Hope Ran Red

Joshua 2 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. 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.” 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. 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. 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.” 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.” 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. 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.”

I. The Provisions of Salvation.

Middrash identifies these two men as Phinehas and Caleb.

Yet, The scriptures provide no identity.

Regardless of ye identity of these two spies, they were sent by God for the salvation of Rahab. Rahab had no way to get to God, she was separated by a great wall of sin, but, when she could not get to God, He came to her.

Squire Parsons song, He came to me,

He came to me when I was bound in chains of sin, He came to me when I possessed no hope within, He picked me up and He drew me gently to His side, Where, today, in His sweet love I now abide.He came to me, O, He came to me. When I could not come to where He was, He came to me. That's why He died on Calvary, When I could not come to where He was, He came to me.

II. A Prevarication of Facts.

The sin of lying is clearly condemned in Scripture.

Some have tried to justify Rehab’s actions based on the urgency of the moment. However, the Bible does not provide any such exemptions.

Exodus 20:16 NKJV

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Revelation 21:8 NKJV

8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Rahab seemingly intentionally prevaricated the facts in order to avoid lying. Yet, she still lied.

Joshua 2:4–5 NKJV

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.”

III. A Promise Given.

Token (OTא)is the same word used in Exodus to speak of the promise of the passover and of the rainbow God gave Noah as a promise against destroying the world with a flood.

It is used of the assurance of the mercy of God.

Exodus 12:13 NKJV

13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

IV. A Proactive Move.

She only had to place the scarlet cord on the window when Israel came into the land. But, she did not delay, and even refused to wait the three days until the spies returned. She would not leave her future to chance.

James 4:14 NKJV

14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Proverbs 27:1 NKJV

1 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

James 2:26 NKJV

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.