Joshua – Lesson 17
The Unity of the People
The events that we have just described happened at a later date and not immediately upon arriving from the Sinai. For a time there was great unity among all of the tribes. Remember Lot and his wife. Lot chose the region to the east because it looked good to the eye and everything went well for a time, but little by little the interest of Lot and his family centered in Sodom and God was largely forgotten. This had disastrous results for Lot’s wife. You all know the story of disobedience that led to her death.
How do we know that there was unity among the tribes?
· Joshua 1:16-18, Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"
So we see that there was real harmony among the Israelites at this time.
True spiritual unity is not possible unless it is the work of the Holy Spirit.
· 1 Corinthians 12:13, For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
The leaders of Israel under Joshua followed him and were obedient to his leadership so that God’s work could be done. In order to realize unity among ourselves as God’s people, we must place ourselves at God’s disposal so that we can be one in Jesus.
The Outward Basis of Faith
· Joshua 2:1-24, Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 2 The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land." 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." 6(But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. 8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 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 Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death." 14 "Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land." 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way." 17 The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear." 21 "Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."
The Defeated Foe
In the first chapter we found how God was calling us to a life of victory and overcoming. We were instructed how we are to do it. It is by faith. He gives us wonderful promises and He assures us that He will be present with us at all times. We listed many of those promises.
In the second chapter we will look at the defeated foe. We see in this chapter, solid examples of that which is necessary for us to understand what God wants to do in our lives. If we master this chapter, especially certain verses in it, we will begin to see how God in Jesus has already won every victory for us. But it is up to each of us individually ,by faith, to get into the water and swim.
· Joshua 2:1, Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
The Israelites are now on the east side of the Jordan River. As he does his advance planning, Joshua sends two spies across the river into Jericho. As you cross the river from the east, the first significant city you come to is Jericho. It was heavily fortified with a major wall around it.
The king of Jericho was alert to the presence of the two spies in his city. In this sense, the king of Jericho can be considered a type of Satan. When God’s people become active in God’s plans, the Devil also gets active in order to combat what God’s people are doing.
Now you remember the events of forty years ago when Joshua and eleven others went to scout out the land of the Amorites. There is a distinct difference between these two events. The spies that Moses sent out were not sent because Moses questioned God’s promises, but because the people doubted and wanted information to back up their doubts. Theirs was a negative approach because they did not believe God. In the case of Joshua, he believed God and he sent the spies after evidence to substantiate his faith. The Israelites were committed to entering Canaan.
It is the Christian’s duty to learn more about the inheritance (spiritual wealth) that is ours in Jesus, and we also need to be well informed of the strength and tactics of Satan.
· 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven-if there was anything to forgive-I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
Likewise, we read:
· 1 Peter 5:8, Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
We need to know the reality of our enemy and how he operates; but at the same time realize that the battle is not up to us because he is already defeated and he knows it. But he succeeds because he is dealing with so many people who do not know that they have defensive weapons at their disposal. In fact, he fears those who place their faith in God.
Rahab and the Spies
That is the situation in the case of the king of Jericho. He feared the Israelites because he had heard about what their God had done for them.
· Joshua 2:2-7, The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land." 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." 6(But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
So the spies enter the city of Jericho and made their way to the house of Rahab, a prostitute. What a strange place for them to go to hide!
The king wanted Rahab to provide information about the spies. Apparently she had no fear of the king because God was at work in her heart, even though she was a prostitute. Really it is Satan and his demons who need to fear.
Do you remember the story in Mark?
· Mark 1:21-26, They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!" 25 "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" 26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
The demons understand that they are defeated by what Jesus has done and those in this incident were fearful of Jesus.
Likewise, Satan and his demons can have no power over us when we assert our position in Jesus. Satan cannot stand against us when we dare to believe God and claim His power, the same power that He displayed when He raised Jesus from the grave alive.The Devil does not fear us as much as he fears Jesus who is in us.
· 1 John 4:4, You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Well, Rahab lied to the king when asked about the two spies and lying is not to be condoned, but we must remember that she was a pagan woman. But she was a woman in whose heart God was working. So in spite of the fact that she lied, God used her to help save His servants.
Something was going on in Rahab’s heart as evidenced by what we read in:
· Joshua 2:8-11, Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 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 Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
Ever since the Israelites had left Egypt, for 40 years, God had been using the news of His miracles to make its way into the land of Canaan with the result that the reputation of the Israelites was that God was with them against their enemies and the Canaanites were all afraid of them.
Now back to Rahab. Even before she was saved God was working in her and by the time of this incident she knew that God existed. For this reason we see her listed in the great “hall of faith” in the 11th chapter of Hebrews.
· Hebrews 11:31, By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient
Rahab’s Faith
Rahab understood that the morale of the Canaanites was low and why it was low. She also believed that the Canaanites were doomed. She made a very definite plea for herself and her family.
· Joshua 2:12-13, Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."
Her primary concern seemed to be for her family.
The spies assured her by saying that they were putting their lives on the line for her and cautioned her not to speak about what had happened.
· Joshua 2:14, "Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land."
As they left they gave her some very important instructions.
· Joshua 2:17-20, The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear."
An interesting concept is before us here at this point and that is the matter of “household salvation”. A Christian can believe for the salvation of his entire household, but he must be faithful in demonstrating that faith to his household. An individual can only be saved by his own personal faith but a saved member of the household can do much to inform others members of the family.