And so, the conquest begins with sending two spies out from Acacia Grove into the land, especially Jericho. They arrived at the house of Rahab in Jericho, a harlot, and lodged there. (v1) We are not told who the spies were.
Why did they go to the house of a harlot? We are not told and there is no hint of immorality but maybe it was a safe place to go where no-one would ask any questions and there could be lots of comings and goings. It is clear from later verses that the city was in fear of the Israelites, their reputation had gone before them as to the workings of God for them and the gate was shut at night. It was clearly the right place to go as Rahab hid them from the king’s men. Maybe she did not know who they were initially, it was a common occurrence for men to come to her house. However, word got to the king, and he sent men to Rahab saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.”
“Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.” (v2-7)
Rahab was courageous, putting her own life on the line for these two men. It is clear that she lied by saying that they had left the city. The Bible never condones lying so how do we explain it? There is no evidence up to this point that Rahab was a believer, so her natural instinct, and her ‘occupation’ would tend to lead to lies.
In more recent days Corrie Ten Boom and her family hid Jews from the Nazis regime. The family had strong morals based on Christian beliefs but felt they need to help the Jews. She suffered a moral crisis over lying, theft and forgery which were necessary to hide the Jews from the Nazis. They built a secret room to hide the Jews and keep them safe. A man requested help for his wife and Corrie reluctantly agreed but he turned out to be a spy. The shop was raided, and the family and employees were arrested.
It is always difficult to justify lying and I cannot answer the question as to when it is right to do so. Brother Andrew (God’s Smuggler) didn’t lie about the bibles he was carrying, in fact he often carried them in full view.
Having sent the king’s men on a wild goose chase, Rahab went to the men on the roof and said (v8-14), “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.””
It is clear that the people of Jericho had heard of what the LORD had done for Israel, and it filled them with dread and Rahab was privy to the information. She confesses that the LORD is God of heaven and earth. This seems to be a confession of faith in God, and however little and faltering it was, it is recorded as genuine and confirmed in Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25. She was going to trust in God to save her. She asks the men to preserve her and her whole family when they come in to conquer the city. She asks them to show kindness in return for her kindness and save their lives. The men give their assurance and promise.
God can save the worst of people on their confession of faith in Him. None of us are too bad for salvation. The bible is full of stories of people who had been bad, being born again – the apostle Paul was, in his words, the chief of sinners. He testifies to the wicked things he did before his Damascus Road conversion especially against people of The Way, later called Christians. Many who we would never have thought would have been saved, have been changed and used mightily by God.
Rahab’s house was on the city wall, and she then let them down on a rope through a window and said, (v15-21) “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.” So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.” Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.
She was instructed to put a scarlet cord in her window which she let them down from on the outside of the wall so that the invading army would see it and spare them. She had to trust her safety to a scarlet red cord. There is no doubt that this is a picture of the blood of Jesus under which we are guaranteed salvation. We had seen this previously when the Israelites were rescued from Egypt by shedding the blood of a lamb and painting it on the door posts and lintel of their houses to save them at Passover when the avenger of blood would pass over when coming to strike the firstborn.
The spies went to the mountain and stayed there three days (v22-24). The pursuers looked for them but did not find them. The two crossed over the river and came to Joshua and related what had happened and said, “Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”
This was somewhat different report from the ten spies who initially were sent, but a welcome message.
