Read: Joshua 2

In Joshua 1, Joshua is confirmed as the new leader of Israel following the death of Moses. First, the Lord re-affirms his choice of Joshua to lead the people (V. 1-9) and then the people confirm his leadership (V. 10-18).

Part of the narrative from Joshua 1 was answering the question of whether or not Joshua would step-up and lead. We saw there (V. 10-18) that he did and now, in Joshua 2, we see Joshua continuing to lead the people by sending two spies into the land. This should cause us to remember what happened the last time the leader of Israel sent spies into the land: twelve were sent in but only two came back saying the land could be taken (Joshua being one of those two). This highlights the continuity that has been established between Joshua and Moses, a theme that will continue throughout the book. In this instance we see that as Moses sent spies into the land, so now has Joshua.

These spies take refuge in the home of Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho. She protects them from the King and in the process says two very important things:

• First, she acknowledges the fear of the people in Jericho. They have heard what the Lord has done in bringing Israel out of Egypt. The Lord had told the Israelites this would happen (Exodus 15:15-16; 23:27; Deuteronomy 2:25; 11:25). Rahab’s admission to the spies serves to confirm that he was giving the land to the people.
• Second, she professes faith in the God of Israel as the One True God. She expresses that he is sovereign over all things (V. 11) which necessitates a repudiation of Canaanite deities. The importance of a pagan in the land to be conquered recognizing the sovereign rule of Yahweh and seeking protection from His people cannot be understated. The New Testament authors picked up on this and emphasized it (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). As a result of her faith in the God of Israel, she was protected from God’s coming judgement by being brought under the protection of the leader of God’s people (Joshua 6:22).

In the end, the spies venture in the land leads them to see and understand that the Lord had the authority and power to give Israel the land which was confirmed by the response of the people in the land.

1. How are the inhabitants of Jericho responding to the pending Israelite invasion?
2. What is significant about their response?
3. What sets apart Rahab’s response to the Israelites from the rest of Jericho?
4. What is significant about Rahab’s expression of faith in the God of Israel?
5. What does V. 24 tell us happened as a result of the spies' trip into Jericho?
6. How does this connect backwards to Joshua 1?
7. How does this prepare the reader for the rest of the Conquest narrative?
8. How does this text point toward Jesus?
9. The Christian hope is salvation from the wrath of God when Jesus returns and executes judgement against all who have rejected God. What impact should the salvation for Christians on that day have on you/your family today?

In other family resources, check out this blog post from Tom: This Week in Family Worship