Joshua 2:1-24 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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I Know the Lord Has Given This Land to You
Comments for Study 2

Joshua 2:1-24
Memory Verse: 8

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I. The Deception (2:1-7)

>1. What might it have been like to be one of the spies sent out? (1)

* Joshua 2:1 "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."

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* Why might these men of God enter a prostitute's house?

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>How were they fulfilling the direction to "Look over the land?"

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>2. Why might the Israelites be easy to spot? (2; Num. 15:37-41)

* Joshua 2:2 "The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land."

* Numbers 15:37-41 "The LORD said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.'"

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>How might Rahab felt when first the Israelite men came to her house and then the message of her king? (3)

* Joshua 2:3 "So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land."

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>3. What did she decide to do? (Jos. 2:4-7)

* Joshua 2:4-7 "But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut."

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>Was it right for her to lie? (Lev. 19:11)

* Leviticus 19:11 "'Do not steal. "'Do not lie. "'Do not deceive one another."

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>What does God say about Rahab? (Heb. 11:31; James 2:25; Matt. 1:5-16)

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

* James 2:25 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?"

* Matthew 1:5-16 "Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David... and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ."

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II. The Oath (2:8-14)

>4. What did Rahab know about her future if she didn't do something by faith? (8-9)

* Joshua 2:8-9 "Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you."

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>Did she have any human hope of salvation? (10-11)

* Joshua 2:10-11 "We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below."

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>How does this explain why she lied to her king?

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>5. How does Rahab's situation reflect all people's spiritual condition? (Luke 13:1-5)

* Luke 13:1-5 "Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

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>6. What did she believe about the Lord, the God of Israel? (11b)

* "for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below"

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>7. What did she boldly ask by faith? (12-13)

* Joshua 2:12-13 "Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."

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>How could we define her faith? (Matt. 10:16, 15:24-28; Luke 16:8-9)

* Matthew 10:16 "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

* Matthew 15:24-28 "He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour."

* Luke 16:8-9 "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings."

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>How did the spies respond? (14)

* Joshua 2:14 "Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land."

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III. The Scarlet Cord (2:15-24)

>8. How did he allow them to escape? (15-16)

* Joshua 2:15-16 "So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."

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>9. What else was she required to do to be saved? (17-20)

* Joshua 2:17-20 "The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 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. 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. But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear."

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>Why might the scarlet cord be needed? (21)

* Joshua 2:21 "Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window."

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>What would happen to any people were left outside the house?

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>How does this reflect back to the Exodus? (Exodus 12:21-23, 46-47)

* Exodus 12:21-23 "Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down."

* Exodus 12:46-47 "It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. The whole community of Israel must celebrate it."

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>How does it reflect toward to Christ?

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>10. What happened next? (22-23)

* Joshua 2:22-23 "When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them."

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>What good report could they give because they went into the prostitutes house? (24)

* Joshua 2:24 "They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."

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>What can we learn about the way God sometimes works?

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