Week 11 Joshua
Rahab lived in Jericho. She knew about Israel. Knew they were camped across the Jordan, about a two-hour walk from her home.
One evening after sundown two men knock on Rahab’s door. Even in the shadows she knows they’re strangers. They have the look of resourceful, dangerous men, but she lets them in.
A citywide search for two men has begun. Rahab figures it out soon enough that she’s harbouring enemies of the state.
By the time the police show up the men are hidden. Rahab pleads ignorance, half-truths them, then lies outright, sending them on a wild goose chase. When the police are gone she divulges valuable intelligence to the men who will sack her city.
She knows Israel’s back-story and she’s afraid: what they’ve done; will do.
Knows why they’ll succeed, and spells it out pretty clearly to the agents: the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.
Something more and bigger than city-state and cultural disloyalty is going on with Rahab. She’s started to shift away from her gods, not so sure any more that the local divinities can complete, impressed with the God of the heavens and the earth.
It wasn’t much to go on, but it was enough.
Enough to save herself and her family.
Jericho will soon be rubble, but by the time the dust settles Rahab will be embraced by a new tribe.
Note: quote from Joshua 2:11 (New Living Translation)