Jericho was part of the Amorite Kingdom and was very corrupt. Some believed that Jericho was the oldest city in the world and was dedicated to worshiping a moon god. The city was located about 5 miles west of the Jordan River and was an Oasis in the Dead Sea area.
An enormous wall surrounded Jericho, making it the city’s distinguishing mark. Without walls, the city was just a village. Homes, businesses, watch towers, and Archer positions were all built into this wall, which could be 20 to 30 feet thick. The stronger the wall system around a city, the more defensible it was against invaders.
The time had come for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. Moses had died, and God placed Joshua as the leader. Joshua had been in the Promised Land many years before, but because the people feared the report, their fear condemned them to wander and die in the desert. So, this time, Joshua sent only two spies to view the land and report their findings. ( Read my blog post about Joshua here)
The two spies go, and when they get to Jericho, they enter the home of a prostitute named Rahab. We have little information about her other than her profession and her home on the city wall.
Because of her livelihood and home location, everyone knew her, even the king of Jericho. The people of Jericho had heard about the Israelites’ miraculous escape from Pharaoh and how the entire Egyptian army drowned in the Red Sea. They also knew the Israelites had been wandering in the desert for years.
When the spies came to the city, the guards looked for intruders and anything suspicious and reported it to the king. So, as soon as the king heard there were men in Rahab’s home, he told her to send them to him.
Rahab did something that could have cost her life. She hid the two spies and sent the officials on a wild goose chase—Rahab’s actions in protecting them included telling a lie. There are debates about Rahab’s lie, and I won’t share them here, but she had just met two men whose God was the one true God, and she knew something great was about to take place.
Hebrews 11 says Rahab received the spies with peace, meaning that she not only hid them but also implacably embraced their cause. She turned down the easy reward of turning in the spies, put her life in jeopardy, and staked everything she knew on the God of Israel.
Nothing but faith could have caused such a drastic—and instantaneous—change in the character of a woman like Rahab.
Rahab had heard of the miracles God had done for Israel, and she was convinced that Israel’s God was the true God. When she met the spies, she decided, at the risk of her own life, to cast her lot with Israel and their God.
Before the spies left, Rahab asked them to treat her family kindly because she had shown them kindness. Rehab did not ask for her own salvation, but for her family’s.
The spies swore an oath to deal with her kindly when they conquered her city, but they had one request. They asked her to hang a scarlet cord from the window, where she let them down the side of the wall. When they saw this red cord, they would know it was her home, and anyone inside would be spared.
The Hebrew word for “cord” in verse 18 differs from the word for “rope” in verse 15. This cord would have been a bright-colored band of woven threads used for decorative purposes. The color would make it easily visible from beneath the wall. Its appearance and function were reminiscent of the crimson sign of the blood sprinkled on the doorposts at the first Passover. How awesome is that?
So, after solemnly agreeing to safeguard Rahab’s family and sealing their pledge with an oath, the spies descend under the cover of darkness via the rope to the valley outside Jericho’s walls.
After hiding for three days, according to Rahab’s instructions, the spies returned to Joshua and reported that the Promised Land was ready for them to take.
Rehab’s Redemption is not because of her meritorious works. She didn’t earn God’s favor by doing any good deeds. Even what she did right (hiding the spies) was tainted because she lied.
Through Rahab, God shows us that only by His grace can a life be redeemed, even the most horrible life. The New Testament mentions Rahab three more times. The first is in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew gives a lengthy genealogy tracing Jesus’s lineage from Abraham to this time. Five women are listed. All of them knew what it meant to be an outcast. Rahab is one of them.
The second time is in Hebrews 11, the Hall of Faith, and the third is in James 2. Both scriptures honor Rahab’s faith. Rahab was a woman, a Gentile, and an outcast because of her chosen profession. A prostitute may seem an unlikely example of faith, yet she is mentioned favorably as an example to follow because her faith was not without works, and she is listed among the heroes of faith.
Rahab’s life is a beautiful example of the transforming power of faith. Although she had few spiritual advantages and little knowledge of the truth, her heart was drawn to God.
She risked her life, turned her back on her way of life, and walked away from everything except her family. Rehab was a sinner but received extraordinary grace. What she once was magnified the glory of divine grace, giving us an example of a life of faith.
Joshua 2:1-24
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/JOS.2.1-24
