Can you think of anything that God’s church today has in common with the ancient story of Rahab?
Welcome to our COME AS A CHILD BIBLE STUDY for The Book of Joshua. Today we will cover things that happened in The Book of Joshua; Chapter Two.
THE SPIES MEET RAHAB
Before he led the people into the Promised Land; Joshua did as instructed by God and sent spies into the land. Two brave men crossed the river and took a dangerous journey into the City of Jericho. They lodged at the house of a harlot named Rahab.
Some have supposed, since Rahab was known locally as a prostitute, that these men went into a house of prostitution and spent the night seeking fleshly pleasures. Nothing could be further than the truth. Businesses existed within the inside of the walls of Jericho, and Rahab’s family owned an inn. It was an inn like any other inn, set up for people who traveled through the city.
This “inn” was not a house of ill repute; but an established and well known business of the city. All of Rahab’s family helped to run it and she seemed to have another career of selling flax in a little shop on their roof top.
Rahab sold cloth of scarlet and cords made from flax dyed red. This was very similar to the purple cloth that the biblical character named Lydia sold in another story. Lydia gained a well-respected reputation through her business dealings; but Rahab had become known as a prostitute. Their stories are both similar and contrasting in many ways.
SPIES ARE REPORTED TO THE KING
Someone else who was also lodging in the house that night saw the two men from Israel and recognized them as spies. This person went to the King of Jericho and told him that men from The Children of Israel were lodging there in order to search out the country.
The whole land of Canaan was living in fear of the Israelites at that time.
Everyone living in Jericho had heard the stories of how God had delivered the Israelites in Og and in Sihon. They also knew that God had promised His people the land in which they were now living illegally.
The scriptures do not bluntly point out this fact, but the land had been originally owned by Abraham’s descendants before the great draught when they had all moved to Egypt in order to survive. The land was still rightfully and lawfully theirs; but others had inhabited it and taken it for free in their absence. 400 years of unexpected slavery had done a lot to bury these facts from the public knowledge.
It is always amazing to consider what time and politics in action can do if given enough time to fester without resistance or correction.
The King of Jericho was not happy to know the fact that now the Israelites had come back and they were here to look over the city. He sent word to Rahab telling her to bring forth the men that were spies.
RAHAB PROTECTS GOD’S MEN
But Rahab took the two men and hid them. She put them underneath her neatly tied bundles of stalks of drying flax on the rooftop. (This reminded me of Joseph’s dream in which all of the other bundles of grain bowed down to his bundle of grain.) You may remember from lessons past that flax is used to make fine linen.
Rahab told the King’s men that she had seen the two spies but did not know where they had gone afterward. Rahab advised The King’s men to hurry after the spies, because she at least DID know that they had left before the shutting of the city gates.
After covering for the two men, Rahab went up to the roof of her house where she had hidden the two spies under those stalks of drying flax. She acknowledged that she knew the LORD had given Israel the land and that the whole country was living in fear because of that fact. The people had heard of how the Israelites had escaped from Egyptian slavery. They knew how God had dried up the Red Sea to allow them to cross, and later how the LORD had helped them to destroy Og and Sihon.
THE COVENANT BETWEEN RAHAB AND THE TWO SPIES
Rahab acknowledged that she believed the God of Israel was in charge of the heavens and the earth. Since she had acknowledged their God and had helped them to escape, she asked that they also show her kindness by saving her family at the time that they entered and took the land.
Joshua’s men answered her with “our lives for your lives.” They promised if she continued to help them they would deal kindly with her later.
So Rahab took a scarlet cord in her window and let them escape by way of it. Her house was built on the city’s wall and leaving from her window would put them on the other side of the wall without the public seeing them go outside the gates of the city.
SYMBOLS OF SALVATION
She advised them to go to the mountains and hide for three days until the men pursuing them had returned back to Jericho. (This scarlet cord is so very symbolic of our salvation and the fact that Jesus was held three days and three nights inside the tomb in order to bring it about.)
Before they left, the spies agreed that Rahab would gather her family inside her house and when they returned to take the city, she should let down the same scarlet rope from her window. They would see it and know it was her home and no one would be allowed to harm her or her people. They cautioned her not to let anyone go outside into the street, for they would not know these were her people if they did, and they would kill them without knowing. All who stayed inside with her house would be spared. (Does any of this remind you of Passover?)
She agreed and sent them on their way. They hid safely in the mountains for three days then they reported back to Joshua. The two men spoke to Joshua of how the people of the land trembled at the power of God with the Israelites.
RAHAB’S FAITH SAVED HER FAMILY
Later we will hear the story of how Joshua and the mighty army of Israel went into the city of Jericho and took it for The LORD.
When this happened to the inhabitants of Jericho, only Rahab and her family lived. The two spies brought her out of her house and led her and her people to live by following along with the camp of Israel.
Because Rahab had received the men of God into her home with peace; her life was spared. She had done all of this because she believed in the God of Israel. Rahab was a woman who possessed great faith and courage. Her faith and courage benefited all of those around her. Her willingness to risk her life for God’s people had saved her family.
There is a lot of direction and encouragement that the Church of God can draw from the story of Rahab and the spies. If we look at the story with our spiritual eyes we can see so much prophesy from the symbolism. This story can also help us to find our way through a world gone mad today. At this very moment the Church of God sets poised at a precipice of history in which we must make careful and deliberate life-changing decisions in order to survive.
Let’s look at how Rahab’s story can help us to move forward in the right direction.
SORTING THROUGH THE SYMBOLISM
Can you understand how Joshua represents Jesus in this story? Joshua leading the camp of Israel into the land is very comparable to end-times predictions of angel armies invading earth. Their leader will be Jesus Christ.
The City of Jericho is symbolic of the sinful and corrupt cities of the earth when Jesus returns to us. The King of Jericho is comparable to Satan.
Some passages of the bible describe Jericho of being set on a high perch of land. From that high place the King of Jericho could look down and see the armies of Israel gathering. They had camped outside the city for awhile and the suspense would have built up day-by-day.
CAN YOU SEE JESUS?
The King looking down on the armies preparing is a lot like when Satan took Jesus up to a high place and told him to look at the kingdoms below him and tried to tempt Him to disobey God.
This happened during the preparation of Jesus for his ministry.
Jericho’s King was plotting the whole time to destroy Israel’s army as soon as they entered the land, just as Satan wished to destroy our Messiah.
TWO SPIES AND TWO END TIMES WITNESSES
The two spies that came to look things over could be compared to the two witnesses mentioned in scripture passages about end-times events. They had come to report on the things that were going on in Jericho; just as the two witnesses in the end times will be commissioned by God to report the things that are going on in the earth.
(Most of us believe that the two witnesses are the words of the bible represented by the Old Testament and the New Testament. We know all events of the earth are being recorded and compared against them; like a witness.)
RAHAB’S HOUSE AND THE CHURCH OF GOD
Rahab’s house, or her family’s inn, is comparable to the Church in many ways.
Her house was built into a protective wall. There it housed and provided safe lodging to visitors of the earth.
The Church of God today is supposed to be a type of refuge for people on a spiritual journey seeking the true God and desiring to lean more of His truth.
Though Rahab had been a harlot in the past, her eyes now beheld how God feeds, waters and protects His people. I’m sure people coming and going from her place told her stories of such things. Her eyes were suddenly opened to the fact that Yahweh is The Real God of Heaven and Earth. Rahab had come to the place of truth, just as those who come into God’s Church get to experience.
RAHAB IS SYMBOLIC OF EACH BELIEVER
We note that Rahab has become a believer.
Rahab represents each member of God’s Church today. She has become convicted enough to put her life on the line for the two visitors that she knows God sent specifically to her.
Perhaps Rahab had prayed for God’s protection even before the two had arrived. We cannot know the timing of everything that transpired; only the results in the end of it all.
It would seem though that Rahab had been seeking truth and looking for the true meaning of life. She was most likely fed up with the way of life that she had lived so far, and her worldly knowledge and education from the hard knocks of her past life had probably taught her to look for a better way. Rahab saw how God showed an endless love for His people. She knew of how He had protected them and delivered them from danger. Most likely Rahab longed for this type of loving God who would always look after her and always have her back.
RAHAB WAS COMMITTED
She desired this loving God so much that she was willing to risk all to bring about His will in her life. In those days if you were caught in treason against the King, your eyes were plucked out first. Next they cut out your tongue. After they chopped off your hands they would drag you through the streets and stone you to death in front of the whole city.
If Rahab had been caught; she would have faced such terror and torture at the hands of evil men. We know that some of God’s Church will have to endure such horrors in the times of tribulation that will happen just before the end. Not everyone will escape.
God’s Church must be willing to take a stand for God’s ways just as Rahab did.
When the chaos and confusion comes to our lands, we must remember her courage and bravery and we too must do all that we can to hide and protect those who belong to God’s Church.
WHEN THE CHURCH IS CALLED TO BE BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS
We too may be called upon to stand before Kings and give testimony of what we know. Remember Rahab and her bravery if this ever happens to you. Do not betray your brother’s and remember your covenant with God.
We must remember to look to our godly leaders in the days ahead.
Many are going to be deceived; just as Jesus has warned. When you see uprising in the streets and violence, know that it may all be a part of a plot to make you react in an ungodly way. Hold your peace until God directs you to do otherwise.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR TODAY
In recent days I have felt strongly that God is directing his people to look and follow the words of Joshua 6:10 (which we will study further in a later lesson.) The verse follows here and I hope you will give it your full focus and consideration:
But Joshua had commanded the army – “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout!” (Joshua 6:10)
The world events are culminating from day-to-day now. God’s enemies circle the camp and are waiting on us to react to their carefully planned plots. We need to keep our eyes on our leader Jesus and follow His specific instructions.
There is no need to do ANYTHING until He commands us to do so. When the time is right; He will tell us what to do; until that time – we must wait patiently and hold our place in this ever changing world.
Pray for the persecuted and ask God to intervene on their behalf. Do not fall prey to the powers that be; that is what they are wanting you to do. It might be a trap or a set-up. Remember what Jesus said and “do not be deceived.” We need all of our people with us and not conquered by the enemies when the real battle comes.
FAITH SAVED RAHAB’S FAMILY
One more wonderful thing which we can take away from Rahab is the fact that she saved her whole family because of her faith in God.
It happened then; and it can happen again.
Have faith and hold on. Be obedient through whatever comes your way.
God will help us.
Know it.
Live it out.
Remember how the story ends. Rahab becomes a part of Israel. They take her in and her whole life is changed completely. Where she once lived for the things of the world; she then began to live for God. She was so blessed that the generations after her produced our Messiah. Rahab, because of her faith, even though she was Gentile, became a part of the lineage of The Son of God.
Can you imagine any better reward than this?