Joshua 2:1-7
1 Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and rested there.
2 But it was told to the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.”
3 And the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to spy out all the land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.
5 It came about, when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.”
6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof.
7 So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan, to the crossing places; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate.
Commissioning the Spies
Purpose of commissioning
Joshua commissioned two spies. (1) The purpose of this was to collect information about the city of Jericho, which they were to conquer. (2) The spies were sent in secret. Obviously, this was so that the two will go undetected by the Canaanites; nevertheless, there was more to it. It was likely that Joshua remembered the incident in Kadesh Barnea 40 years prior. Back then, due to the unfavorable report brought back by the spies, the Israelites resulted in unfaithfulness. This time, in order to avoid such risk, the two spies were sent in secret. The two entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab. Rahab probably was the owner of the inn and secretly made a living as a prostitute. (1) The reason the two spies entered her house was so that they could act in secret. Also, it was not so unusual to see visitors entering the house of a harlot. (2) Since the house was within the walls of Jericho, entering the city was easier. (3) Behind this was the providence of God. Rahab already had faith in the God of Israel.
Rahab’s lie
Then, someone detected the spies and reported to the king of Jericho. The king sent his messengers to Rahab and demanded her to surrender the spies. However, Rahab decided to save them by hiding them on the rooftop. Some people question if Rahab sinned by lying to the king’s messenger. I understand that there may be opposition, but it is my understanding that (1) Rahab risked her life to save the two spies. Such a noble action should not be called a sin. (2) In no way do today’s verses condemn Rahab’s actions. The New Testament actually praises Rahab’s faith highly (Heb. 11:31, Jam. 2:25). (3) Telling the truth to have the spies killed should be considered a sin. Rahab, because of her faith, was given the privilege to be included in the lineage of David and the Messiah (Matt. 1:5). She became the model of one who receives God’s blessings through repentance and faith. God’s grace is offered even to the sinner of sinners.
Today's prayer
God of Israel, I am grateful that we can receive Your grace through repentance and faith. May I demonstrate my faith through my actions today. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.