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Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Ch. 2 in JOSHUA: CONQUERING The ENEMY, INHERITING The LAND

INTRODUCTION: Wherever you find yourself in life, GOD is already fifty steps ahead of you, no – one hundred steps… OK, because He knows the end from the beginning of all creation as well as your tiny, little life, He knows every step of your way, from start to finish.

Does that comfort you? Does it give you confidence in this life, knowing that the Almighty GOD, the All-knowing One, Who loves you supremely (He sent His Son to die for your sin so that you could have an eternal relationship with GOD as your very own Abba Father!) is watching over your every move, is entirely aware – not at all surprised or caught off guard – when sudden tragedy strikes, or some unforeseen challenge seems to stop you in your tracks.

Joshua and the children of Israel are learning these lessons to an even greater degree. Remember, this is the second generation of Israel that has entered into the promised land. These were children during the exodus, so they were aware to one degree or another, of all that GOD did through His servant Moses. Now as grown adults, they are witnessing the everlasting and all-providing hand of GOD as He led them from one challenge to the next.

All that GOD required was their unwavering trust and commitment to be completely obedient to His every Word! It’s the same with us, isn’t it?

JOSHUA 2:1-3
1 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab and lodged there. 2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country." 3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country."


The actual name of the city of Jericho was Yerach (alt. spelling: Yarihk), in honor of the moon god, one of the many gods in the pantheon of the ancient Near/Middle East, which was also worshiped among the Arab tribes prior to Islam. Yerach was a major deity in Ugarit (of ancient Syria and other Amorite cities).

There are conflicting accounts among archeologists of the size and importance of Jericho: some of them believed it was a mere outpost near the Jordan River; others say it was a military citadel of average size but crucial nonetheless in defense against intruders. Still others maintain that it was a very impressive city with military bearing.

There were other major cities (about a dozen in total) in those days, such as Hazor to the far north (modern day Galilee) and Lachish, a strategic fortified city that protected the southern region (Negev). Ancient Jericho was located in the Jordan Valley, about seven miles north of the Dead Sea.

It was customary prior to military engagement to send out scouts to inspect the enemy’s fortifications and armaments. Today they call it reconnaissance. By taking out Jericho, approximately at the center of the land, Joshua divided the territory into manageable arenas of battle.

The armies of Israel would infiltrate the land at its middle, then turn south to take out Lachish and other cities there, then once all has been overtaken, they would turn to the north and bring down which was probably the greatest stronghold of Hazor.

The chapter begins with two men ordered by Joshua to “spy the land and especially Jericho”. They actually infiltrated the city and met with Rahab. However there were citizens who saw what happened and reported to the King. Once he heard the bad news, he sent for Rahab (a prostitute) and questioned her about the two men.

As mentioned in the introduction, there are a lot of parallels between the book of Joshua and the Revelation. One such parallel we find here: just as two men were sent to a city that was doomed to fall, so too there will be two men – two witnesses (REV 11:3) who will testify in Israel during the reign of the Beast. They also will have a rather unpopular message that the “earth dwellers” don’t appreciate (so much so, that when the Beast kills these two, the world celebrates and exchange gifts to each other! REV 11:7-10).

Just as Jericho was the initial campaign that would eventually lead to overtaking the entire region of Canaan, the Two Witnesses in REVELATION are heralders of the soon to come King, Who will overtake the entire globe, wresting its governance from the “squatter” Satan who lost his legal claim to the world when Christ our Redeemer shed His blood in purchase of it.

JOSHUA 2:4-6
4 Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So, she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 "And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them." 6 (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.)


Rahab claimed she didn’t know where these men came from, but that was a lie (vss. 9-11). She further claimed that they didn’t remain in Jericho, but that they left once it was dark – another lie, because she actually hid them on the roof (vss. 8-9).

Did the GOD of Truth approve of Rahab’s lies? There is nothing in the text either way to show how GOD viewed these falsehoods. The fact of the matter is (as I said in the introduction), that GOD knows all about us, and every word that comes out of our mouths even before we do (PSA 139:4; MATT 26:34-35; LUKE 22:60-61). He knew the treasonous actions Judas Iscariot would take even when the LORD prayed and chose this traitor among His Twelve!

The LORD in His omniscience (all-knowing) power can use the deeds of people (any deeds: the good, the bad and the ugly!) for His own purposes without violating His holiness.

They “lodged there” in Rahab’s house, actually were lying down; perhaps among some others who were visiting this “house of ill repute”, conveying themselves as “paying customers” as part of their covert mission (probably the last place one might expect to find invaders).

But she eventually hid them among “stalks of flax”. Flax was a common crop used for its fibers to make linen, and when freshly harvested, they need to be dried out before use. So seeing piles of flax along the rooftops of Jericho would have been common enough. Rahan the Harlot led the King’s men on the proverbial fowl fleeing folly (a wild goose chase). But why?

JOSHUA 2:7-9
7 Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate. 8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: "I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.


News of the Hebrews exodus from Egypt, the incredible miracles, the victorious campaigns, came to the citizens of Jericho, undoubtedly through the trade routes where merchants would deliver “the latest” from regions they had visited in order to ply their wares.

Hearing of these remarkable incidences from one source, the people of Jericho might have thought the stories to be gross exaggerations – but from several sources? Every verification of these outlandish events made the people of Jericho, particularly their leadership uneasy. And word had arrived that the Hebrews were heading their way!

“…the terror of you has fallen on us…” Literally, “a horror has seized us” and “fainthearted” means “to melt”. The leaders and military commanders recognized that no treaty, no swords would be able to ensure their safety from these foreigners who apparently have a God like no other nation!

They were recognized as early as in the days of Jacob, that these were a people not to be trifled with (GEN 35:5) as well as in the days of Moses (EXOD 15:15; 23:27).
DEUTERONOMY 2:25
'This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.'

DEUTERONOMY 11:22-25
22 "For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do-to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him- 23 "then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves. 24 "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory. 25 "No man shall be able to stand against you; the LORD your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you.
The prophetic word of the LORD to Moses held true, and equally here with Joshua as we shall see in later chapters.

JOSHUA 2:10-11
10 "For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt
(EXOD 14:21), and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed (NUM 21:21-35). 11 "And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

Rahab realized that she needed to go with the winning side, and she proved her willingness to help the Hebrews by showing favor to these two spies and hid them from Jericho’s king.

Again, the comparison between this Book and REVELATION is apparent: just as the people of Jericho were fainthearted, and were in terror, so also will the world at large during “the Day of the LORD” when GOD’s Judgment begins to fall upon “the earth dwellers” will cause souls to wail and tremble in dread:
ISAIAH 13:6-9
6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man's heart will melt, 8 And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames. 9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it.

REVELATION 6:15-17
15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
Where Rahab saw these men as a promise for life, the rest of Jericho saw them as the grim harbingers of death. But she was not just concerned for her own safety:

JOSHUA 2:12-14
12 "Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, 13 "and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death." 14 So the men answered her, "Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you."


“One good turn deserves another” – if she would promise that both she and her family will keep “this business” quiet, then the warriors of Israel by promise will deal kindly with her and her household. Rahab, though she was a prostitute, displayed substantial wisdom in her dealings with these two witnesses as well as great compassion for her kin.

Rahab understood that this “God” of the Hebrews IS GOD, the Almighty One – she recognized His authority over these people who were delivered from Egypt by the LORD’s strong right arm (PSA 89:13)! She was wise enough to understand that there was only one hope of salvation – a petition for mercy!

As a result, she petitioned salvation for her and her family.
PROVERBS 22:3
A prudent man foresees
[discerns] evil [calamity, distress] and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished.
Were there more of such wise persons during the days of Noah, the ark would have been more populated. If only the people of this present age were as wise, and recognized the authority of Christ, and that He indeed is the only hope of salvation, the only deliverance from the day of Judgment! Then there wouldn’t be innumerable scores of souls that will one day suffer terribly during the time of the great tribulation (MATT 24:21) and later, the Great White Throne Judgment.

Just as Rahab acted promptly, so too does the witness of Scripture testify:
2 CORINTHIANS 6:2
For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
We can’t afford to “put off til tomorrow what we can do today”, especially where matters of eternity are concerned. Even if this time of “great tribulation” won’t happen for a hundred, or even a thousand years from now – who knows when one’s days on Earth will be ended? As the saying goes – “Two things are certain in life: Death and taxes… but you can cheat at taxes!”. No one can buy more time, nor evade death indefinitely. This isn’t fearmongering or scare tactics, it’s just a fact of life. As Gertrude stated in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, “All that lives must die.”

It's most unwise to focus all of one’s attention on the here and now, on this life that from eternity’s perspective, is just a vapor (JAMES 4:14), and not consider where one will spend eternity. And eternity is a long time to be wrong (Consider the LORD’s parable with the steward who knew how to plan for his future in LUKE 16:1-8).

JOSHUA 2:15-19
15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. 16 And she said to them, "Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there
[for] three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way." 17 So the men said to her: "We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, 18 "unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father's household to your own home. 19 "So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.

The word for “house” in Hebrew is bayith, and it means an actual house (even a winter home). The fact that her house (and presumably there could be others) was on the wall of the city reveals that this is not some narrow brick wall, but a substantial construct of sufficient proportions that could sustain living quarters!

In fact archeologically it’s been shown that Jericho was surrounded by a double wall, and in between them was a high gradient landfill (going uphill at a steep angle). Quite the impregnable shield against enemies!

Rahab’s counsel was quite sound – she covertly lowered them down the wall by rope after she instructed them to escape to the mountains for three days, waiting for the pursuers to return empty-handed. Then they could return to their camp without concerns of being chased down and caught.

But before the two witnesses left, they emphasized that they will be blameless for her death and of her family, unless she brought her entire clan into her house, and then tie this scarlet cord at her window.

Does this sound at all familiar? Recall what happened in Egypt, during the visitation of “the angel of death” who would slay all the firstborn that lived in that kingdom – unless there was blood applied on the lintels and doorposts of every home that sought deliverance from the curse.

Here we’re not seeing blood, but by analogy this “scarlet cord”. Any of the Hebrew warriors assaulting Jericho was instructed to overlook that house where they saw this cord tied at the window of Rahab’s house. A clear portrait of redemption from judgment and destruction.

We would be negligent to point out that in the lineage of Jesus Christ, starting with Abraham, the Messianic line continues to none other than Rahab herself who was the mother of Boaz who married Ruth, followed by Obed, Jesse and (king) David on through to Joseph (part of the legal line of the kings of Israel), the step-father of Jesus Christ!

Upon Rahab was a double grace, because in Scripture women were always excluded from Jewish family lineages. But we see Rahab included (as well as Ruth; MATT 1:5!).

JOSHUA 2:20-24
20 "And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear." 21 Then she said, "According to your words, so be it." And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window. 22 They departed and went to the mountain and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. 23 So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. 24 And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us."


We’ll pick up next time with JOSHUA Ch. 3! Until then, Keep your eyes to the skies and don’t believe the lies, JESUS CHRIST RETURNS SOON from on high!

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