“I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.” (Joshua 2:9 ESV)
We may be familiar with people saying "oh what a coincidence!" but when we really think about it, is there really such thing as a coincidence? That's the first thing i'd like to discuss in this scripture reflection. The second thing is i'd like to get us to ponder and amaze on God's saving grace which He gave to His people. Today we are going to look on the story in Joshua 2 where we may be as a story about Rahab. That's true as this is the first time where Rahab is introduced in the Bible. I will also talk about Rahab, but in the end i'd like to move our attention to God in this story. The story in Joshua chapter 2 for me personally is a story that strongly tells about God's abounding mercy, His marvelous grace is displayed, and it is the story where we can stand amaze to His works in keeping His covenant to His people.
The story happen as a continuity of Joshua 1.It is part of the preparation (those 3 days) that Joshua did on verse 11 of Joshua 1. As part of his obedience to God, Joshua sent the 2 spies to view the land, to gather all the necessary information - maybe the weakness spot, or where the guard used to be that can be used in the battle plan later. Unfortunately, verse 2 clearly says that their mission as spies were failed. Their motives was revealed somehow and the King of Jericho sent out his men to go to Rahab (the place where they came into) to capture them. But Rahab hid them and lied to the men that pursued after the Israelites spies. What a courageous act i would say for her to do that - as death could be her penalty if they insist to search in her house and found the spies. She put herself on the line there. Wasn't it better to just gave the spies over? Rahab could be well rewarded by the King and her social status might have changed. Some Historians said that people living in the border of Jericho are the low level people, and the higher level, or "the good" people lives inside the inner wall where they got more protection; or if that History is wrong at least She did something good for her nation considering Israelites is their enemy, a nation that will try to conquer their land, didn’t she?
It was later in the verse, the bible revealed why Rahab would do such a thing. Verse 9 was the word that Rahab told the spies, and that words are the reason why Rahab chose to align herself with the Israelites (or to be exact with YAHWEH). She heard the story of how the God of Israel - YAHWEH has been protecting and leading Israel.She told them of what she heard about their God: that God has dried up the water of the Reed Sea, that God has defeated Amorites, and crushed Sihon ( the king of Heshbon) and Og (the king of Bashan). In a response to what she heard, she acknowledge that YAHWEH, the God of Israel is a true God - "... for the LORD your God, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath." (verse 11) She knew that God has given this land to Israel, and she trust that. She wanted also to be part of that God of Israel, she wanted to be part of God’s people. That’s her faith which was shown by her action to welcome and save the spies. She chose to be on the “other side” instead of helping her nation. The bible does not justify her lying to be the right attitude, but the bible noted and mentioned that Rahab was saved because of her faith which she showed it by receiving and welcoming the spies, and helping them - putting herself on the line. The story later (Joshua 6:25) shows that Rahab and her entire family in her house were saved, and the bible noted that she lived in Israel afterwards.
The story then concluded by the successful return of the spies to the Israelites’ camp. They told Joshua everything what had happened, and they said “Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands. All also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.” Now if we look at this story in details, people or even ourselves might feel that there's a lot of coincidence thing happen here: as for the spies, they might think that it was their bad luck that their mission was such a failure. They were supposedly move like a shadow where no one should know their presence. It was also a coincidence that they actually came to Rahab's house instead of others who might not do the same kindness as to what Rahab did. Even upon their failure, they actually got some invaluable news about Jericho's morale towards israelites. People might also said that it was a coincidence that Rahab's house was part of the city wall (verse 15), so that they could run out of the city with the rope. Lastly they can said that it was a coincidence that they manage to return to the camp safely, that all instructions given by Rahab to escape from their pursuer was true. For Rahab, she might feel that her life is very poor as she lived in the border of the city, where it was less secure, but hey! She never thought that she would have a chance to meet those 2 spies, where that was the only way she can ask for mercy to be saved and be part of Israel. She might think that her life was meaningless, she has done bad being a prostitute - a life where people ridicule, a sinner - something that she knows that's the reason why God of Israel dislike from the canaanites - because they are people of disobedience. But again, out of many she was accepted and saved. As for Joshua, he was once again on those 3 days of preparation, God give him more confidence by the news that he received.
Were all of those a coincidence? I don't think so. God has planned all of these things. In Exodus 15 (verse 14-16), we see that the song has a prophetic nuances about this event. Also in Joshua 1, God has told Joshua and promised that He will give the land to the Israelites, because He is the one that will fight for Israel, and so these series of “coincidence” event is just another thing that God has planned to tell Joshua and Israelites that He will keep His promise, and God meant to give Joshua such a confidence - a confidence in Him. As for human, what the spies did in the first place might be seen as a failure, but as to God, He has a plan for that: so that they may know who God is; to rely upon Him alone; God has a purpose by bringing the spies to Rahab, so that they may hear the story from the Canaan people itself, about their morale, and Rahab’s faith. God used Joshua obedience of sending spies to give him back such an encouragement so that Joshua could gain such a confidence in God. Moreover, God’s sovereign has put the spies to Rahab, to save Rahab - her salvation is not a coincidence, but God has set that up. Let’s look at Matthew 1 and we could be sure that God has planned this to happen. Matthew 1 is a passage that tells the genealogy of Jesus Christ, and Rahab is mentioned there in verse 5: “and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah“. Those 3 days are also part of God’s mission to save His people (which is now still in canaan). Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! (Romans 11:33) Isaiah also speaks the same thing about God’s wisdom “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). We human might think that our situation is bad, our life is such a failure, we might question about what have been done, or anything that happen in our life. But God in his wisdom has a purpose - and that purpose, God’s mission is to keep His covenant, to save His people for Him alone so that He could be our God and We are His people. God’s mission is for His glory.
Knowing that God is sovereign, should bring us more to God, realising that we are helpless and we need a savior. Can we imagine being Rahab? who is Rahab? she is a prostitute, a sinner, a person that deserve to be punished. Do we realise that we are the same too! We are egocentric-prideful-people who delights of things like coveting, stealing, pornography, hating each other, gossipping, self boasting, etc. We are a sinner too, who needs a savior. But here we see, out of many people in Jericho, Rahab and her family was saved. Do we ever appreciate God’s saving grace for us? How can we in the first place heard about the gospel? Have we ever thought about that? maybe you come from a broken home family, or an atheist background. How come there is a point in your life when you heard the gospel? was it a friend that bring you to the church? or were you just walking by the street and there’s people doing evangelism and you happen to be approached by him? or were you just relaxing on your sofa, and when you turned on the tv, it showed a gospel film or a sermon? or even if you were born in a christian family, have you ever thought or ask why? were all of those a coincidence? No! It is not. Just like Rahab when the spies happen to came to her house - it is NOT a coincidence. It can be said that it was a mission to save her. For us today, don’t take for granted God’s grace to us. If we look of what happen in our lives, or even when you haven’t heard the gospel until today, but now you read this - again it is NOT a coincidence. Salvation is from Jesus alone. As God saves Rahab in His sovereignty sending the spies to Rahab, and she has faith in Him. For us, God sent His only Son (Christ Jesus) to die on the cross to be punished for our sins. He is the way, the only way so that we can be saved, to enjoy the eternal communion with our Father in heaven. As Rahab has shown her faith, let us show our faith to Him by living in obedience. What a grace! what a love! that out of million people, as God spares rahab, God spares us to be accepted as His people, to be adopted as His children.
Let us appreciate the salvation that God gave to us, and let our lives be a life praising Him and pleasing him day by day.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Paul Hartono
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