The Spies Meet Rahab

The children of Israel had reached Canaan. Now they could enter the country and make their home there. They could not do that, could they? Were there not other people living in the country? How could they just push their way onto someone else’s land? Joshua knew what to do. He decided to send two spies into the country first. These spies would look here and there and try to find the best way to make their way into Canaan. They would see whether the people were strong or weak and whether the Israelites could just come in or whether they would need to fight.

The two spies sneaked into a city, a city called Jericho. It wasn’t easy to enter cities in those days. Those cities had big walls all the way around. In fact, the walls were so wide that you could put a house on top of them. There were people who lived in houses on the walls around the city. The two spies found one of the houses on the wall and asked to stay there overnight. A woman named Rahab lived there. Rahab was kind to them, but she had once been very wicked. She had done some very wrong things in her life.

Listen to this. Rahab had been wicked; she had done some terrible sins, but—God was working in her heart, changing her, giving her a new heart. We may think we are good people, we go to church, we read the Bible, and we don’t think we do too many terrible things. However, something else is necessary. We, too, need a new heart. Rahab had been a very wicked woman, but she was given a heart to fear God. (Later, the Lord Jesus came from one of Rahab’s many descendants, or grandchildren.) The king of Jericho soon heard that there were spies in his country. He heard that they had been seen at Rahab’s house. Right away he sent his men to her, saying, “Bring out those spies that are staying at your house.”

Rahab had already hidden the spies. “Yes,” she said, “there were two men staying at my house, but I didn’t realize who they were. Last night they left and went that way. Hurry! You might still catch up with them.” And, of course, the king’s men hurried off.

Had the spies really left? No, they were hiding on Rahab’s roof. Rahab had lied. The spies had not left her. She knew where they were. She knew they were hiding in her house. Wasn’t it wrong to lie? Yes, it was. Rahab should not have done it. Yet, God was merciful and kept her and the spies safe.

As soon as the king’s men had left, Rahab told the spies to run the other way. Before they left, she had something important to ask them. “I have heard a lot about your people,” she told the spies. “I have heard about your God, and all the things He has done for you. I know that your God is the true God, and I know He is going to give you this land. Now…” Rahab said to the spies, “please promise me something. I have been very kind to you. I fed you and hid you. Will you please be kind to me and my family, and save us when you come through and destroy our city?”

The men promised they would save her and her family, and then she let them down through her window. Remember, Rahab lived on the wall of the city, so she could let them down all the way to the ground outside the city with a rope. Rahab used a bright red rope to let the men down. The spies told her, “Be sure to hang this bright red rope out your window when we attack the city. You may bring your father, mother, brothers, and sisters into your house also, and then you and they will not be killed.”

Then the men said, “We can save only the people inside your house. If anyone leaves your house at that time, he will not be safe. Remember, you must hang out that red rope.” Soon the spies had climbed down the rope to the ground, and they ran off toward the hills.

After three days the king’s men had stopped looking for the spies, so the spies hurried home and reported what they had seen. They told Joshua, “Truly God is with us and has given us this land, for even all the people are afraid of us.”

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