Joshua 2:14 – And the men said to her, "Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you."
As we ended our last post, Rahab was in the middle of bargaining with the spies/scouts of Israel. Both she and the scouts are fully aware that Jericho is going to fall to the Israelites; their destruction is only a matter of time because God is giving the land to his people.
In light of this, Rahab wants the scouts to swear an oath to God that they will spare her life and the lives of her family, because she spared their lives.
Oaths were a common yet serious commitment when given from one person to another. However, oaths made between people can be subverted or broken, often without consequences.
For example, let's assume this particular oath was only between Rahab and the spies. Although she kept her part of the bargain by helping them escape, the spies could have broken the oath by simply letting her family die in the invasion and no one would have known. In this scenario, no one would be able to hold the spies accountable for their oath.
But when God is involved, it's a whole different story!� By making God a witness to the oath, the men essentially declare that if they fail to save Rahab (and her family) or if evil/destruction befalls Rahab because of negligence on their part, the spies will give their own lives in payment/exchange.� The spies call upon God to punish them with death if they failed to do everything within their power to save Rahab.� Thus, their oath cannot be broken; God will hold them accountable for their promise.
We can take comfort in knowing that God ALWAYS keeps his promises. In fact, the prophet Jeremiah tells us that God actively watches over his word, to make sure that he keeps those promises:
Jeremiah 1:12 - Then said the LORD unto me, You have well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
For her part, Rahab must agree to do three things.� First, she has to keep her mouth shut.� She cannot divulge anything that she knows about the spies or Israel; she cannot mention them in any way, at any time, to anyone.
It is unlikely that the spies required this because they did not trust Rahab. If she intended to do them harm, she would have already done so when the king's soldiers showed up at her door.
If that is the case, then why do the spies demand that she keep quiet?
The request could have been made for her own safety. If she continued to drop idle comments about the matter, people would begin to gossip. Word would get back to the king that Rahab might know more than she was telling. If this occurred, it was entirely possible that the king of Jericho might have her arrested or put to death and in that case, the men of Israel would be unable to deliver her.
Alternatively, there may have been a plan (unknown to us) in which Rahab somehow assisted Israel in taking the city. As of this time, no one knew that God was going to miraculously deliver Jericho into Israel's hands. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that a plan may have existed, even though they ended up not using it.
However, it is more likely that her silence was to prevent anyone else from taking refuge under the oath.� For instance, if Rahab told her best friend about the matter, the friend would want to be saved too, along with her own family.� Those people would also want to save their families and friends, and so on and so on.� You can imagine what a chaotic scene the spies would encounter at Rahab's house if large numbers of people were seeking refuge there.
For this reason, the spies were cautious when making the oath; they wisely insisted on the silence of Rahab as part of the agreement.� They did not want to bind themselves to an oath that was too much for them to handle or that would go against the commands of God.� Jericho and all its inhabitants were devoted to destruction; the spies want to make sure that she is the only exception to this command.
Later, we will see that Israel makes a rash oath with the Gibeonites (Joshua chapter 9) which they will immediately regret, but they are still bound to keep the oath they made.
Joshua 2:15 – Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall.
Once again, we find that this narrative is not in chronological order.� Rahab did not lower the spies outside the city walls and then continue making plans by shouting to the men from her window!�� Obviously, the three of them covertly finished negotiating their business BEFORE she lowered them outside the tightly shut gates.
She was eventually able to help them escape because the wall of the city formed the back wall of her house.� This meant that her window gave access to the open country outside the city wall.� By the time she lowered the men down, it was well past nightfall and the darkness provided cover for them as they left.
Here are two trivia questions for you: What other bible character escaped his enemies by being lowered in a basket outside the city walls? Who was this person escaping from? The answers are at the end of this post.
Joshua 2:16 – And she said to them, "Go into the hills, or the pursuers will encounter you, and hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Then afterward you may go your way."
Rahab's parting advice told the spies the best way to avoid capture.
The soldiers of Jericho were diligently searching the eight miles of road which led back to the fords of the Jordan. For this reason, she cautions them to head straight for the mountains or hills that were close by the city and hide until the pursuers gave up the search.
History tells us that a range of white limestone hills existed around the city, especially on the north side. These hills rose to a height of about 1200-1500 feet, and they were perforated with many caves. This provided a measure of safety, because it would be impossible for the soldiers to search every single one.
The time frame of three days probably refers to two nights and one day.� The first night was the night they left the city.� The soldiers no doubt spent the entire next day searching for the spies during daylight hours. Failing to find them, they would probably return to Jericho sometime after nightfall.� So, any time after that point it would be safe for the spies to head back across the river.
Joshua 2:17-18 – The men said to her, "We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household."
The spies outlined three conditions that Rahab had to meet in order for them to be bound by the oath. As we just noted, the first condition was silence.
Secondly, Rahab had to tie a scarlet or red colored cord in the same window that she was going to use to get the spies out of the city.� Since her window looked outside the gates, the spies would be able to identify her house immediately on the day of battle.�
It is interesting to note that the original word translated 'cord' is most often translated 'web' or 'ribbon'. So, the scarlet-colored item may not have been an actual rope or cord, which might have been difficult to see from the ground outside. It may have been a larger piece of cloth, made from scarlet thread kind of like a flag.
In either case, it must have been large enough to be easily identified by the spies when Israel returned to take the city. It was something already in Rahab's house; it was not given to her by the spies.
As far as Rahab and the spies were concerned, the only purpose of the scarlet cord/cloth was to identify the house of Rahab. But in retrospect, many scholars see a parallel with the spiritual realm.
Think back to the night before Israel left Egypt. After killing the Passover lamb, they were to brush the blood of the lamb on the top and side door posts of their houses, and they were to remain in that house until morning (Exodus 12:7, 21-22). The blood of the Passover lamb, which was a type/shadow of the blood of Christ, saved them from the death angel which passed through Egypt that night (Exodus 12:12-13, 23).
Similarly, in order to escape death Rahab had to hang a representation of blood (the scarlet cloth/cord) in her window and all of her family had to remain inside her house until they were personally rescued by the spies.
This brings our discussion to the third and final requirement of the spies – Rahab and all her family members who wished to be delivered from death had to be in her house with the door shut when the city was taken.
Joshua 2:19-20 – "Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless.� But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head.� But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear."
In a physical sense, the mandate to remain in the house was absolutely critical, for the soldiers of Israel had no way of distinguishing Rahab's family from any of the other people in Jericho. In order to stay safe, they had to separate themselves from the rest of the nation by staying indoors at her house.� If anyone chose to go outside of the protection of the house, they were taking their life into their own hands; the spies were no longer under an oath to guarantee their safety.
In the spiritual sense, the scarlet cloth/cord represented the blood of Christ. Rahab's family had to separate themselves from the sinful world around them and obediently remain under the 'blood' in order to be saved from certain death. If they dallied outside of the protection of the blood, they could be subject to death.
This story is a beautiful foreshadowing of God's ultimate plan to bring the Gentiles into his kingdom:
Isaiah 49:6 - And he [God] said, It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation unto the ends of the earth.
As a Gentile, I am so glad God opened up his kingdom to people of every 'tribe, tongue and race' (Revelation 5:9-10)! What about you?
Incidentally, Rahab has a lot of similarities to the Samarian woman who met Jesus at the well (John chapter 4). What similarities can you find between these two women and their situations?
Joshua 2:21 – And she said, "According to your words, so be it." Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
We don't know how much time passed between the spies being lowered outside the city and Rahab placing the cloth/cord in the window.�
Hanging the cord immediately, well before the siege, may have caused her neighbors to suspect that she was up to something. She probably waited to place it in the window until the army of Israel had surrounded the city. At that time, no one was likely to pay any attention to it.
Joshua 2:22 – They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing.
The spies have been successful in their mission.� They gained information about the crossing of the Jordan (specifically, that it would be impossible to cross without a miracle).� They had seen the walls of Jericho, been inside the city and learned that the Lord had put a spirit of fear upon the people of Jericho, just as he promised he would.�
Since they gained all of the information they desired, there was no further need for them to remain on that side of the Jordan.� Rahab no doubt supplied them with provisions and they wisely hid themselves in the limestone caves near the city for a time, until their pursuers had given up the chase. �Then they returned to the Israelite camp.
Joshua 2:23-24 – Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them. And they said to Joshua, "Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us."
The safe return of the men was a strong encouragement to Joshua. God had divinely connected the spies with Rahab, given them the intelligence they wanted, and brought them safely back to the camp. This was evidence of the divine protection and guidance of God.
This verse also reveals the character of the men that Joshua sent into Jericho. Many people, having faced the danger they did, would not be able to keep their mouths shut! They would have burst into the camp and immediately began talking about their narrow escape from death. This would have resulted in rumors and possibly fear circulating throughout the camp. It could have caused a repeat of the defeat Israel suffered 40 years earlier!
But that is not what occurred. Immediately upon their return, these men of integrity go directly to Joshua and give him a strong word of faith – the Lord was giving Israel the land!
Think about it for a moment – nothing had changed from the time of the ten spies until the time of the two. The sons of Anak (giants) were still in the land. The cities of Canaan were still just as fortified as ever and their walls were probably even stronger. The army of Israel was still relatively inexperienced.
Truthfully, the only change in the situation was the faith of the people!
What a difference faith made! Don't ever forget that faith is a powerful weapon!� Faith in God moves mighty mountains (Matthew 17:20)! �
Let me offer you some encouragement:
The two spies came to Joshua full of faith, confidence and praise for God. When they said to Joshua 'truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands' they were thanking God and testifying of a victory that was yet to come.
Let me encourage you to act in the same manner. When you are in a battle, do NOT let fear, despair or failure come out of your mouth! Remember, your words have power:
Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
With that in mind, make sure you are speaking victory over your life every time you open your mouth!
Let me offer you some relief:
Do the actions of Rahab disturb you? If so, let me offer you some relief.
God's power to protect the spies was never dependent upon the words of Rahab. It is true that she lied to the soldiers and secured their deliverance, but we can be sure that God could have protected them just as easily if she had told the truth.
Rahab was acting in faith with the limited knowledge she had of God, and God honored her for that.� Although we know more about God than she did, our understanding of God is still imperfect.� Yet, we can be relieved to know that God will honor our faith too when we reach out to him using the knowledge that we have. �
Let me offer you some strength:
What are we to learn from the lesson of the spies and their interaction with Rahab? One thing is clear: Though the hand of God was evident in everything that happened to Israel, the people still had a part to play.
It was up to them to use the resources, intelligence and strength which God had given them in order to secure the promise of God.
The same is true for us. What promises has God made to you? How are you using the talents, resources and connections God has given you to make that dream come true?
TRIVIA QUESTION ANSWERS:
Hundreds of years after the invasion of Jericho, the apostle Paul escaped from the king of Damascus by being lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall (II Corinthians 11:32-33).
Did you get the answers correct? If so, be sure to reward yourself!
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