God’s Mercy to an Unexpected Receiver

Joshua 2

As we look into this new book we see a new commander over God’s people, Joshua. In this book we will see this new generation of Israel enter into the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 40 years have gone by and they are ready. So Joshua does what any commander would do, send out people to look at what is ahead of them. Two spies get sent out and they go to a place called Jericho. Jericho, was considered to have massive walls around its city. It was a massive city with many people in it. The people in the city worshiped false gods.

Meeting of an Unexpected Friend

The two spied go to the house of Rahab who was a prostitute. As they went there to stay the king of Jericho found out that spies were in the land. He wanted them to be caught and as Rahab was questioned, she said they were there but they split and they may be able to catch up with them. As she hid the two men, she got them and told them what the king was doing. As she was telling them, she then decided to open up and tell them about how the whole city, feared their God. She told them how word has spread that their God separated the Red Sea and made it so they could cross on dry ground.  She told them that once word got out that their God delivered them out of the hands of their enemies such as the king of Og and the king of Sihon that everyone in the city had fear in their hearts. She told them that she knew that their God was God above all; God of heaven and earth.  Who would ever think that this woman, who lived a bad life, desired to help these men that she never knew or met. She only heard about the mighty works of God and that was enough for her to believe.

What makes it so we would believe in God? Would we have to see his mighty works? Would we be able to hear it and believe? As Thomas even said, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my fingers into the mark of the nails, I will never believe (John 20:25).” We are told in Psalm 150 to praise the Lord for his mighty works. God has done and will continue to do mighty works. The mightiest is what Jesus did for us on the cross which we see that God was going to do another mighty work by saving Rahab and her family.

Because of her actions, they desired for her life to be saved. They told Rahab to tie a scarlet cord to the window so that they would know to keep her and her family safe.  This scarlet cord is what would save her. When Israel was going to have the angel of death pass over them, they were told to place the blood of an innocent lamb upon their doorposts. I do not want to read into it but it was a scarlet cord that would save her and it was Jesus blood that saves us. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Thank you Jesus, for washing away my sin. We are the unexpected receiver of God’s mercy everyday.