Rahab and the Spies (Joshua 1-2).

Background Story: God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s descendants. They multiplied in Egypt but became enslaved until God called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt. God delivered Israel leading them out of Egypt through the ‘Red Sea’ on dry ground. The Lord led Israel by the pillar of cloud and fire and miraculously provided them ‘food and water’ in the desert. At Mt. Sinai the Lord established His covenant with Israel and gave them the 10 commandments. Israel fell into idolatry by making a ‘golden calf’, but Moses pleaded with the Lord and the Lord forgave the Israelites and promised to go with them. That generation came to the border of their ‘Promised Land’ but they refused to enter. So the Lord said that generation would wander forty years and die in the desert but their children would enter the land. Later when the second generation came to a place where there was no water they gathered against Moses and Aaron. The Lord told Moses to speak to the rock and water would pour out for the people and their livestock but Moses said, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”  Then Moses struck the rock twice and water gushed out. So the Lord told Moses and Aaron that they would not enter the land because they failed to honor the Lord as holy before Israel. Aaron died on Mount Hor and Moses transferred Aaron’s priestly garments to Aaron’s son, Eleazar.  Then a Canaanite king attacked Israel and captured some of them. So the Israelites vowed to destroy them if the Lord would deliver them into Israel’s hands. The Lord did this and Israel completely destroyed them.

When it was time for Moses to die the Lord had Moses commission Joshua as Israel’s new leader.  The Lord would go before Israel and destroy the land’s inhabitants and Joshua would lead them into the land the Lord promised their forefathers. Moses climbed Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 32:48–52) and there the Lord gave Moses a vision of the land but he would not be able to physically enter in. Moses dies and the Lord buried Moses in an unknown grave somewhere in Moab (Deuteronomy 34:1–12). There had never been a prophet in Israel who knew the Lord face to face like Moses and who did such miraculous signs and wonders before Egypt and in the sight of all Israel. This brings us to the story of Rahab and the Israelite spies (Joshua 1-2).

Rahab and the Israelite Spies.

There had never been a prophet in Israel who knew the Lord face to face like Moses did. Moses had led Israel to the border of Canaan, but now the Lord’s faithful servant is dead. Now Joshua as Israel’s leader was to get the people ready to cross the Jordan and enter Canaan as the Lord had promised Moses. The Lord promises that He would be with Joshua as He had been with Moses and to never leave or forsake Joshua. Therefore Joshua is to be strong and courageous and lead Israel into the land the Lord swore to their forefathers. However, Joshua was to meditate day and night on the ‘Book of the Law’ that God gave Moses and to be careful to do everything written in it. The Lord would be with Joshua so Joshua need not be afraid or discouraged (Joshua 1:1-9). 

The people commit themselves to do what Joshua says to do and to go where Joshua says to go. They commit to obey Joshua as they claimed they fully obeyed Moses (Joshua 1:17). Hadn’t their obedience to Moses been somewhat questionable? Isn’t their perception of their own faithfulness distorted?  Well compared to their parents who died in the wilderness; they were relatively faithful. Then in the recent events there was less rebellion than at previous times (Numbers 21:1-3). So now the second generation out of Egypt commits to do what Joshua commands and go wherever Joshua sends them. What they request is that the Lord be with Joshua as He was with Moses and that Joshua be ‘strong and courageous’ (Joshua 1:16-18)!

Joshua sends two men and not twelve to spy out Canaan. The spies stay at the house of a Canaanite prostitute named Rahab. When the king of Jericho finds out about this he sends a message telling to Rahab to bring out the men because they were spying out their land. The king sees these men as a threat to Jericho but Rahab aligns herself with Israel and their God over against Jericho’s king. Rahab hides the two Israelite spies and deceives the messengers of Jericho’s king so that they leave the city to search for the spies. Rahab knew where they were from and that they were hiding in her house. While the ethics of her tactics have been debated but what is clear is that her allegiance was to Israel and their God. Rahab feared the Lord more than she fears the king of Jericho and she actually sought to preserve the lives of those spying out the land to destroy it (Joshua 2:1-11).

 Rahab confesses her belief to the spies that the Lord would give Israel the land of Canaan. She says her whole country was melting with fear because they knew how the Lord dried up the Red Sea when Israel came out of Egypt and how more recently Israel had completely destroyed the kings of the Amorites. She goes on to acknowledge that the God of Israel is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Then she pleads that the Israelites spare the lives of her family and her whole household.  Rahab had protected them so now they assure Rahab that they will do the same for Rahab when the Lord gives them the land. Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window in her house which was built into the wall.  Rahab tells them to go hide in the hills for three days until those pursuing them return to Jericho, then they could go on their way back to the Israelite camp .  

The oath would be binding as long as Rahab tied a scarlet cord in her window, and keep her family inside her house during the attack. Rahab agreed and she tied the scarlet cord in her window and she sent the spies to hide in the hills until their pursuers returned to Jericho without finding them. After this the two men went and told Joshua son of Nun everything that had happened to them. They told Joshua that the Lord had surely given them the land because all the people in the land were melting in fear because of the Israelites. A Canaanite prostitute may seem like an unlikely person to come to Israel’s aid. But, Rahab hid the spies and sent those searching for them off in another direction. Her testimony that her whole country was melting with fear encouraged the Israelites that God was working behind the scenes on their behalf. That Rahab lied to protect the spies creates an ethical tension which the story does not resolve. The story highlights Rahab’s confession showed she feared Israel’s God. The New Testament goes on to tell us in James that by concealing the spies and sending them off in a different direction Rahab demonstrated that she had faith. Also the writer of Hebrews tells us that Rahab welcomed the spies by faith and she was not killed with those who were disobedient.

James 2:25–26 (NIV84) ²⁵ 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? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Hebrews 11:31 (NIV84) ³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. 

Moses Dies; Joshua Succeeds Moses (Deut.31-34).

Background: God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s descendants who multiplied in Egypt but became enslaved. God called Moses to lead them and God delivered Israel out of Egypt leading them through the ‘Red Sea’ on dry ground while drowning the Egyptian army. The Lord led Israel by the pillar of cloud and fire and miraculously cared for them despite Israel’s grumbling. At Mt. Sinai the Lord established His covenant with Israel and gave them the 10 commandments. Israel fell into idolatry by making a ‘golden calf’, but Moses pleaded with the Lord and the Lord forgave the Israelites and promised to go with them (Ex. 34:1-9). The Lord lead the Israelites to the border of their promised land and they ‘twelve spies’ into Canaan. The spies confirmed that it was a land flowing with milk and honey (Numbers 13-14), but some of the spies spread a ‘bad report’ and Israel refused to enter the land. That generation would wander forty years and die in the desert but their children would enter the land. Then when the Israelites tried to enter Canaan without Moses and against the Lord’s decision the Canaanites living in the hills came down and attacked the Israelites and beat them back at Hormah (14:39-45). The Lord confirmed that the priests must descend from Aaron by causing the earth to swallow those opposing Aaron and by causing Aaron’s staff to miraculously blossom and produce almonds (16-17).

After Miriam, Moses’ sister, died the second generation came to a place where there was no water. They gathered against Moses and Aaron so the Lord told Moses to speak to the rock and water would pour out for the people and their livestock to drink. But Moses said, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”  Then Moses struck the rock twice and water gushed out. However, the Lord told Moses and Aaron that they would not enter the land because they failed to honor the Lord as holy before Israel. Aaron died on Mount Hor and Moses transferred Aaron’s priestly garments to Aaron’s son, Eleazar.  When a Canaanite king attacked Israel and captured some of them the Israelites vowed to destroy them if the Lord would deliver them into Israel’s hands. The Lord did and Israel completely destroyed them. These were the very people that had driven the Israelites back forty years earlier when the first generation tried to enter the Canaan without Moses and against the Lord’s command (Numbers 14:44-45, 21:4-5). Then when some of the Israelites complained against Moses and against the Lord the Lord sent venomous snakes that bit the people and many Israelites died. They confessed their sin and asked Moses to pray to the Lord to take away the snakes. Moses prayed and the Lord told Moses to make a snake and put it up on a pole. Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole and all who looked to the bronze snake on the pole lived (Jn. 3:14–15). This brings us to the story of the ‘death of Moses’ (See Deuteronomy 31-34).

Moses Dies and Joshua Succeeds Moses.

Moses’ life task had come to an end (1:37–38; 3:23–29). He was 120 years old and no longer able to lead Israel but only because he had failed to honor the Lord as holy at Meribah. Not Moses, but the Lord would cross the Jordan and destroy the inhabitants of the land. God would go before Israel so Israel was to trust God and be courageous (6, 8). This was something they had failed at badly in the past (1:26–36).  With God promising to go with them and to destroy the land’s inhabitants Israel was to do all that Moses had commanded and they were to take possession of the land. They were to rid the land of its idolatrous worship and keep God’s covenant (Deuteronomy 31:1–8).  

The Lord would go before Israel and Moses’ aid, Joshua, would cross over the Jordan and would lead them. Moses exhorts the Israelites to ‘be strong and courageous and not to be afraid of those in the land’. They need not be afraid because the Lord their God was with them (Numbers 14:6-9) and He would never leave them nor forsake them (Deuteronomy 31:5-6, Hebrews 13:5). Then Moses exhorts Joshua before all Israel to ‘be strong and courageous’ Joshusa was to go with Israel into the land the Lord swore to give their forefathers and he was to divide it among the Israelites as their inheritance. Why should Joshua not be afraid to lead Israel into the land and take possession of it? Joshua need not be afraid for the same reason he and Caleb were not afraid to take the land forty years earlier. The Lord their God was with them (Numbers 14:6-9) and would not leave or forsake him (Deut. 31:5-6, Hebrews 13:5).  

Moses would soon die so the Lord had Moses commission Joshua as Israel’s new leader.  Moses and Joshua went to the ‘Tent of Meeting’ and the Lord appears in the ‘pillar of cloud’ (15). The Lord spoke to Moses first saying that while Moses would rest with his fathers the Lord would bring Israel into the land He promised their forefathers. Yet, despite God faithfulness the Israelites would turn to other gods and forsake the Lord’s covenant (16). Then the Lord spoke to Joshua commanding him to be courageous (23). Joshua had demonstrated this courageous faith when he wanted to take possession of the land forty years earlier (Nu. 14:30, 38).

The Lord would go before Israel and destroy the land’s inhabitants and Joshua would lead them into the land the Lord promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then Joshua would divide the land among them and they would eat their fill and thrive there. The Lord would fulfill His promises but Israel would prostitute themselves to other gods and break God’s covenant. As a result the Lord would turn His face from Israel and disaster would fall on Israel. Now despite this the Lord exhorts Joshua to be strong and courageous to bring the Israelites into the land and encourages Joshua that the Lord will be with him. 

Moses climbs to the top of Mount Nebo in obedience to God’s command (32:48–52). There the Lord gave Moses a vision of the land but he would not be able to set foot on it. The time had come for the promise to Abraham to be fulfilled but Moses would only get a glimpse of the land (4; Gen. 12:1; 15:7). It was now time for Moses to die, but his death was no tragedy. Moses was still strong (7, 10–12) and he had lived faithfully before God. Moses’ eyes are strong enough to see the land but he dies without being able to physically enter in. The Lord buries Moses outside of Canaan in an unknown grave somewhere in Moab. Moses was 120 years old and his body was strong enough to climb Mount Nebo and his eyes were strong enough to see the land from afar. Then the Israelites, who had been such a frustration to Moses, grieved for Moses for thirty days (Deuteronomy 34:1–12).

Israel’s new leader Joshua was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on Joshua. So the spirit of wisdom was upon Joshua and as a result the Israelites listened to Joshua as he exhorted Israel to obey the word of God given to Moses. There had never been another prophet in Israel who knew the Lord face to face like Moses. No prophet ever did such miraculous signs and wonders as the Lord did through Moses in the land of Egypt and no leader demonstrated such power as Moses did in the sight of all Israel. There was no one like Moses, neither before nor after, whether as prophet or as powerful leader—that is until the coming of the prophet ‘like Moses’ the Lord Jesus Christ (Deuteronomy 18:15, Acts 3:22-23).

Moses Strikes the Rock (Numbers 20-21).

Background: God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s descendants who multiplied in Egypt but became enslaved. God called Moses to lead them and God delivered Israel out of Egypt leading them through the ‘Red Sea’ on dry ground while drowning the Egyptian army. The Lord led Israel by the pillar of cloud and fire and miraculously provided ‘manna and water from a rock’ despite Israel’s grumbling. At Mt. Sinai the Lord established His covenant with Israel and gave them the 10 commandments. Israel fell into idolatry by making a ‘golden calf’, butMoses pleaded with the Lord and the Lord promised to go with Israel and to forgive them (Ex. 34:1-9). The Israelites set out from Sinai in their tribal divisions with the ‘Ark of the Covenant’ before them and the eventually came to the the border of their promised land. They sent ‘twelve spies’ into Canaan who confirmed that it was a land flowing with milk and honey (Numbers 13-14). But ten of the spies spread a ‘bad report’ and the community refused to enter the land. So the Lord said that generation would wander forty years and die in the desert and that their children would enter the land that they had rejected. Then the Israelites tried to enter Canaan without Moses and against the Lord’s decision the peoples living in the hills came down and attacked the Israelites and beat them back at Hormah (14:39-45). Then Korah and his followers lead a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, but the earth opens up and swallows them and the Lord confirms that the priests must come from Aaron’s line by causing Aaron’s staff to miraculously blossom and produce almonds (16-17).  This brings us to the story of ‘Moses striking the Rock’ (Num. 20-21).

Moses Strikes the Rock and Snakes Strike Israel.

Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, dies marking the end of the generation that couldn’t enter Canaan. The second generation comes to a place where there was no water and thinking they would die they gather against Moses and Aaron. Almost forty years has been wasted (Numbers 33:38) and yet the second generation apparently haven’t learned from their parents sins. So Moses and Aaron fall on their faces before the Lord at the ‘Tent of Meeting’. The Lord tells Moses and Aaron to take the staff and gather the people before the rock. Moses is to speak to the rock and water will come out for the people and their livestock to drink. They gather at the rock and Moses said, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”  Moses strikes the rock twice and water gushes out for the people and their livestock to drink. Before the previous generation Moses had been to strike the rock (Exodus 17:6). Here Moses is told to speak to the rock and his words suggest that Moses was the one bringing out the water (Numbers 20:10). Moses had been told at one time to strike the rock But the Lord told Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t trust me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring the Israelites into the land I give them.” These were the waters of Meribah or quarrelling, because the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and the Lord showed himself as holy.  

After this Moses sends messengers to the king of Edom asking to let Israel pass through your country. Yet, Edom comes out with a large army and Israel turns away. The Israelites come to Mount Hor, near the border of Edom. The Lord says it is Aaron’s time to die. So Moses takes Aaron and Eleazar, Aaron’s son, up Mount Hor as commanded by the commanded. On the mountain, Moses removed Aaron’s garments and puts them on Eleazar. Aaron dies and when Moses and Eleazar come down the mountain the people mourn for Aaron thirty days. The Lord did not allow Aaron to enter Canaan yet Aaron was privileged die in peace having seen his son succeed him as priest. Aaron accepted the Lord’s decision and the Lord graciously let Aaron die peacefully there on the mountain. God dealt severely with His prophet Moses and His high priest Aaron, but Aaron comes across as being content with the Lord’s decision. The Lord held His appointed leaders to a high standard which He continues to do today (James 3:1).

Next we find a Canaanite king attacking Israel and capturing some of them. Israel vows to destroy these Canaanites if the Lord would deliver them into Israel’s hands. The Lord gave the Canaanites over to them and Israel completely destroyed them. These were the very people that had driven the Israelites back nearly forty years earlier. This time, however, Israel relied on God and the place was named Hormah or destruction. This was the very place where the first generation tried to enter the land against the Lord’s command and they were driven back (Numbers 14:44-45, 21:4-5). They rely on the Lord to fight for them but they’re still inclined to complain. Having to travel around Edom some of the Israelites say, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to die in this desert? There is no bread or water here and we hate this miserable food!”  The Lord sends venomous snakes that bit the people and many Israelites died. They confess their sin and ask Moses to pray to the Lord to take away the snakes. Moses prays and the Lord tells Moses to make a snake and put it up on a pole. Moses makes a bronze snake and put it on a pole. All who were bitten that looked to the bronze snake lived. Jesus compared this incident to his being lifted up on the cross, so that whoever looks away from self to Jesus in faith shall live (Jn. 3:14–15, 2 Cor.5:21). 

Korah's Rebellion and Aaron's Staff (Numbers 16-17).

Background: God promised to bless the world through Abraham’s descendants who multiplied in Egypt but became enslaved. God called Moses to lead them and God delivered Israel out of Egypt with many ‘miraculous signs’. The Lord led Israel by the pillar of cloud and fire and miraculously provided ‘manna and water from a rock’ despite Israel’s grumbling. At Mt. Sinai the Lord established His covenant with Israel and gave them the 10 commandments. Israel fell into idolatry by making a ‘golden calf’, but Moses pleaded with the Lord and the Lord promised to go with Israel and to forgive them (Ex. 34:1-9). The Israelites set out from Sinai in their tribal divisions with the ‘Ark of the Covenant’ before them and the pillar of cloud above them. However, the journey was a difficult one and the Israelites complained about their hardships (11:1) and even claimed they were better off in Egypt.  Moses began to see his calling as a burden, so the Lord anointed seventy of Israel’s elders with His Spirit to help Moses. (Ex. 18:13–26, Num. 11:24–30). They came to the border of their promised land where the ‘twelve spies’ confirmed that Canaan was a land flowing with milk and honey (Numbers 13-14). Caleb and Joshua believed they could take possession of the land, but the others spies spread a ‘bad report’ and the community refused to enter Canaan. So the Lord said that generation would wander forty years and die in the desert and that their children would enter the land that they had rejected. Then the Lord struck the ten spies who gave the ‘bad report’ with a plague and they died. When the Israelites heard of this they tried to enter Canaan without Moses and without the ‘Ark of the Covenant’ but the peoples living in the hills came down and attacked the Israelites and beat them back (Num. 14:39-45). This brings us to the story ‘Korah’s rebellion’ and the ‘budding of Aaron’s staff’ (Num. 16-17).  

Korah's Rebellion and the Budding of Aaron's staff:

The Levite, Korah, and his followers Dathan and Abiram and 250 Israelite leaders rose up in opposition to Moses’ leadership and Aaron’s priesthood. They claimed the whole community was holy and that Moses and Aaron had set themselves above the Lord’s people. Just prior to this the Israelites had failed to enter their promised land so the Lord said that generation would wander forty years and die in the desert. Also the ten spies who stirred the rebellion were struck with a plague and died. When the Israelites heard of this they tried to enter Canaan without Moses and the ‘Ark of the Covenant’ but they were driven back. Moses responds by falling facedown, and then Moses tells Korah and his followers that the Lord would reveal who He had chosen to draw near the Lord as priest. Korah and his followers were to put fire and incense in their censers and the Lord would chose who the one who was holy. According to Moses it was Korah and his followers who had banded together against the Lord and they were trying to get control of the priesthood.

When Moses summoned Korah’s collaborators, Dathan and Abiram, refused to come. They even claimed that Moses had brought them out of a land flowing with milk and honey only to kill them in the desert. They shift the blame for not entering the Promised Land to Moses and accuse him of trying to make them his slaves. This angered Moses who asked the Lord not to accept their offerings for he had not wronged any of them. So Korah stood with his followers at the Tent of Meeting in opposition to Moses and Aaron. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to the assembly and the Lord told Moses and Aaron to separate from the assembly so the Lord could put an end to the people. Yet, Moses and Aaron fell face down and cried out, “O God, will you be angry with the entire assembly when one man sins?”  The Lord said that the people were to move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Then Moses said that if Korah and his followers died in an ordinary way then the Lord had not sent Moses. But if the earth swallowed them then these men had treated the Lord with contempt. Immediately, the earth opened swallowing Korah and his followers and the Israelites fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us!” Then fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men offering the incense.

This dramatic display confirmed that God had called Moses to lead Israel and that Aaron was God’s chosen priest. Eleazar, Aaron’s son, was to remove the censers from smoldering remains and hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar. This would be a sign to remind the Israelites that only the descendants of Aaron were to burn incense before the Lord. Yet, after all this the Israelites grumbled and even claimed that Moses and Aaron had killed the Lord’s people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared and the Lord told Moses that He would put an end to the people. Once again, Moses and Aaron fell facedown. Then Moses told Aaron to take his censer and put incense and fire from the altar in it and to hurry to the assembly to make atonement for the people. Aaron ran into the midst of the assembly and offered the incense and the plague stopped. Aaron stood between the living and the dead and the plague stopped. Yet, 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.

After this the Lord told Moses to collect the staffs of the leaders of Israel’s twelve tribes. They are to write their names on their staffs and Aaron’s name was to written on the staff of Levi. Moses placed the staffs in the Tent of Meeting and the staff of the man the Lord would choose would sprout. This was to end the constant grumbling against Moses. The next day Moses retrieved the staffs from the tent of meeting and Aaron’s staff had sprouted, blossomed and produced almonds. Aaron’s staff was to be placed in front of the Testimony as a sign to the rebellious. This end the grumbling against the Lord, so that the people wouldn’t die! Moses did as the Lord commanded and the Israelites thought that they were all going to die.

In the story the Lord confirmed Aaron’s priesthood by causing the earth to swallow Korah, Dathan and Abiram and fire to consume the 250 Israelite others who opposed Moses and Aaron. Is this the indicator of those who have been chosen by God? Should we expect the dramatic destruction of those who oppose us? Perhaps our attitude towards those who oppose us is a better indicator that we are Lord’s people. The first thing Moses did when he faced opposition was to fall on his face before God (Numbers 16:4). Then when Lord told Moses and Aaron to separate from the people so He could can put an end to them Moses and Aaron fell face down and cried out, “O God, will you be angry with the whole assembly when one man sins? (Numbers 16:22)” Moses gave the people the opportunity to separate themselves from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Then after the earth swallowed these men and fire consumed the 250 others the Israelites claimed that Moses and Aaron had killed the Lord’s people. Again the Lord tells Moses and Aaron to separate from the people so He could put an end to them. What did Moses and Aaron do? Moses told Aaron to take his censer and offer the incense in the midst of the assembly to make atonement for the people. Aaron did this and the plague stopped. So Moses and Aaron didn’t seek the destruction of those opposing them, rather they desired that they be reconciled to God. The Lord further confirmed the priesthood of Aaron by causing Aaron’s staff to sprout, blossom and produced almonds.  Aaron’s staff testified that Israel could only approach God through God’s designated high priest. In the new covenant—we are to draw near to God through our high priest, that is Christ the Lord.