Joshua 2

Spying out the land (vs. 1-24)—Even though God was going to give Israel the land of Canaan, such did not preclude wise reconnoitering and strategy. Joshua will use a “divide and conquer” approach, attacking Canaan in its midsection from the east, splitting the land, and thereby preventing cities in the north and south from uniting against him. The British used the same tactic in the American War of Independence, but not with Joshua’s success.

So the son of Nun sent out two men on a reconnaissance mission , “especially Jericho,” the first city to be attacked (v. 1). The spies entered the city and lodged with a harlot named Rahab. Some have suggested that Rahab was only an innkeeper (the Hebrew has that possible meaning, but its basic connotation is harlot). Her being an innkeeper would make some sense; the men had to stay somewhere and it would no doubt be more appropriate for them to stay at an inn than at a house of prostitution! Regardless, the king of Jericho heard about it and demanded that Rahab cough up her guests (vs. 2-3). Notice Jericho had a king; it was a city-state, which was the most common form of government in the ancient world, and nearly all of them had their own king. It is one of the reasons Joshua—and subsequent empires like Assyria and Babylon—were able to conquer much territory. There was rarely unity among the kings of the city-states, all of whom jealously guarded their domain, which included the city and the surrounding farm area for provisions. The easiest way—though not the fastest—to defeat a city-state was via siege; just plop your army outside the city walls and keep the people bottled up inside where they couldn’t get to their farmland. Such a siege might take months, or even years, but it saved the lives of the attacking army. Joshua never used this strategy, though it will be used against Israel later on (see II Kings 6 and 7), where the famine in the city became so severe than some of the people were reduced to cannibalism (II Kings 6:28-29).

Back to Rahab. She had hidden the Israeli spies (v. 4), but told the king that they had escaped, and if he would hurry, they could be overtaken (v. 5). She lied, of course, but protected God’s men. God never approves of lying, but this was a heathen prostitute so He forgave her in her efforts to help the spies. She had hidden them on the roof under some stalks of flax (v. 6). The ripe flax indicates the month was either March or April. Roofs were often flat-roofed, used commonly the way we use a porch. People might also sleep on them. Deceived, the king’s men vainly pursue spies who were not where Rahab said they might be (v. 7).

She explained herself to the spies in an astounding statement (vs. 8-13). “I know that the Lord has given you the land” (v. 9), and all the people of the region were fainthearted because of Israel. They had heard about what the Lord did in Egypt, and how Israel had defeated two strong kings on the west side of the Jordan River. “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” (v. 11). The Israelites could have almost walked in and taken the land anytime in the previous 40 years, but because of their unbelief, they didn’t do so. This heathen prostitute had more faith in God than His own people did! That is truly an amazing thing. Rahab asked the spies if they would please spare her family in Israel’s coming victory over Jericho. The spies agreed, upon certain conditions. She must not report them (v. 14), and “you [must] bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down” (v. 18), and bring all her family into her house. Anyone caught outside, “his blood shall be on his own head” (v. 19). Rahab accepted these conditions (v. 21). Her house being on the city wall, “she let them down by a rope through the window” (v. 15), and told them to flee to the mountains and hide for three days until their pursuers returned (v. 16). The spies escaped and returned to Joshua (vs. 22-23), where they gave a glowing report, unlike the 10 fools in Numbers 13: “Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us" (v. 24). That was just what Joshua wanted to know, and no doubt, expected to hear, given his faith in Jehovah.