Joshua
Chapter 2
Jericho
About 7-8 miles west of the Jordan River
Providence of God
 The spies “happen” to find lodging at Rahab’s house
 Rahab “happens” to believe in the one, true God
 Rahab “happens” to be willing to risk her life for the safety of the spies
 Rahab “happens” to live on the city wall allowing for easy escape after the gates are closed
o No one knew the walls of Jericho would fall down flat.
o AW Pink – “The preservation of her lone house amid the universal devastation, stood forth as a
monument both of His might and His mercy.”
 When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Prov 16:7)
 LET GOD”S PROVIDENTIAL CARE EMBOLDEN YOU!! WE ARE NOT LUCKY! WE ARE
BLESSED!
Reasons to send spies
 First, it is important to understand the differences versus the twelve spies in Numbers 13
o Two versus twelve
o Sent specifically to spy on Jericho, not the whole land
o Not sent to bring account to the congregation, but to Joshua only
 God had sheep in Jericho
o Never forget, the conquest of Canaan was God’s judgment!
 Faith does not preclude responsibility or diligence
o NEVER USE “FAITH” TO JUSTIFY IRRESPONSIBLITY OR LACK OF PREPARATION
o Matthew Henry – “We do not trust God, but tempt him, if our expectations slacken our
endeavors.”
Rahab the harlot
 Woman
 Gentile
 Canaanite
 Harlot

In the line of Christ
o And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; (Matthew 1:5)
Evidence Rahab was no longer in the harlotry business
1. Rahab the harlot became the stigma that stuck with her
 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had
sent them out another way? (James 2:25)
 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with
peace. (Hebrews 11:31)
o Similar to Simon the leper
 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, (Matthew 26:6)
2. She had heard
 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. (Joshua 2:10)
 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. (Joshua 2:11)
o So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)
3. She knew the Lord
 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. (Joshua 2:9)
 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. (Joshua 2:11)
o Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are]
they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed. (John 20:29)
4. She was involved with honorable work – flax
 AW Pink – “Gathered by th industrious women, laid out on the roofs of the houses to dry and was
then used for spinning and weaving.”
 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. (Proverbs 31:13)
SHE IDENTIFIED WITH AND SIDED WITH GOD”S PEOPLE
 Chose loyalty to God and His servants versus her country
o Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that
be are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1)
 Those that show mercy can expect to find mercy
o Also unto thee, O Lord, [belongeth] mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.
(Psalms 62:12 AV)
o 10 ¶ [If] thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength [is] small. 11 ¶ If thou forbear to deliver
[them that are] drawn unto death, and [those that are] ready to be slain; 12 If thou sayest, Behold,
we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider [it]? and he that keepeth thy soul,
doth [not] he know [it]? and shall [not] he render to [every] man according to his works? (Proverbs
24:10-12)
Rahab Lied – IT WAS WRONG
1. She failed to fully trust the Lord
2. She feared man more than God
 The ends do not justify the means
o And not [rather], (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil,
that good may come? whose damnation is just. (Romans 3:8)
o Thomas Ridgley – “She would have been much clearer from the guilt of sin had she refused to give
the messengers any answer relating to them, and so had given them leave to search for them, and
left the event hereof to Providence.”

None of the NT references justify her lying
o Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had
sent them out another way? (James 2:25) – WORKS, NOT WORDS!
o By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with
peace. (Hebrews 11:31)
SHE WAS A GREAT SOURCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE SPIES AND JOSHUA
 She stood up for them and provided shelter and protection. These men must have been in awe at God’s protection
for them.
 She gave them a spiritual pep talk
o 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. (Josh 2:911)
 Terror is fallen upon us
 All the inhabitants of the land faint
 “….how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you”
o This doesn’t describe the shallow marsh land of the Reed Sea. The Canaanites
wouldn’t be talking about it!
 Our hearts did melt
 Neither did there remain any more courage in any man
 JUST LIKE HE HAD PROMISED
o There shall no man be able to stand before you: [for] the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the
dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you. (Deuteronomy 11:25)
 CHILDREN – WILL YOU LISTEN, REPENT and FOLLOW?
o 18 ¶ Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon
your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them your children,
speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest
down, and when thou risest up. 20 And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon
thy gates: 21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD
sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. 22 For if ye shall diligently
keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in
all his ways, and to cleave unto him; 23 Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you,
and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. 24 Every place whereon the soles of your
feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even
unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be. 25 There shall no man be able to stand before you: [for] the
LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as
he hath said unto you. (Deuteronomy 11:18-25)
 GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED
o There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
may be able to bear [it]. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
 QUESTION – What do we have to fear? Nothing!! STOP WATCHING THE NEWS!
 RESULT
o Spies had great confidence in the Lord!
o They quoted Rahab!
 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. (Joshua 2:24)
 Promises from the spies contingent upon:
o OBEDIENCE
 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. (Joshua 2:14)
 Calvin thought the charge to Rahab to keep this matter secret, and not to utter it, was
intended for her safety, lest she, boasting of her security from the sword of Israel, should,
before they came to protect her, fall into the hands of the king of Jericho and be put to death
for treason.
o SEPARATION
 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. (Joshua 2:19)
o AW Pink – “Unless you, my reader, are walking in obedience to God, you have no scriptural warrant to
conclude you are “eternally secure.”
JESUS IN JOSHUA 2
 SCARLET THREAD
o Similar to the blood put on the lintel and two side posts of the door
 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the
lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer
to come in unto your houses to smite [you]. (Exodus 12:23)
o Pictures the safety of the believer under the protection of the blood of Christ
o Matthew Henry – “The same cord that she made use of for the preservation of these Israelites was to be
made use of for her preservation. What we serve and honor God with we may expect he will bless and
make comfortable to us.”
 Similarity of the story of Rahab and the Samaritan woman found in adultery
o She was:
 Woman
 Gentile
 Outcast (Samaritan)
 Adulterer
o Jesus made a special trip just for her
 And he must needs go through Samaria. (John 4:4)
 Her testimony led to the salvation of many, though more believed because of the testimony of Jesus
o 39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified,
He told me all that ever I did. 40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he
would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his own
word; 42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard [him]
ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. (John 4:39-42)
CONCLUSION – Godly woman have been used greatly of God – even those with an extremely checkered past. He will
continue to use those woman who put their faith in him and take a stand for God.