Joshua 2

 Observations and Interpretation:

(1) Not only God saw the giving of the Promised land to Israel as a done deal, Rahab also saw that way. 

9 She said to the men, “I know the LORD is handing this land over to you.

(NET) Heb “has given the land to you.” Rahab’s statement uses the Hebrew perfect, suggesting certitude.

Application: The power of God made His promise certain. Rahab heard about God and what He had done before and knew that for sure her country could not stand a chance. Do we have faith in God and His promise? If not, do we pay attention to what God has been doing? 

(2) Rahab heard about God and what He had done to Israel in the wilderness. She confessed that God is God in heaven above and on earth below v.11. That was not just book knowledge to Rahab, because her faith came with action. She asked the 2 spies to show allegiance/kindness to her family v.12. She changed her religion as well as what she pledged allegiance to. 

(BKC) She pursued this urgent matter delicately but persistently, pressing the spies to make a pact with her because of her cooperation with them.

When Rahab asked for kindness (ḥeseḏ) to be shown to her family she used a significant and meaningful word. Found about 250 times in the Old Testament, ḥeseḏ means loyal, steadfast, or faithful love based on a promise, agreement, or covenant. Sometimes the word is used of God’s covenant-love for His people and sometimes, as here, of relationships on the human level. Rahab’s request was that the spies make a ḥeseḏ agreement with her and her father’s family, just as she had made a ḥeseḏ agreement with them by sparing their lives.

Application: Rahah did not just put her faith into action, but she made a drastic change, not only to herself, but also for her whole family. She was a treason to her own country.  What action did you put because of your faith? Will you be a treason to the world? Will you cut off from your old life-style? Will you change the direction of your life?

(3) Rabah's lie

(BKC) The lie of Rahab was recorded but not approved. The Bible approved her faith demonstrated by good works (Heb. 11:31), but not her falsehood... God could have protected the spies in some other way

Audrey