NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.

Welcome back! Here’s what Joshua 2 revealed to me this week.

Last Week’s Work

COMPARISONS

Like my prior study of this passage, I can’t help but wonder about the contrast of Israelites (God’s chosen people!) seeking shelter in a brothel. God told these people, “For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). What could be less holy than a prostitute?

Yet Rahab did have something in common with the Israelite spies: they both believed in God. She expressed her faith plainly in v11. Likewise, the men’s statements in vv14 and 24 reveal their trust in Him and what He could do.

But the most meaningful comparison to me was the contrast between whom we’d expect Rahab would trust for her physical salvation—her own king and countrymen—and whom she actually did trust—representatives of a destructive, invading force. Incredibly, she placed her and her family’s welfare in the hands of strangers who worshipped a God she knew only one thing about: He favored the people set on destroying her city.

CAUSES/MOTIVATIONS

By focusing on the cause connectors in this passage I found these explanations for action:

• The spies came to Jericho [in order] to search out the land (vv2, 3).
• The king’s guard wanted the spies for [because] the Israelites had come to search out the land (v3).
• Rahab suggested the guard pursue [the spies] quickly for [because] they’d overtake them if they hurried (v5).
• Rahab said all the inhabitants of the land melt away… for [because] they’d heard how the LORD had brought them out of Egypt and conquered the Amorites (vv9-10).
• She also said there was no spirit left… because of [Israel], for [because] the LORD your God is God in … heaven… and on earth (v11)
• Rahab helped them escape the city through her window for [because] her house was built into the city wall (v15).
• The spies told Joshua all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us (v24).
  Wait, what? Doesn’t that sound like they think they’re the reason for the melting? I don’t think so, because right before that they say, “the LORD has given all the land into our hands.”

CONDITIONS/METHODS

Finally, I discovered these conditions and methods:

• I’m still wondering how the king of Jericho knew so much about this “secret” expedition (vv1-2)!
• Rahab helped the spies by:
  – hiding them on her roof among flax stalks (v6)
  – telling the guard she didn’t know where they were from (v4), and
  – quickly shifting the search’s focus away from her home (v5)
  – helping them escape through her window in the wall (v15)
  – telling them specifically how to evade capture outside the city (v16).
• Rahab described the condition of her country thus: fear had fallen on them and their hearts had melted away (vv9, 11). I suspect this wasn’t good, like losing heart or not having the will to fight the enemy.
• Rahab wanted the men to swear by the LORD(theirGod, not a Canaanite one) they’d:
  – deal kindly with her family (v12)
  – give her a sure sign, and
  – save her family alive/ deliver them from death (vv12-13).
• The men put four conditions on granting Rahab’s request for their mercy: she must
  – not tell their business (vv14, 20)
  – tie the scarlet cord in the window in the city wall and
  – gather the family into the house (v18)
  – make sure everyone stays in the house during the siege (v19).

Dig-In Challenges

This week, I hope you’ll join me as I start refining my understanding of this passage:

1. PRAY. Of course!
2. REFINE by skimming the book of Joshua to determine which of the following types of writing appears most often in it: instruction, law, letter, narrative, poetry, or prophecy. Then reread Joshua 2 to see if you can find any of the other types in use. Note all the types you find on your Scripture study sheet or in your journal. Recognizing writing types helps us determine whether the author intended the text to be interpreted literally or have an alternative meaning the original audience would probably have understood.
3. REFINE: Next, research the book’s historical context by referencing an Introduction to the book of Joshua. This can be found in most bound Bibles immediately before Joshua 1, or by checking out the ESV online. Introductions are written by Bible publishers and provide historical details like who wrote the book, to whom, and when. They often also contain a summary of the book’s content. As you read the intro, note any relevant or interesting facts. Based on what you discover there, how will you interpret Joshua 2.
4. REFINE: Last, look up the meaning of a few key words and/or phrases from your study using an interlinear Bible tool. I like Biblehub.com’s Hebrew tool for this research. To use: Click the blue arrow to the left or right of the verse citation (“Joshua 2:1”) to scroll to the verse containing words you want to review, then click the number in the Strong’s column that corresponds to the English word or phrase you’re researching. Note anything the Spirit highlights in the information provided.

This “refining” step is more involved than the “mining” we did earlier, but I encourage you to use these tools and dig as much as you can this week. I pray the Spirit will bless your efforts, my friend!