TWO BRAVE SPIES
[Joshua:2:1-24 [1] And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. [2] And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. [3] And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. [4] And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: [5] And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. [6] But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. [7] And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate. [8] And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; [9] And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. [10] For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. [11] And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. [12] Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: [13] And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. [14] And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. [15] Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. [16] And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. [17] And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. [18] Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee. [19] And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. [20] And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear. [21] And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window. [22] And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not. [23] So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them: [24] And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us. ].
“Perfect love casteth out fear” (I John 4:18).
Going into the Land
The people were in a camp near the Jordan River. Joshua was getting them ready to go into the new home to which Moses and Joshua had been leading them. No doubt, they were very tired of wandering in a wilderness and not having a permanent place to stay. They were looking forward to the land where they could build their homes, dig wells for water, plant crops, feed their cattle, and build an altar and worship God. God had promised it to them.
Joshua Encouraged
God told Joshua that He would be with him as he had been with Moses. Joshua knew that it would not be an easy task to bring the people into that good land, but God told him to be brave and to trust Him to help them.
Joshua told the people to prepare their food, and be ready to cross the River Jordan. They did not have boats in which to cross the swift, broad, and deep river. But God knew what He would do to help them.
From across the river the people could see the high walls of the city they would have to take later on. Joshua said the women and the children should wait until it was safe for them to go. God always cares for those who need Him.
The Spies
Then Joshua sent two men to see what the country was like, what the dangers were, and what would be the best way to take it. But the king of the country had heard about the people while they were marching through the wilderness, and he was afraid of them. When he heard that some strange men had come into his country he went to look for them, and, perhaps, kill them.
They came to the house of a woman who was kind to them. She hid them under some stalks upstairs in her house. And when the king’s men came to look for them they did not find them.
She told two spies that she believed God had given their people the land. She had heard how God had helped them, that He had even dried up the Red Sea so they could cross it. Evidently she believed in the true God instead of in idols.
The Thread in the Window
Then she asked them to be kind to her father and mother, to her brothers and sisters, and to her. The spies promised that in return for her kindness to them they would be kind to her and her family. But they told her what she should do. She should tie the “scarlet thread” -– perhaps a rope -– in the window of her house so that the soldiers would know which was her house and not destroy it. Her family should be sure to stay inside the house.
Then she let the two men down over the wall with the scarlet thread, or rope, and tied it in her window as the men had told her to do. When the soldiers came to take the city her house was not destroyed, because they saw the read thread in the window. It pays to be kind, and it pays to obey. God, no doubt, had told the men what to tell her; and when she did what they said, she was doing what God wanted her to do. People are always safe when they trust God.
1. Had the people of Jericho heard about the Children of Israel? [Joshua:2:10For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
].
2. Were the people of Jericho afraid? [Joshua:2:11And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
].
3. How did Rahab make it possible for the two spies to escape? [Joshua:2:15Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
].
4. Where should Rahab’s whole family meet in order to be safe? [Joshua:2:18Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.
].
5. What kind of token did she put in the window? [Joshua:2:21And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
].
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