Joshua 2: The Power of Realization

Theological Proposition/Focus: God loves every individual and is able to redeem them regardless of occupation or ancestry.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: No matter the circumstances we must choose faith and act upon that choice because God's rewards are enormous.

Introduction:

Setting the Stage:

After God affirmed Joshua as the next leader of Israel, it was time for the work to begin. The first city that Israel would encounter upon crossing the Jordan river into the land was the city of Jericho.

The city of Jericho sat

14 miles West of the Jordan river

We talk about the city of Jericho but we need to understand this was actually a military outpost. This was much more of a fort rather than a city.

The tell (mound) of Jericho was wrapped with an earthen rampart, with a stone retaining wall to hold it in place.

On top of the rampart at the retaining wall was a mudbrick wall six feet thick and about 20–26 feet high.

At the top of the rampart, there was a similar mudbrick wall because of the slope of the rampart,

the base of this inner wall would have been 46 feet above ground level.

There is some evidence that people lived on the rampart which seems to support the narrative of our story.

Body

1 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.

God works through those who are willing to be spiritually courageous (1-7).

God worked through two spies who were willing to risk their lives.

In verse one we see that Joshua secretly sent two spies into the land. At first glance, you might think, oh no, here we go again. Once again Israel is going to doubt God's power and refuse to enter the land. However, this does not seem to be the case. The use of spies was not a lack of faith but rather an effort to discover how best to proceed. Joshua is using common sense here. Nothing in the text suggests that Joshua doubts God. Rather it seems that Joshua is looking to plan his next steps carefully.

In fact, there is a hint that Joshua was being very careful here. The text states that Joshua

sent these spies secretly.

That a spy is acting covertly is obvious so including the word secret seems superfluous. Perhaps the point is that even the fellow Israelites did not know of this mission. These spies took on a dangerous and thankless job. Even their own countrymen would not know of the sacrifice they were making. Sometimes we must be spiritually courageous and no-one will know of our courage.

Now there is an elephant in the room. What were God's people doing in the house of a prostitute?

First, things were different in the ancient world and my understanding is that our equivalent of a hotel was often some sort of place of prostitution. This helps us understand why in the New Testament hospitality is valued so highly. If you lived in a world where hotels were places of prostitution then when the Apostle Paul comes to visit your city you don't want to put him up in the hotel, that is shameful, instead, you find someone in the church to host him.

Second, if you want to find a place where your identity and secret can remain safe, you might find such a place in a prostitute's house.

Nothing in the texts indicates the spies participated in immoral behavior

Instead, I want you to notice that the text actually suggests that these men may have treated Rahab differently than she had ever experienced before. At least something led Rahab to believe this was not business as usual because she did not give them up.

God worked through Rahab who was willing to risk her family and livlihood.

Rahab, in defiance of her king actually hid the spies and lied to the king.

At this point, I think we need to take just a quick

excursis into the moral weeds of Rahab's prostitution and lies.

Remember, this text is reporting facts of the narrative. The text is not making a moral claim about Rahab. We know that both prostitution and lying are wrong and perversions of God's will. The spies chose to utilize a prostitute's house, in so doing they put themselves at great risk. Rahab chose to lie, lying is a sin but remember Rahab is a heathen who does not know God. You should not model your post-christ life after the life of a pre-conversion woman! We celebrate Rahab's eventual conversion but don't fall into the trap of celebrating her sin.

So, what exactly can we learn from Rahab and the spies? We nee to

MTR: Evaluate your spiritual courage, aim to grow.

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 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. p 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.”

God orchestrates every detail whether behind the scenes or in the open (8-13).

MTR: Ask God for the confidence to trust him in the details

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.” 17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” 21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

God honors those who make bold requests (14-21).

MTR: Make bold, informed requests.

22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”