RAHAB THE UNLIKELY
Opening Prayer
Thank You, God, for accepting me. Speak to me today.
Read Joshua 2:1–16
Rahab and the Spies
2 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea[a] for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.[b] 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
12 “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”
14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”
15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.”
Footnotes
a. Joshua 2:10 Or the Sea of Reeds
b. Joshua 2:10 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
Reflect
God wants to use you to help bring in His kingdom. How do you feel about this?Joshua’s excellent leadership is demonstrated by his careful reconnaissance before leading the people across the river (1). His spies obeyed orders and went to Jericho where they stayed with Rahab, a local prostitute. Her house was probably a hostelry on the main way in and out of Jericho.
When Jericho’s king heard about this, he ordered Rahab to surrender them (3). Rahab lied, saying that the spies had left before the city gate was locked for the night. The king’s men believed Rahab and chased after the spies (7). Why Rahab lied becomes clear in verses 9–11. How would you summarize her reasons? Having declared her faith and trust in the Lord (11), she asked the spies to guarantee her family’s safety when the invasion happened (13). The spies made this guarantee (14). Rahab then did two more things to ensure the spies’ escape (15, 16).
God was at work in Rahab’s life. He used her to save the two spies. As a prostitute she was not an obvious choice, yet she played an important role in the history of the Jewish people. She is even included in Jesus’ genealogy (Matthew 1:5). How does this encourage you in your walk with God?
Apply
Do you know someone who may struggle to feel accepted by God (or maybe it’s you!)? Pray for them today and if prompted, send a word of encouragement and a reminder of God’s love.
Closing prayer
I thank You, Savior, for rescuing me. Show me how You want to use me to help save and rescue others.
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