Strong and Brave (And I Don’t Mean the Spies)

Joshua 2:1-7

¹And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. ²And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” ³Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” ⁴But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. ⁵And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” ⁶But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. ⁷So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

Investigating these verses took a little time! There is much history and theology contained in these 7 verses. And what fun to dig it all up! The drama in Joshua 2:1–7 is intense. The facts themselves make it so: spies, a prostitute, a king in panic, cover blown, a cover-up, the dark cover of night, men covered by flax on a roof, a misguided wild chase, and a quick closing gate that squeaks of Canaanite fears. The author captures the drama as he mixes direct quotes with brief commentary.

Tell es-Sultan, the ancient city of Jericho, is the lowest (258 m below sea level) and the oldest town on earth. It grew up around a perennial spring, Ain es-Sultan, in an area of fertile alluvial soil which attracted hunter-gatherer groups to settle down, and to start a process of plant and animal domestication. Archaeological excavations carried out in the mid-20th century evidenced 23 layers of ancient civilizations at the site. The earliest remains date back to the Natufian period, 10th-8th millennia BC (see number 10 below). By the 8th millennium BC Jericho became a big fortified town surrounded by a stone wall supported by a massive round tower. These are the earliest urban fortifications known in the world, later several times replaced. Their early date took the history of urbanity and domestication back several millennia at the time of their discovery in the 1950s. The Neolithic population of Jericho developed a complex society where house construction, crafts, such as weaving and matting, and mythological and social conception of burial and religion were practiced.

https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5704/

In all likelihood, supported by the Hebrew text, it is believed that not even the Israelites knew Joshua sent two spies into Jericho. One cannot help but thing back 40 years to the time that Moses sent 12 spies into Canaan to bring back a report of what God had promised to give His people. But only two of those spies came back with a faith-filled report, one of whom was Joshua. Perhaps that one of the reasons he sends only two this time. Jericho is the key city of central Canaan for several reasons: it controls the major passes into the heart of the land to the west; it is near the main fords across the southern Jordan that link the area with the east; and it holds control over the fresh spring water critical to the district. To conquer Jericho would be a first big step in taking the heart of Canaan.

Early in the story we are introduced to Rahab, plainly called in text a prostitute. There have been translators who have generously used the word “innkeeper” instead of prostitute, and while she may have also been an innkeeper, the word here clearly speaks to her true profession. It should also be noted that when she chooses sides in this battle, if it goes poorly for Israel, her life will be forfeit.

Code of Hammurabi from the first half of the second millennium bc Law 109 reads: “If scoundrels plot together in an innkeeper’s house, and she does not seize them and bring them to the palace, that innkeeper shall be put to death.”

Weinfeld, The Promise of the Land: The Inheritance of the Land of Canaan by Israelites, 142–43.

We cannot make a determination of judgment against (or for) Rahab in this telling. She acts in accordance with her own beliefs and the circumstances she is facing. The writer neither condemns nor defends her deception as he reports what happens at her house. We know that Jericho is not a good place spiritually and I believe she is responding to that as well.

The discovery in 1929 of artifacts and epic literature at Ras Shamra (Ugarit) from about the time of Joshua reveals some of the detestable religious practices of the Canaanites. Polytheistic idolatry, child sacrifice, religious prostitution, and divination were all part of the sordid cesspool. With their rejection of God’s grace proven by the their overflowing measure of sin continuing through the centuries of God’s patience, his judgment by Israel’s hand now approaches. “It is a horrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God”. Fears haunt Jericho for good reason. A closed city gate cannot defend against the Lord when the floodgates of his judgment swing open.

Harstad, A. L. (2004). Joshua (p. 119). Saint Louis, MO: CPH.

At this point, we are seeing a brave woman who is doing what is necessary to protect her family. She is God’s instrument in protecting His people as well. Ultimately, she will join Israel and become an important factor in God’s plan. For now, we know that she is brave, smart, and cunning. The story will continue to unfold.