In the great city of Jericho lived a woman named Rahab. She lived in a house high up on the thick wall of the city. From there she could see everything well. One evening, two men knocked on her door. They whispered, “Open quickly! We come from Joshua and belong to God’s people.”
Rahab knew that these men were spies. They secretly looked at the city of Jericho because God’s people were soon to move into the land. But the king of Jericho had heard about it! He sent his soldiers to catch the two men.
Rahab had an idea! She quickly hid the spies on her roof under large bundles of dried grass. Then the soldiers came and shouted: “Rahab, bring the men out! We know they’re here!” But Rahab shrewdly said, “The men were here, but they are already gone. If you hurry, you can still catch up with them!” The soldiers ran off – but they were looking in the wrong place.
When night fell, Rahab went to the spies and whispered, “I know that God will give you the land. Everyone here in Jericho is afraid because they have heard that your God is mighty. I helped you – please save me and my family when you come to our city!”
The spies nodded. “Yes, you helped us, and we will protect you. But tie a red rope out of your window. Then we and our soldiers will know: This house is safe!”
Rahab had the two men climb down from their window with a rope so that they could escape. The men hurried away, hid and later returned to Joshua. They told him everything that had happened.
Rahab trusted in God—and when God’s people came to the city of Jericho many days later, nothing was done to her and her family. God had protected her!
Questions to think about
Do you sometimes think that you are too small or too unimportant to do anything good?
Rahab did not have great strength, but she had courage. How can you be courageous for God?
Message of history
God rejoices in courageous hearts. Those who believe and trust him will not be left alone!
Bible passage
The story of Rahab and the spies is found in Joshua 2:1-24:
*”And Joshua the son of Nun secretly sent out two men from Sittim as spies, saying, ‘Go, look at the land, and especially at Jericho.’ So they went and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab and spent the night there.
Then it was reported to the king of Jericho, “Behold, this night men of the children of Israel have come here to spy out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said to her, “Give up the men who have come to you and come into your house; for they have come to spy out the whole land! But the woman took the two men and hid them. Then she said, “Yes, the men have come to me, but I did not know where they came from; and when the gates were about to be closed, when it was getting dark, the men went out. I don’t know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, and you will overtake them. But she had led them up to the roof and hidden them under the flax stalks that she had spread out on the roof.
Then the men chased after them on the way to the Jordan, as far as the fords; and the gate was closed behind them when they had gone out to pursue them. And before they went to sleep, she went up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land; for the terror of you has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land are dismayed before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Sea of Reeds before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you banished. As soon as we heard this, our hearts were disheartened, and there was no courage left in anyone before you; for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.
Swear to me, therefore, by the Lord, that you will also leave my Father’s house alive, because I have shown kindness to you; and give me a sure sign that you will keep my father and mother, my brothers and sisters and all that they have, alive and save our souls from death. Then the men said to her, “Let our lives stand up for yours if you do not betray this cause of ours.” And it shall come to pass, if the Lord gives us the land, we will show mercy and faithfulness to you.
Then she let them down by a rope through the window; for her house was on the city wall, and she lived on the wall. And she said to them, “Go into the mountains, that the persecutors may not meet you; hide yourselves there for three days until the persecutors return; then go your road! And the men said to her, “We will keep this oath which you made us swear: Behold, when we come into the land, tie this cord of red thread to the window through which you let us down; and gather in your house your father and your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s house. Whoever then goes out of the door of your house, let his blood be on his head, but we are innocent; but whoever remains with you in the house, let his blood be on our head when hands are laid on him. And if you reveal anything about this cause of ours, we will be free from your oath, which you have made us swear.
Then she said, “It is as you say.” And she dismissed them, and they went away; and she tied the red cord in the window.
They now went away and came into the mountains, and remained there three days, until the pursuers had returned; the pursuers had searched for them all the way, but had not found them. So the two men returned, descended from the mountains, crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had happened to them. And they said to Joshua, “The Lord has given all the land into our hands, and all the inhabitants of the land are dismayed before us.” *
