15 Spies Sent to Jericho [Joshua 2:1-24]
The Bible passage: [Joshua 2:1-24]
The Story:
Joshua sent two spies to look over the land, especially Jericho.
They went into the town, entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and stayed there.
The king of Jericho was told that some Israelites had come to spy out the land. He sent a message to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who came and entered your house. They are spies.”
The woman had hidden the two men. She told the messengers, “They were here, but I didn’t know where they came from. At dusk, when it was time for the city gates to close, they left. I don’t know which way they went. If you hurry, you might catch them.”
The men left in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the crossing of the Jordan River. As soon as they had gone out, the city gate was shut.
Rahab went to the spies and told them, “I know the Lord has given you this land. The people here are terribly afraid of you. The whole country is melting in fear of you. We have heard about how the Lord dried up the Red Sea when you came out of Egypt, and how you destroyed the kings on the other side of the Jordan. When we heard about that, everyone’s courage failed, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
“Please swear to me by the Lord that you will protect my family, as I have protected you. Give me a sign that you will spare my family and save us from death.”
The men assured her, “Our lives for your lives! If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will be faithful to protect you when the Lord gives us this land.”
She let them down by a rope through the window. Her house was part of the city wall.
She told them, “Go hide in the hills so the searchers won’t find you. Hide there until they return and then go on your way.”
The men said to her, “This oath you made us swear will only be binding on us if we find this scarlet cord tied in this window and all your family is in your house. If any of them go outside, their blood is on their own heads. As for those in your house when we return, their blood will be on our heads if anyone lays a hand on them. If you tell anyone what we are doing, we will be released from our promise.”
She agreed with what they said and tied the scarlet cord in the window after they left.
When they left, they went into the hills and stayed for three days, when the searchers returned. Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, crossed the river, and came to Joshua and told him everything that had happened to them.
They told Joshua, “The Lord has truly given the whole land to us. All the people are melting with fear because of us.”
The Lessons:
- God sometimes uses unusual people to accomplish His purposes.
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