Joshua 2 (3)

Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate. Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who wereon the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” Joshua 2.4-11

Reflect.
1.  Meditate on Luke 12.4, 5. Why should we fear God? Do you fear God as much as you fear what others might think of you or do to you? 

2.  Meditate on Deuteronomy 10.12, 13. To what actions should the fear of God lead us?

Think about it.
We can imagine the king’s agents downstairs, demanding that the Hebrew spies be brought forth, while Rahab is upstairs, busily hiding her guests on the roof. The scene is charged with tension.

Rahab was undoubtedly afraid: the hard pounding on the door, the loud voices insisting on speaking to the owner, the demand that anyone who knew anything about spies had better come forward. She was no doubt greatly afraid.

But she feared God, Whom she’d never known or seen, more than the immediate danger downstairs. And fearing God led her to courageous action, not only for her own sake, but for the sake of those she loved.

Hurrying downstairs, Rahab said, “Yes, yes, they were here! But now they are without the gate, and if you want to find them, you’ll need to hurry.” That wasn’t entirely false – they were on the roof of a home overlooking the city wall – but it wasn’t entirely true, either.

We can see her, trembling with relief, wiping away a tear, as she heads upstairs to check on her guests; and in her report to them, we see the power of the knowledge of God, as He makes Himself known for and through His faithful people.

Meditate and discuss.
1.  How did Rahab describe the condition of her people, knowing that Israel was camped just across the Jordan from them? Why did this knowledge have such an effect on these people?

2.  Do the churches in your community give your unsaved neighbors any reason to fear God? Or to be drawn to Him (Mic. 4.1-8)? Explain.

3.  Like Shiphrah and Puah before her (Exod. 1.15-20), Rahab stretched the truth to do what was right. Would it be appropriate to say that Pharaoh (in Exod. 1) and the king of Jericho had no right to the truth? God blessed the Hebrew midwives (Exod. 1.20). Did He bless Rahab (Matt. 1.5)? How do we reconcile Rahab’s action and God’s blessing with the ninth commandment?

“Scripture not only recalls nothing virtuous about her but even speaks of her immorality. Yet for her lie alone, whereby she chose to conceal the spies rather than betray them, she deserved to share an eternal blessing with the people of God. If she had chosen to speak the truth or to be concerned for the safety of her people, there is no doubt that she and her whole household would not have escaped the approaching destruction and that she would not have deserved to be included among those responsible for the Lord’s birth, to be numbered on the roll of the patriarchs, and, through her offspring, to beget the Savior of all.” John Cassian (360-432 AD)

Lord, help me to be strong and courageous whenever I feel the fear of man coming on, so that I…

Pray Psalm 12.1-8.
In deceitful, lying, and treacherous times, we must take refuge in the truth of God. As you pray, ask God to show you how the words of this psalm will apply to you today.

Psalm 12.1-8 (Hamburg: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)
Help, Lord! The godly cease to be; they who believe in Christ are few.
Falsely the wicked confidently flatter, deceive, and mock Your truth.

Stop, Lord, the lips that utter lies, all those who speak with boasting tongue!
See how Your holy Word they despise, while their own praises they have sung.

Rise up, O Lord, and rescue all Your precious children sore distressed.
Save those who faithfully on You call; grant them deliv’rance, peace, and rest.

Your words are pure and proven true, like silver seven times refined;
You will preserve Your Word ever new, and keep the heart to You inclined.

Proudly the wicked strut and stand; Your indignation builds on high.
Men may exalt their wicked plans, but You will judge them by and by.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).