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Hi, again: this time through Joshua 2, I noticed many more details than I did during my previous study. The Spirit has been sharpening my skills, and I pray He’s doing that for you, too!

Last Week’s Work

REPETITION

• Melt [away] (vv9, 11, 24). This describes the inhabitants of the land, including Rahab.
• Sure sign (v12), scarlet cord (vv18, 21). This alerted the coming invaders to spare Rahab and her family.

SPECIAL STATEMENTS

• One blessing: …the LORD has given all the land into [the Israelites’] hands (vv8, 24).
• Nine commands:
  Joshua to the two spies: Go, view the land (v1).
  Jericho’s king to Rahab: Bring out the [spies](v3).
  Rahab to the king’s men: Pursue them quickly (v5).
  Rahab to the spies: give me a sure sign (v12),
  Go into the hills…
  hide there three days…
  then… go your way (v16).
• Four promises:
  The spies to Rahab: our life for yours,
  If you [keep our mission secret], … we will [keep our word to you] (v14),
  if a hand is laid on anyone… in the house, his blood shall be on our head (v19).
  Rahab to the spies: According to your words, so be it (v21).
• One request from Rahab to the spies: Please swear to me… as I have dealt kindly with you, … you will save alive my [family] … and deliver our lives from death (v12-13).
• One warning from the spies to Rahab: If anyone [leaves Rahab’s house during the siege] his blood shall be on his own head, … we shall be guiltless (v19).

LISTS

• Five ways Rahab helped the spies:
  Hid them (vv4,6).
  Misdirected the king’s guard (vv4-5).
  Kept their business a secret (vv4-5).
  Helped them escape through her window in the wall (vv15-16).
• Three things Rahab must do to save her family (in addition to her help in vv4-6, 15-16):
  Tie the cord in the window,
  Bring her family into her house during the siege (v18),
  Keep her family in her house (v19).
• The spies’ three promises to Rahab:
  Our lives for yours…
  They would deal kindly and faithfully with her (v14), and
  Refrain from attacking Rahab’s family within her home (v19).

Through all this, I felt the Spirit pointing out Rahab’s vulnerability. Because of her treasonous behavior (vv4-6), both the king’s guard and the foreigners (vv9-11) were a threat to her. Why did she choose to work with strangers she clearly feared (v9)? I believe the answer is in her statement, the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath (v11).

Dig-In Challenges

Next week, we’ll wrap up Step 3 by:

1. PRAYING: As always, start with the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
2. MINING: Read through the passage again looking for comparisons in or related to your focus verses. Look for similarities using like or as, quantitative/qualitative comparisons using more or less, and/or contrasts.
3. MINING: Next, look for causes or motives by focusing on key words or phrases I call cause connectors.
   • In this chapter, look for the connectors lest, for, and because.
   • Then check the text surrounding the connector for an action and the reason for that action.
     For example: I went to the store because I was out of milk:
     the action = I went to the store             because        the reason = I was out of milk.
     NOTE A: for doesn’t always connect an action and a reason. To determine if it does here, read the sentence replacing for with because. If the new sentence makes sense and means the same as the original, make a note of the action and its cause.
     NOTE B: Most often the action will occur before the cause connector and the reason will follow it (like the example above). If you have questions about this or any other part of the study, please reach out to me at [email protected]!
4. MINING: Finally, look for conditions or methods the author describes. For example, does the text say if or when a certain condition is met, some outcome will happen (e.g., whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith (Matt 21:22)? Or does the author describe a particular method by which something happens—for example, specific steps taken to achieve something, or more generally by or through attributes or actions (e.g., saved by grace, through faith (Eph 2:8)? Does he use any adverbs (-ly words) that describe how action was accomplished?

These exercises are more involved, I know, but I’m confident you can do this with the Holy Spirit! Don’t forget to check your How to Dig Into Scripture Ourselves guide, and you can always reach out to me at [email protected] if you have questions.

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