Liar

Many people read Joshua 2 and miss the amazing story of redemption because they cannot see past the fact that Rahab lied. However, the story of Rahab is a story about redemption and about faith. Rahab is compared to both Sarah (Hebrews 11:31) and Abraham (James 2:25) as an example of faith. Abraham is often looked upon as a giant of faith but he too lied when it came to protecting himself.

An email from my son

I had an email from my son about the tenth commandment so I thought I would post it here.

He wrote:
Dad,

I'm reading through my professor's yet to be released New Testament Theology. It is really good. While reading on the problem of sin, Dr Schreiner says this:

"Refusing to honor God as God and to give him glory, to worship and adore him constitutes sin according to Paul. Therefore, he identifies coveting as idolatry (Eph 5:5; Col 3:5). The prohibition against coveting is the tenth commandment in the decalogue, and we see from Paul's commentary that the tenth and first commandment address the same reality. Whatever a person covets has become an idol, and hence coveting places the object of desire above God himself."

Thomas Schreiner, Magnifying God in Christ: New Testament Theology; ch 14 - "The Problem of Sin" (Forthcoming).

Dr. Schreiner rightly has argued that the first and last commandment really form an inclusio so that the rest of the commandments are interpreted as an explanation of the first and last (not his exact words, but mine!). Therefore, all sin is idolatry and is a failure to glorify God.

As for me and my house

At the end of Joshua's life he made a powerful committment to his God in front of the people. Since that day many have used this as a motto for their family. Though it is not a promise that our children will follow the Lord there is a great possiblity that they will if their parents say as Joshua did, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord."
I am so glad that my children have chosen to follow God and have made their parent's. grandparent's and greatgrandparent's God their God. Today is our youngest son's birthday and today he is a quarter of a century old. We are proud of the choices he has made in his life, education, place to live, the one he wishes to spend his life with and mostly his choice to follow God. He is a blessing to us. My God bless him on his birthday and our prayer is that he and his house will serve the Lord.

The Scarlet Cord

The gates to the city were shut and there was no way out of the city except by going over the wall. Rahab let the spies down from her house, which was built on a wall, by a scarlet rope or cord. That cord was to be the sign that Rahab and all that were in her house would be protected when God gave the city into the hands of the Israelites. The spies told her that she was to tie the cord from her window. She did not hesitate to make sure that the cord was in place even though distruction did not come for at least another week. She wanted to make sure she was safe as well as her family.
Some people have seen the scarlet cord as a picture of the blood of Christ. We cannot say that for sure as the Bible does not make that connection. To the spies and the other Israelites they saw the parallel with the passover. It was the blood on the door posts that showed that the people inside were protected from the distruction that was to come.

Get Ready and Wait

Joshua told the leaders that they were to tell the people to get ready to cross the Jordan River but that wouldn't be for three days. Why did they have to wait three days? They had to wait because there was a person to be saved. God had waited four hundred years for the people of Canaan to repent and then judgment was to come. They could wait three more days while one person repents.
Some people wonder why God has not returned for His people and brought judgment upon the world. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Just imagine if you were that last person to be saved before our Lord returns.

Rahab

The story of Rahab is a redemption story, a salvation story. She was a condemned person living in a condemned city. Like Rahab we are also condemned and living in a condemned world. Our only hope is in being redeemed. Without Christ we are under the wrath of God, we are part of the problem just as Rahab was under the wrath of God and as a citizen of Jericho she was part of the problem.
God redeemed Rahab and saved her from the destruction that was to come upon her city. He then gave her a sign that she asked for, the sign of the scarlet cord. He saved her from the wrath to come and gave her a place in the Kingdom of God. She married a prince of Judah and became an ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ. She is one of five women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus as given by Matthew. She also was a role model for every Christian. We read about her in Hebrews 11 among the heroes of faith. She is one of two women mentioned, Sarah and Rahab. Two women who were so different but both showed remarkable faith.

Two Spies

Before Joshua crossed over the Jordon River he sent two spies to Jericho to spy out the land. He sent two spies and not twelve as before. I wondered why he sent two. I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that when the twelve spies went only two said that they should go up immediately and take the land? He also sent two instead of one because the truth of a testimony is based upon two or more witnesses. Also two spies can hold each other accountable.
Why did the spies go to a prostitutes home? It certainly wasn't for immoral reasons but by going to a prostitutes house they would not arouse suspicion about why they were there.
But why did Joshua send two spies in the first place? Hadn't God promised them the land? I see a parallel in the life of Gideon when God gave him a sign that he didn't ask for. Gideon had asked for two signs but God gave him the testimony of the Midianites. Similarly the spies were given the testimony of a citizen of Jericho.