January 2, 2020
The Spies Go Out
Background
Wanderings in the Wilderness. Deuteronomy Chapter (2) Verse 1-7.
"Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea, as the Lord had directed me, for a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir. then the Lord said to me, you have made your way around this hill country long enough, now turn north. Give the people these orders. You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. Do not provoke them to war for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. You are to pay them in silver for food you eat and the water you drink. The Lord your God has blessed you and all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.
JOSHUA CHAPTER TWO
The author of the book of Joshua is unknown
Joshua is the new leader
2. Then Joshua son of Nun, secretly sent two spies, from Shittim. Go, Look over the land, he said especially Jericho. So they went and entered the house of a prostitute name Rahab, and stayed there. The King of Jericho was told, Look some of the Israelite's have come here to night to spy out the land. So the King of Jericho sent this message to Rahab "bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, Yes, the men came to me but I did not know where they came from. At dusk, when it was time to the close the city gate, they left. I don't know which way they went.
GO after them quickly. You may catch up with them but she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flaxs she laid out on the roof. So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
Before the spies laid down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, I know the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live this country are melting in fear because of you.
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 Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.
When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you.
Give me a sure sign. that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers, and sisters, and all who belong to them----and that you will save us from death.
Our lives for you lives, the men assured her. If you don't tell them what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.
So she let them down by a rope through a window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall, she said to them, Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there for three days until they return, and then go on your way.
Now the men had said to her, this oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, and brothers and all your family into your house.
If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a land is laid on them.
But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear. Agreed, she replied. Let it be as you say.
So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. When they left, they went into the hills and stayed three days until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. then the two men started back.
they went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them, they said to Joshua, The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.
1. I see lots of faith!
God spoke to Joshua instructions (instructions can also be reed through the bible). They didn't have a bible but they received the spoken word from God.
They believed and they took actions. Sending over the spies was faith or actions. Faith without works is nothing. The spies got inside information. The people were in great fear. Rahab even ask them to spare her life. It seems like they knew they were defeated.
2. I attended a bible study in college and when we reed this passage the focus was on lying. The bible study leader said that it was okay to lie because Rahab was doing God's will. I beg to differ. Rahab is a very ungodly women in this passage. She knows it. Lying is probably one of the nicest things she does. She is a prostitute. She sees all the men. She knows the land. Her views and actions represent the fear she knew saw among the citizens.
The spies were trying to go unnoticed. Going to her was the best disguise. But the King had spies and he still knew they were in the land. Instead of being loyal the officials she saves her own life.
Rehab does not want to side with the people in the city. Secondly Rahab is not a child of God. Later on she is saved but in this moment she is lying and cutting deals to save her and her family because she knew she was going to die. Her actions had nothing to do with God or being a godly women but God will deliver her later on.
I want to note that bible teacher turned into a liar. Please don't think its ever God's will to lie. God could have given them the land regardless. I don't think that we have to deceive people to get something because God had already told them he was giving it to them. The teacher meant well but I think her feelings about lying seduced her into becoming a liar. I think that is why she justified Rahab.
Reading it now, Rahab is saving face. That's not God's will but God can use it.
3. The spies tell Joshua it is very certain; God has given us this land.
4. Rahab is a smart woman. She knows how to use her money maker and the spies did not ask her for help but immediately she does it. She said there is great fear in the city. I have the spies I am going to work it out for me.
- 1. Joshua was Moses assistant. He had witness first hand all the wonderful acts of God. He heeded the instructions from Moses.
- 2. With Moses they traveled through various parts of the wilderness
- 3. A wilderness is a wild and uncultivated region, it is similar to a forest or desert, uninhabited or inhabited but only by wild animals; it a wasteland. For us today a wilderness is a wooded area. Wars was fought in the wild. A wild does not have stores or food places. It is unsettled. A group will have to hunt and build fires.
- 3. After getting instructions from God. The children of Israel know that Jericho is a city; it is definitely filled with ungodly things.
- 4. Joshua sends out the spies
- 5. There was also spies sent out in Deuteronomy 1:12 as they moved through the wilderness, Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites. Then all of you came to me and said, Let us send men ahead to spy out the Land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to. ( WORKING TOGETHER) They had established a method of doing things.
Wanderings in the Wilderness. Deuteronomy Chapter (2) Verse 1-7.
"Then we turned back and set out toward the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea, as the Lord had directed me, for a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir. then the Lord said to me, you have made your way around this hill country long enough, now turn north. Give the people these orders. You are about to pass through the territory of your relatives the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. Do not provoke them to war for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. You are to pay them in silver for food you eat and the water you drink. The Lord your God has blessed you and all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.
JOSHUA CHAPTER TWO
The author of the book of Joshua is unknown
Joshua is the new leader
2. Then Joshua son of Nun, secretly sent two spies, from Shittim. Go, Look over the land, he said especially Jericho. So they went and entered the house of a prostitute name Rahab, and stayed there. The King of Jericho was told, Look some of the Israelite's have come here to night to spy out the land. So the King of Jericho sent this message to Rahab "bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, Yes, the men came to me but I did not know where they came from. At dusk, when it was time to the close the city gate, they left. I don't know which way they went.
GO after them quickly. You may catch up with them but she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flaxs she laid out on the roof. So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
Before the spies laid down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, I know the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live this country are melting in fear because of you.
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 Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.
When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you.
Give me a sure sign. that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers, and sisters, and all who belong to them----and that you will save us from death.
Our lives for you lives, the men assured her. If you don't tell them what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.
So she let them down by a rope through a window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall, she said to them, Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there for three days until they return, and then go on your way.
Now the men had said to her, this oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, and brothers and all your family into your house.
If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a land is laid on them.
But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear. Agreed, she replied. Let it be as you say.
So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. When they left, they went into the hills and stayed three days until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. then the two men started back.
they went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them, they said to Joshua, The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.
1. I see lots of faith!
God spoke to Joshua instructions (instructions can also be reed through the bible). They didn't have a bible but they received the spoken word from God.
They believed and they took actions. Sending over the spies was faith or actions. Faith without works is nothing. The spies got inside information. The people were in great fear. Rahab even ask them to spare her life. It seems like they knew they were defeated.
2. I attended a bible study in college and when we reed this passage the focus was on lying. The bible study leader said that it was okay to lie because Rahab was doing God's will. I beg to differ. Rahab is a very ungodly women in this passage. She knows it. Lying is probably one of the nicest things she does. She is a prostitute. She sees all the men. She knows the land. Her views and actions represent the fear she knew saw among the citizens.
The spies were trying to go unnoticed. Going to her was the best disguise. But the King had spies and he still knew they were in the land. Instead of being loyal the officials she saves her own life.
Rehab does not want to side with the people in the city. Secondly Rahab is not a child of God. Later on she is saved but in this moment she is lying and cutting deals to save her and her family because she knew she was going to die. Her actions had nothing to do with God or being a godly women but God will deliver her later on.
Reading it now, Rahab is saving face. That's not God's will but God can use it.
3. The spies tell Joshua it is very certain; God has given us this land.
4. Rahab is a smart woman. She knows how to use her money maker and the spies did not ask her for help but immediately she does it. She said there is great fear in the city. I have the spies I am going to work it out for me.
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