by David Scott Robertson
(Josh 2:1 NIV) 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 named Rahab and stayed there.
I read something in God's Word the other day that leaped off the page into my heart! I had read the story of the fall of the city of Jericho many times and yet had never seen what I'm about to describe to you. What I discovered may be common knowledge to you, but it was a revelation to me. I believe the Lord opened my eyes to see a "miracle between the lines" in this familiar Old Testament passage.
As our opening verse reveals, Joshua had sent two spies into the land of Canaan to investigate it. Somehow (that's another story for another day) they wound up at the house of Rahab the prostitute, who lived in Jericho.
To be more precise, Rahab's house was located on the wall of the city of Jericho.
(Josh 2:15 NIV) So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall.
I don't exactly know if her house was on top of the wall or embedded into it, whatever the case it is a fact of biblical history that it was part of the wall and included a life-saving window through which the two spies escaped the grasp of the king of Jericho who had dispatched soldiers to find and kill them.
Before escaping to freedom to return to Joshua, the two spies made a covenant with Rahab to save her life and the lives of her family provided that she and her family stayed within the confines of her house when the Lord will have given them the city.
(Josh 2:18 NIV) unless, when 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, your brothers and all your family into your house.
(Josh 2:19 NIV) If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him.
Let's fast forward the story to the fall of Jericho and I'll show you the miracle between the lines.
Before beginning the conquest of Jericho and implementing the bizarre battle strategy that God had given Joshua of marching around the city day after day, Joshua makes this statement concerning Rahab:
(Josh 6:17 NIV) The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent.
Here it is again: The explicit statement that all who are in her house will be saved from certain death.
And now we come to "D-Day." God orders to army to march around the city seven times on the seventh day and then it happens - miracle upon miracle! Obvious miracles and hidden miracles! Miracles plainly stated and miracles between the lines!
(Josh 6:20 NIV) When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city.
(Josh 6:21 NIV) They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it--men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
(Josh 6:22 NIV) Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her."
(Josh 6:23 NIV) So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
We can plainly see that the walls of Jericho falling at the shout of the people was an undeniable miracle that left the city more or less defenseless against the invading Israeli army. But what is not so plain to see is the miracle of Rahab's house, which scripture says was part of the wall, remained completely intact despite every supporting structure above, beneath, and around it caving in! Can you just picture the sight?
We know that Rahab's house was not at the base of the wall for the two spies needed a rope to descend safely from it and besides the thick wall was there for defensive purposes and a low window would have compromised that objective.
What I think I am reading between the lines is an outstanding miracle of the walls of Jericho completely disintegrating at the shout of the Lord's command and the house of Rahab is supernaturally protected as it falls to the ground safely with its human cargo of Rahab's family!
Talk about a special effect! I'd like to see Hollywood try to portray that miracle in a film adaptation of the fall of Jericho!
But there's more. Joshua allowed Rahab to live outside the camp but that's just it, she was permitted TO LIVE outside the camp and to this day, the Bible says, her descendents live among the people of God.
(Josh 6:25 NIV) But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the Israelites to this day.
Well, this concludes my observation of the astonishing "miracle between the lines" concerning Rahab's house and family. But here's where the grace of God picks up where we leave off. God's kindness to Rahab continues as you can readily see as the great God Jehovah permits her to marry into the lineage of the Messiah, Christ Jesus Himself:
(Mat 1:5 NIV) Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse…
But God is still not done with miraculous kindness to Rahab. When the writer of Hebrews starts to walk the readers through the great "hall of faith," guess who shows up in the list? Rahab!
(Heb 11:31 NIV) By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
Finally, Jesus' half-brother James even mentions her in Holy Scripture:
(James 2:25 NIV) In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
So you see, there are many miracles between the lines of scripture that you can piece together with the help of the Holy Spirit!
DSR
12/22/03