By Dan
& Brenda Cathcart
The video
version is available at: https://youtu.be/BlPal03tb2U
The
scripture reading is Joshua 2:1-24
In our
recent Erev Shabbat Bible studies, we have been taking a detailed look at the
book of Ruth and the role that Ruth plays in the broader scheme of the Biblical
narrative. In this Haftarah, we are introduced to another woman, Rahab who
lived in Jericho at the time when the Children of Israel conquered the city in
a dramatic event.
Joshua 2:1 NKJV 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.
Rahab is
one of the more interesting women mentioned in the Bible. Not only did these spies find lodging at
Rababs home, she also hid them, protecting them from the king of Jericho. She is about to play an important role in the
conquest of the land of Canaan. As the story of Rahab plays out, we see that
she rejects her own heritage, culture, and religion to be joined with the
Israelites and their God. What is her purpose in doing so? What did she hope to
gain? As we dig deeper into the story of Rahab, we will see that she plays a
vitally important role in not only the conquest of Jericho, but in the
salvation of her family and the future salvation of all of Israel.
In reading
the Torah Portion Shelach, Numbers 13:1-15:41 we read about the twelve spies
sent by Moses into the Promised Land to bring back important information of
what they were to expect when they entered this land. You know the story.
Joshua was one of only two spies who returned with a good report. As a result of
the overall negative report from the spies, the Children of Israel were delayed
in the wilderness for the next forty years.
When the
Children of Israel were once again positioned to enter the Promised Land, Joshua
seemed to have no issue with the idea and methodology of sending in spies to
gain necessary reconnaissance of Jericho. Although the purpose of the spies was
similar, the results were vastly different. While the story in the Haftarah is
again about sending in spies, the main character is Rahab. One of Rahab’s main
characteristics that we can glean from this passage, is that she was a woman of
courage. She hid the Israelite spies from the king’s men.
Joshua 2:2-5 NKJV 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." 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."
There is
some question among scholars that Rahab may not have been a prostitute or
harlot. The historian Josephus refers to her as an innkeeper. The Hebrew word translated as harlot is
“zanah” number 2181 in the Strong’s Concordance meaning to commit adultery, to
commit idolatry or fornication. But there is some question that the word zanah
may have as its root “zon”, which refers to food. In support of Josephus’
rendering the word zonah as innkeeper, the Targam Jonathan, the second temple
era Aramaic paraphrase of the Hebrew scripture also translates the word zonah
as innkeeper. If Rahab were indeed an innkeeper, it would better fit the
context of the Biblical narrative.
Whichever
kind of house it was that Rahab operated, it was a good place for the Israelite
spies to lodge and gather information. As we just read in verses two through five,
word quickly got to the king that these men were there. There was cause for
concern by the king because the reputation of the Israelites as fearsome
warriors was widespread. Rahab took great care in hiding the spies from the
king and assisting in their escape.
Joshua 2:6-9 NKJV 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.) 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.
Helping the
two showed a great deal of courage on the part of Rahab. Had she revealed that
the spies were indeed in her establishment, they would certainly been killed by
the king and/or his men. And by hiding them, she put herself in the position of
facing a death penalty for her traitorous actions. There is a specific
reference to this in the ancient legal code of Hammurbi.
“If outlaws have congregated in the
establishment of a woman wine seller and she has not arrested those outlaws and
did not take them to the palace, the wine seller shall be put to death.”[i]
Rahab made
the conscious choice to aid the Israelite spies and put her own life and
resources on the line. But why would she do that for these total strangers? By
making this choice, she had to lie to the king’s men not once, but three times.
First, she lied about knowing the origin of the Israelite spies in verse four.
Second, she lied about their whereabouts. She hid them away in verse five. And
third, she lied about her knowledge of the closure of the city gates in verses five
through seven.
Is it moral
to tell these types of lies to protect another life, putting one’s own life at
risk? In the Torah we are told not to bear false witness. But at the same time,
as we have previously studied about the threshold covenant, under such a
covenant, one is obligated to protect the life of a guest even at the sacrifice
of one’s own life or the life of other members of your household.
We have the
example in recent history where people have lied in order to protect innocent
lives. In Europe, during World War Two, many gentiles lied to Nazi officials in
order to protect the lives of innocent Jews.
Are these actions; lying to the authorities in this context, the moral
and ethical thing to do? Many people who hid or protected Jews during the reign
of Nazi Germany were later honored by the state of Israel and declared
“righteous Gentiles.” The actions of Rahab should be viewed in the same light.
What would
prompt Rahab to take these actions? The reputation of the Israelites certainly
preceded them. Rahab spoke to the Israelite spies about what the inhabitants of
Jericho knew about them.
Joshua 2:10-11 NKJV 10 "For we have heard
how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of
Egypt, 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. 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 had
demonstrated that she had aligned herself with the Israelites and their God. She
had, along with the other residents of Jericho, herd about the Exodus and about
the God of Israel. Unlike the gods of all the other nations, she knew that the
God of Israel cared about and loved the people of Israel. He had performed
mighty miracles for them and now she understood that this God was the only God
in heaven and on the earth!
The Hebrew
word used in verse 10 translated as “utterly destroyed” is charam, number 2763
meaning to seclude, to devote to religious use, to consecrate. When the Israelites were victorious in
battle, they didn’t just plunder a village and kill the people, desecrating
them in the process. Their victories were marked by devoting all the wealth
gained to God. This was not the normal way of doing business in the world of
that day!
In exchange
for her loyalty and protection of the spies, Rahab makes the request to, in
turn, be protected when the Israelites take down the city of Jericho.
Joshua 2:12-14 NKJV 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."
This seems
to be a fair request. She was risking everything to protect these men! The
spies agreed to help Rahab and her extended family.
Joshua 2:15-16 NKJV 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 three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward
you may go your way."
Rahab’s
request and the promise given to her by the spies is based on a mutual
kindness. The actual Hebrew word used in verses twelve and fourteen about
showing kindness is chesed, number 2617 meaning kindness, mercy, favor or good
deed. It is most often used in context
of covenant devotion. Rahab entered into a covenant relationship with the spies
and by extension, with the God of Israel. She and her entire family were attaching
themselves to the Israelite nation. The Israelite spies told Rahab what she
must do to be protected during the coming battle.
Joshua 2:17-19 NKJV 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 spies
laid out three conditions that Rahab would have to meet for the covenant to be
completed. First, she was to let down a scarlet cord from the very same window
where she allowed them to escape the city and avoid capture by the king’s men.
This scarlet cord is reminiscent of the threshold covenant where blood is
placed on the doorposts and lintels of one’s home. The returning Israelites
would see the scarlet cord hanging from the window and pass by Rahab’s home
during the siege.
Second,
Rahab was to bring her entire extended family into her house, and they were to
all stay put during the battle. Anyone who left would be subject to being
killed in the battle.
The last
condition placed on Rahab by the spies was that their agreement was to remain
secret. Rahab put up a good story when the king’s men came looking for them,
now secrecy was even more important for her safety and that of her family.
Rahab had
demonstrated a great deal of courage in protecting these men and in the
rejection of her allegiance to her community, government and god. She risked
being discovered which would have resulted in her own death and perhaps the death
of the rest of her family as well. These things are not easy choices. Could we
make such choices in our lives?
The last
few verses of chapter two put the finishing touches on the covenant that Rahab
entered into with the Israelite spies.
Joshua 2:20-24 NKJV 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."
What is the
result of the bravery of Rahab? First, the spies were able to escape with the
needed information and report back to Joshua. Second, because of Rahab’s
faithfulness the lives of her entire family ware spared.
Third, the
entire camp of Israel was greatly encouraged by the good report returned by the
spies. This was far different than the report of the spies sent by Moses into
the land some forty years earlier.
Fourth,
Rahab became a living example of faith and is mentioned several times in the
New Testament writings.
Hebrews 11:31 NKJV 31 By faith the harlot Rahab
did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies
with peace.
Next, Rahab
is mentioned in the book of James.
James 2:25 NKJV 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the
harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them
out another way?
The Hebrews
passage shows Rahab as a person who trusted God. In the James passage she is shown as someone
with the right kind of faith; faith in action! Faith is an action word! True
faith is manifest in works. The works
don’t provide the salvation, but works are the result of faith in action.
Finally,
one of the most interesting and profound implications and result of the faith
of Rahab is that she is quite possibly an ancestor of Messiah Yeshua! Take a closer look at the genealogy listed in
Matthew’s gospel.
Matthew 1:2-6a NKJV 2 Abraham begot Isaac,
Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah begot Perez
and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot
Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot
Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot
David the king…
Wow!
Because of her profound faithfulness did God grant Rahab a special place in the
linage of Messiah? We don’t know for certain that the Rahab listed in Matthew’s
gospel genealogy is the same Rahab of Joshua chapter two. Jewish tradition says
that Rahab later married Joshua. However, many evangelical scholars agree that
the Rahab of Joshua chapter two is, in fact, the same Rahab of Matthew chapter one
because the time period in the genealogy would be correct.
We, also,
see in Matthew’s genealogy two women specifically mentioned in back to back
generations. Both Gentiles. Both from a
cursed people, yet both professing great faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob. Rahab who was a Canaanite, was among the people whom God ordered to
be destroyed.
Deuteronomy 20:17 NKJV 17 "but you shall
utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the
Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has
commanded you,
The second
is Ruth, a Moabite.
Deuteronomy 23:3 NKJV 3 "An Ammonite or
Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation
none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the LORD forever,
It is
interesting, that because of their faithfulness, these two women are granted
special status and are prime examples how a generational curse can be broken.
God spoke to Abraham, telling him that through him, all nations would be
blessed!
Finally, in
the story of Rahab, we see no partiality on the part of God. He cares for all peoples of the earth. God is more than willing to bring salvation
to all, male or female, free or salve, Jew or Gentile. Like Rahab, we may
someday be called upon to make the hard choice between remaining in our
comfortable home, community and country, or turning our faith into action and
standing up for God and His chosen people! Could we make the choice as many did
during the firestorm that was Nazi Germany and protect innocent lives at the
risk of our own? Rahab witnessed the total destruction of the entire world in
which she lived, yet she chose to be counted among God’s people. I would hope that I can do the same should
the choice be before me.
Study
Questions:
1. Discuss the connection of
this teaching to the Torah Portion Shelach, Numbers 13:1-15:41.
2. How does the story of Rahab
show the sign of Jonah? (Sign of Jonah –
the number 3, a certain death situation, and a miraculous salvation.)
3. Discuss how Rahab entered
into a Threshold Covenant with the spies.
What are the parallels with the Passover?
4. What would convince Rahab to
turn from her own people and culture and be drawn to align herself with the
people of Israel?
5. Discuss the similarities and
differences between Rahab and what she did with the life and actions of Ruth.
6. What new insight did you
gain from this teaching? How do you respond to this new insight? How will you
realign your life based on this new understanding?
© 2019 Moed
Ministries International. All rights reserved.
[i]
James B. Pritchard, ed. The Ancient Near East, Vol. 1 – “An anthology of texts
and pictures,” Code of Hammurabi #109, pp. 149-150
