me. I will show my answer in the practice of my life of faith. It makes clear what I have seen of this and what significance I attach to it.

Instructions for the Crossing

Joshua rises early on that important day with that important event. As the leader of the people, he must take the lead in everything. To rise early is a characteristic of him (Joshua 6:12; Joshua 7:16; Joshua 8:10), as well as of other leaders of God’s people: Moses (Exodus 24:4; Exodus 34:4), David (Psalms 57:8; Psalms 119:147), Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29:20). Above all, it is a characteristic of the superior Leader (Mark 1:35; cf. Isaiah 50:4).

When the moment for the crossing has actually come, the attention is first turned to the ark: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God.” Everything is about the ark, which does everything; the people must only follow. In Joshua 3-4 the eyes of the people are on this – the ark is mentioned sixteen times in these two chapters. The people see the blue of the garment that lies over the ark, the color of heaven.

Thus we can only learn what the blessings of the land mean when our eyes are constantly on the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. ‘The ark of the LORD’ is a picture the Lord Jesus as God, what is represented in the gold of the ark, and as Man, what is represented in the wood of the ark. His Person stands before us. God wants to glorify Him. That it is the ark of the “covenant” reminds us of God’s promises.

It is also the ark of “the Lord of all the earth” (Joshua 3:11). That shows us that the land belongs to Him. Therefore He can give it to whom He wants. To this end He says after His resurrection: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). The ark is also called “the ark of the testimony” (Joshua 4:16). This points to God’s testimony to us through His Word – the law, the tablets in the ark. In this way, too, the ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus: He speaks to us.

The ark is carried by the Levitical priests. Priests are used to approaching God and being in His direct presence. They represent spiritual believers who can show us this Person through their service. They carry the ark on their shoulders and thus keep the ark high, so that we can see the ark better.

Joshua 10:30

Introduction

The ark occupies the central place here. The ark descends first into the water of the Jordan. Thereby the water stays at a distance and the way is free for the people. At a respectful distance, they pass by the ark, which remains in the middle until all the people have safely crossed over.

Here we see a beautiful picture of the work of the Lord Jesus. He has cleared the way to the blessings of the heavenly land by undergoing the judgment – of which the water is a picture here (Psalms 42:7) – for the church. All who belong to the church look at Him with gratitude at a respectful distance for He has turned away the judgment for them by undergoing the judgment for them.

Going through the Jordan is an inadvertent reminder of passing through the Red Sea. If we compare the two crossings, we see that there are some differences. Both crossings are in their spiritual application a picture of the death of the Lord Jesus, but both waters represent two different perspectives of His death. What has happened to Israel at two different times in their history, is different for us in the spiritual sense. At our conversion we went, in picture, through both the Red Sea and the Jordan.

The Red Sea represents the death of the Lord Jesus by which we are freed from the power of sin. The people of Israel come into the wilderness after the Red Sea and that is what the world has become for us after our conversion. The Jordan represents the death of the Lord Jesus by which we entered the heavenly land. The land is a picture of the heavenly places, where we are blessed “with very spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3).

We are not, like Israel, leaving the wilderness behind us. They are pictures. As long as we live on earth, we remain in the wilderness and also in the heavenly places, but we are not at the same time in both territories. For example, when we work hard and get tired, we experience life in the wilderness. As well as when our (small) children give us a lot of work. However, when we are busy with God’s Word and enjoy the Lord Jesus, we experience what it is like to be in the heavenly places.

There are even more differences between the passage through the Red Sea and the passage through the Jordan. The passage through the Red Sea happens at night – the passage through the Jordan happens during the day. The passage through the Red Sea is a run, with the enemy on the heels – the passage through the Jordan happens in peace, in majesty, where the people go to the enemy. The people go through the Red Sea between two walls of water – when going through the Jordan, the water is kept at a great distance, while in the middle only the ark is seen.

At the Red Sea, Moses says to the people: “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent” (Exodus 14:14). God does everything. He defeats the enemy from whom the people are fleeing. On the other bank they see that God has freed them from the power of the enemy (Exodus 14:30). Moses comes first. With his staff he divides the water, so that the people can pass freely.

The truth of this is shown in the letter to the Romans. In that letter we see our life as sinners in the world. There we are added to a dead Christ in baptism (Romans 6:3), just as the people are added to Moses in the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1-2). After our baptism we see the world as a wilderness, the land of death.

In the letter to the Romans we do not read anywhere that we are raised with Christ. For this we have to go to the letter to the Colossians and the letter to the Ephesians. In those letters we read about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and His place in heaven now. That is what is represented to us in the Jordan. In our spiritual development the awareness of this comes later. First we only have an eye for the needs of our sins. We have the solution in Christ Who died for us.

Later we discover that we went with Him through the Jordan, that is to say that we get an eye for all that God has given us through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus because of our connection with Him. This requires a quiet consultation of three days. The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus are enclosed in the number three (Joshua 3:2). It takes food (Joshua 1:11), exercises in our souls and hearts, to understand what the Jordan means, and then enter the land.

The Red Sea is an exit (Exodus); the Jordan shows that the death of the Lord Jesus is not only an exit, but also an entrance. The exit from the power of death is great and gives joy. But God wants us to enter the land through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. As said, this truth is presented to us in the letter to the Colossians and in the letter to the Ephesians. We not only died with Christ (letter to the Romans), but also are raised up with Him (letter to the Colossians) and put in Him in the heavenly places (letter to the Ephesians).

The Red Sea says that we died with Christ. The Jordan says that we are also raised with Him, but with the whole land still before us. Therefore we have to keep seeking “the things above” (Colossians 3:1-2). The letter to the Ephesians goes one step further and already sees us in possession of the land. The struggle there is a defensive struggle which we see in the picture at the end of the book Joshua.

The book of Joshua can be considered as the bridge between the letter to the Colossians and the letter to the Ephesians. We are made alive and seated in Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:4-6). We are already in heaven. That is our position. The book of Joshua shows us how we can experience that position, how we can realize what we are. But then we first need to know the meaning of the Jordan. Even after the Israelites have gone through the Jordan, they do not conquer the land lightning fast. First they stay three weeks before Jericho. Everything proceeds peacefully.

All these pictures want us to reflect on the question: What does the death of the Lord Jesus mean? Not only has He taken away my sins, but He has also acquired heaven for Himself and also for me. I will show my answer in the practice of my life of faith. It makes clear what I have seen of this and what significance I attach to it.

Instructions for the Crossing

Joshua rises early on that important day with that important event. As the leader of the people, he must take the lead in everything. To rise early is a characteristic of him (Joshua 6:12; Joshua 7:16; Joshua 8:10), as well as of other leaders of God’s people: Moses (Exodus 24:4; Exodus 34:4), David (Psalms 57:8; Psalms 119:147), Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29:20). Above all, it is a characteristic of the superior Leader (Mark 1:35; cf. Isaiah 50:4).

When the moment for the crossing has actually come, the attention is first turned to the ark: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God.” Everything is about the ark, which does everything; the people must only follow. In Joshua 3-4 the eyes of the people are on this – the ark is mentioned sixteen times in these two chapters. The people see the blue of the garment that lies over the ark, the color of heaven.

Thus we can only learn what the blessings of the land mean when our eyes are constantly on the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. ‘The ark of the LORD’ is a picture the Lord Jesus as God, what is represented in the gold of the ark, and as Man, what is represented in the wood of the ark. His Person stands before us. God wants to glorify Him. That it is the ark of the “covenant” reminds us of God’s promises.

It is also the ark of “the Lord of all the earth” (Joshua 3:11). That shows us that the land belongs to Him. Therefore He can give it to whom He wants. To this end He says after His resurrection: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). The ark is also called “the ark of the testimony” (Joshua 4:16). This points to God’s testimony to us through His Word – the law, the tablets in the ark. In this way, too, the ark is a picture of the Lord Jesus: He speaks to us.

The ark is carried by the Levitical priests. Priests are used to approaching God and being in His direct presence. They represent spiritual believers who can show us this Person through their service. They carry the ark on their shoulders and thus keep the ark high, so that we can see the ark better.

Joshua 10:31

Distance Between the Ark and the People

The ark goes first into the Jordan. This shows in picture that the Lord Jesus first died. He died first and only then did we learn that we died with Him. Because His death is unique, there is always a great distance between Him and us. This is reflected in Joshua’s command that there must be a great distance between the people and the ark.

We will always have to respect this distance, but we will also be willing to respect it. He is and remains the “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). The distance between Him and us cannot be bridged. It is presumptuous to try that. We must not lower Him to our level or think we are in ourselves as He is.

The way the people must go is a way they have not gone before. The people can only follow the ark on that path. If their eyes are on the ark, they don’t have to fear. Thus there is for us a new and also a living way that has been opened to us through the death of the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 10:20). We may go this way with joy (Psalms 66:6), without suffering the sorrows of death, for He carried them for us. In His love He lets the waters of death pass over Him in all their horror (Song of Solomon 8:7; Psalms 42:7). As a result, He takes us by the hand and leads us on paths where we will see new blessings all the time. We will see miracles.

To see these miracles, consecration is necessary. Otherwise, our gaze is not pure, and we cannot see anything of the mighty work done by the Lord Jesus, and the glorious consequences thereof we will not be able to enjoy. Consecration is necessary to keep our eye on future events (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Conversely, looking forward to all that the Lord Jesus has worked for us will have a consecrating influence on our lives: “And everyone who has this hope [fixed] on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).

Joshua 10:32

Distance Between the Ark and the People

The ark goes first into the Jordan. This shows in picture that the Lord Jesus first died. He died first and only then did we learn that we died with Him. Because His death is unique, there is always a great distance between Him and us. This is reflected in Joshua’s command that there must be a great distance between the people and the ark.

We will always have to respect this distance, but we will also be willing to respect it. He is and remains the “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). The distance between Him and us cannot be bridged. It is presumptuous to try that. We must not lower Him to our level or think we are in ourselves as He is.

The way the people must go is a way they have not gone before. The people can only follow the ark on that path. If their eyes are on the ark, they don’t have to fear. Thus there is for us a new and also a living way that has been opened to us through the death of the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 10:20). We may go this way with joy (Psalms 66:6), without suffering the sorrows of death, for He carried them for us. In His love He lets the waters of death pass over Him in all their horror (Song of Solomon 8:7; Psalms 42:7). As a result, He takes us by the hand and leads us on paths where we will see new blessings all the time. We will see miracles.

To see these miracles, consecration is necessary. Otherwise, our gaze is not pure, and we cannot see anything of the mighty work done by the Lord Jesus, and the glorious consequences thereof we will not be able to enjoy. Consecration is necessary to keep our eye on future events (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Conversely, looking forward to all that the Lord Jesus has worked for us will have a consecrating influence on our lives: “And everyone who has this hope [fixed] on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).

Joshua 10:33

Distance Between the Ark and the People

The ark goes first into the Jordan. This shows in picture that the Lord Jesus first died. He died first and only then did we learn that we died with Him. Because His death is unique, there is always a great distance between Him and us. This is reflected in Joshua’s command that there must be a great distance between the people and the ark.

We will always have to respect this distance, but we will also be willing to respect it. He is and remains the “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). The distance between Him and us cannot be bridged. It is presumptuous to try that. We must not lower Him to our level or think we are in ourselves as He is.

The way the people must go is a way they have not gone before. The people can only follow the ark on that path. If their eyes are on the ark, they don’t have to fear. Thus there is for us a new and also a living way that has been opened to us through the death of the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 10:20). We may go this way with joy (Psalms 66:6), without suffering the sorrows of death, for He carried them for us. In His love He lets the waters of death pass over Him in all their horror (Song of Solomon 8:7; Psalms 42:7). As a result, He takes us by the hand and leads us on paths where we will see new blessings all the time. We will see miracles.

To see these miracles, consecration is necessary. Otherwise, our gaze is not pure, and we cannot see anything of the mighty work done by the Lord Jesus, and the glorious consequences thereof we will not be able to enjoy. Consecration is necessary to keep our eye on future events (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Conversely, looking forward to all that the Lord Jesus has worked for us will have a consecrating influence on our lives: “And everyone who has this hope [fixed] on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:3).

Joshua 10:34

Joshua Encouraged by the LORD

Exalting Joshua is also a picture of what happened to the Lord Jesus. What happens to the ark and the people under Joshua’s leadership is of extraordinary significance. After the liberation from Egypt and the forty-year journey through the wilderness Joshua brings the people into the land! And how? Through the Jordan, the water of death!

Has not the Lord Jesus become even greater for us now that He is in glory than that we would know Him only as the Savior of our sins? Now we do not only see what He has done away: our sins, but also what He has acquired for us: heavenly blessings. The Holy Spirit has come to tell us of this (John 16:13-15).

The glorification of the Lord Jesus by God at His right hand is the proof that God is with Him, as He was with Him during His life on earth (Acts 10:38). He has glorified God on earth. Therefore God glorified Him in heaven (John 13:31-32).

Joshua 10:35

The Ark Must Cross over Ahead

Joshua has to order the priests from the LORD what they have to do. He asks the priests to come closer, that they may hear “the words of the LORD your God”. What Joshua says are the words of God because he passes on what God has told him.

When they go through the Red Sea, it is to escape their enemies. Now they go through the Jordan and that is to meet their enemies and fight against them. God will make Himself known as the living God. He will go out ahead of them and drive out for them the seven nations that claim the land for themselves (Deuteronomy 7:1). These seven nations represent a perfection –of which the number seven speaks – in evil.

The living God will visibly in “the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth” cross over ahead of them. His first goal is to go “into the Jordan”. God goes ahead of His people in every way He wants them to go and then goes up with His people (Isaiah 43:2a). He, Who is the Lord of “the world …, and all it contains” (Psalms 50:12b) because He is the Creator, died first, and then gave the promised land to all who are His people.

The people are called by a “behold” to look at the ark. Thus we are called upon to look at the Lord Jesus Who died for us, to rise again and bring us into our ‘promised land’.

Joshua 10:36

The Ark Must Cross over Ahead

Joshua has to order the priests from the LORD what they have to do. He asks the priests to come closer, that they may hear “the words of the LORD your God”. What Joshua says are the words of God because he passes on what God has told him.

When they go through the Red Sea, it is to escape their enemies. Now they go through the Jordan and that is to meet their enemies and fight against them. God will make Himself known as the living God. He will go out ahead of them and drive out for them the seven nations that claim the land for themselves (Deuteronomy 7:1). These seven nations represent a perfection –of which the number seven speaks – in evil.

The living God will visibly in “the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth” cross over ahead of them. His first goal is to go “into the Jordan”. God goes ahead of His people in every way He wants them to go and then goes up with His people (Isaiah 43:2a). He, Who is the Lord of “the world …, and all it contains” (Psalms 50:12b) because He is the Creator, died first, and then gave the promised land to all who are His people.

The people are called by a “behold” to look at the ark. Thus we are called upon to look at the Lord Jesus Who died for us, to rise again and bring us into our ‘promised land’.

Joshua 10:37

The Ark Must Cross over Ahead

Joshua has to order the priests from the LORD what they have to do. He asks the priests to come closer, that they may hear “the words of the LORD your God”. What Joshua says are the words of God because he passes on what God has told him.

When they go through the Red Sea, it is to escape their enemies. Now they go through the Jordan and that is to meet their enemies and fight against them. God will make Himself known as the living God. He will go out ahead of them and drive out for them the seven nations that claim the land for themselves (Deuteronomy 7:1). These seven nations represent a perfection –of which the number seven speaks – in evil.

The living God will visibly in “the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth” cross over ahead of them. His first goal is to go “into the Jordan”. God goes ahead of His people in every way He wants them to go and then goes up with His people (Isaiah 43:2a). He, Who is the Lord of “the world …, and all it contains” (Psalms 50:12b) because He is the Creator, died first, and then gave the promised land to all who are His people.

The people are called by a “behold” to look at the ark. Thus we are called upon to look at the Lord Jesus Who died for us, to rise again and bring us into our ‘promised land’.

Joshua 10:38

The Ark Must Cross over Ahead

Joshua has to order the priests from the LORD what they have to do. He asks the priests to come closer, that they may hear “the words of the LORD your God”. What Joshua says are the words of God because he passes on what God has told him.

When they go through the Red Sea, it is to escape their enemies. Now they go through the Jordan and that is to meet their enemies and fight against them. God will make Himself known as the living God. He will go out ahead of them and drive out for them the seven nations that claim the land for themselves (Deuteronomy 7:1). These seven nations represent a perfection –of which the number seven speaks – in evil.

The living God will visibly in “the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth” cross over ahead of them. His first goal is to go “into the Jordan”. God goes ahead of His people in every way He wants them to go and then goes up with His people (Isaiah 43:2a). He, Who is the Lord of “the world …, and all it contains” (Psalms 50:12b) because He is the Creator, died first, and then gave the promised land to all who are His people.

The people are called by a “behold” to look at the ark. Thus we are called upon to look at the Lord Jesus Who died for us, to rise again and bring us into our ‘promised land’.

Joshua 10:39

Twelve Men

In an in-between sentence the command is mentioned that twelve men must be separated from the people. This is for a service they will only perform in Joshua 4 (Joshua 4:4). These twelve men represent the whole people, because there is someone from each tribe. That this is mentioned in the middle of Joshua’s argument about the ark, connects these men in a special way with the ark. They will have continued to listen and watch with more than the usual interest.

We also get a command. Sometimes we don’t know what it contains. But the awareness that we are separated for God will make us look with greatest interest at the Lord Jesus, at His work and what has happened to Him. That makes us spiritually fit for the task that is entrusted to us.

Joshua 10:40

Israel Crosses the Jordan

Again, attention is drawn to “the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth” (Joshua 3:13). Here, the names previously used separately in connection with the ark are used together (Joshua 3:3; 11). “The LORD” is Yahweh, the God of the covenant with His people Israel. “The Lord” is Adonai, the Lord Who has authority and before Whom it proper for everyone to bow. The faithful God of the covenant, clothed with majesty, enters the Jordan.

The people must have watched breathlessly, in tense expectation of what the water will do with the ark. The miracle takes place before their eyes: the water is completely cut off. The path becomes dry. Access to the land is open. This is the work of the ark; this is what the eyes are focused on. This happens at the city of ‘Adam’. The name ‘Adam’ reminisces how sin and death came into the world. Here death is cut off because the ark blocks the water of death.

At the moment the ark enters the Jordan, the Jordan is fuller than ever. The people enter the land when the harvest is ripe. The proceeds of the land can be eaten by the people. Whoever has seen death in his glory once, also sees the full harvest of the land.

The people can cross the Jordan. When the people have crossed, the water does not flow back immediately. Everything happens peacefully. The priests stand immovably with the ark on dry land in the middle of the Jordan. This immovability shows how the situation completely is controlled by the ark. The water is just as immovable. It stands like a dam. Because the ark is rock solid there, there is no movement in what would otherwise irrevocably result in death. No power is able to begin anything against Him Who is the ‘solid rock of our salvation’.

Joshua 10:41

Israel Crosses the Jordan

Again, attention is drawn to “the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth” (Joshua 3:13). Here, the names previously used separately in connection with the ark are used together (Joshua 3:3; 11). “The LORD” is Yahweh, the God of the covenant with His people Israel. “The Lord” is Adonai, the Lord Who has authority and before Whom it proper for everyone to bow. The faithful God of the covenant, clothed with majesty, enters the Jordan.

The people must have watched breathlessly, in tense expectation of what the water will do with the ark. The miracle takes place before their eyes: the water is completely cut off. The path becomes dry. Access to the land is open. This is the work of the ark; this is what the eyes are focused on. This happens at the city of ‘Adam’. The name ‘Adam’ reminisces how sin and death came into the world. Here death is cut off because the ark blocks the water of death.

At the moment the ark enters the Jordan, the Jordan is fuller than ever. The people enter the land when the harvest is ripe. The proceeds of the land can be eaten by the people. Whoever has seen death in his glory once, also sees the full harvest of the land.

The people can cross the Jordan. When the people have crossed, the water does not flow back immediately. Everything happens peacefully. The priests stand immovably with the ark on dry land in the middle of the Jordan. This immovability shows how the situation completely is controlled by the ark. The water is just as immovable. It stands like a dam. Because the ark is rock solid there, there is no movement in what would otherwise irrevocably result in death. No power is able to begin anything against Him Who is the ‘solid rock of our salvation’.

Joshua 10:42

Israel Crosses the Jordan

Again, attention is drawn to “the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth” (Joshua 3:13). Here, the names previously used separately in connection with the ark are used together (Joshua 3:3; 11). “The LORD” is Yahweh, the God of the covenant with His people Israel. “The Lord” is Adonai, the Lord Who has authority and before Whom it proper for everyone to bow. The faithful God of the covenant, clothed with majesty, enters the Jordan.

The people must have watched breathlessly, in tense expectation of what the water will do with the ark. The miracle takes place before their eyes: the water is completely cut off. The path becomes dry. Access to the land is open. This is the work of the ark; this is what the eyes are focused on. This happens at the city of ‘Adam’. The name ‘Adam’ reminisces how sin and death came into the world. Here death is cut off because the ark blocks the water of death.

At the moment the ark enters the Jordan, the Jordan is fuller than ever. The people enter the land when the harvest is ripe. The proceeds of the land can be eaten by the people. Whoever has seen death in his glory once, also sees the full harvest of the land.

The people can cross the Jordan. When the people have crossed, the water does not flow back immediately. Everything happens peacefully. The priests stand immovably with the ark on dry land in the middle of the Jordan. This immovability shows how the situation completely is controlled by the ark. The water is just as immovable. It stands like a dam. Because the ark is rock solid there, there is no movement in what would otherwise irrevocably result in death. No power is able to begin anything against Him Who is the ‘solid rock of our salvation’.

Joshua 10:43

Israel Crosses the Jordan

Again, attention is drawn to “the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth” (Joshua 3:13). Here, the names previously used separately in connection with the ark are used together (Joshua 3:3; 11). “The LORD” is Yahweh, the God of the covenant with His people Israel. “The Lord” is Adonai, the Lord Who has authority and before Whom it proper for everyone to bow. The faithful God of the covenant, clothed with majesty, enters the Jordan.

The people must have watched breathlessly, in tense expectation of what the water will do with the ark. The miracle takes place before their eyes: the water is completely cut off. The path becomes dry. Access to the land is open. This is the work of the ark; this is what the eyes are focused on. This happens at the city of ‘Adam’. The name ‘Adam’ reminisces how sin and death came into the world. Here death is cut off because the ark blocks the water of death.

At the moment the ark enters the Jordan, the Jordan is fuller than ever. The people enter the land when the harvest is ripe. The proceeds of the land can be eaten by the people. Whoever has seen death in his glory once, also sees the full harvest of the land.

The people can cross the Jordan. When the people have crossed, the water does not flow back immediately. Everything happens peacefully. The priests stand immovably with the ark on dry land in the middle of the Jordan. This immovability shows how the situation completely is controlled by the ark. The water is just as immovable. It stands like a dam. Because the ark is rock solid there, there is no movement in what would otherwise irrevocably result in death. No power is able to begin anything against Him Who is the ‘solid rock of our salvation’.