Before we take a closer look at the story of Rahab and the spies, I want to remind us of why we believe that these stories are worthy of our attention and of how they can still help us think deeply about how we live today. Our story takes place over 3000 years ago, so it’s easy to question its relevance today, but that would be a mistake. My mind often goes to the wisdom of Ecclesiastes that proclaims, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9). So, I believe it is worthwhile to read today through the lens and wisdom of Scripture, so we might anchor our lives in stories and ideas that not only have stood the test of time but also that are God-breathed.
That’s what we’re doing today. That’s what we strive to do Sunday after Sunday after Sunday. That’s what we encourage you to do on the other six days of the week. The constant churning of cable news and social media leaves us unsteady and flailing. The solid ground of Scripture gives us a firm foundation on which to stand as we seek to live faithfully in these days.
We didn’t read the gospels in the fall to be spiritual. We read them to really engage with Jesus and to learn anew how he is Lord of our lives. We aren’t hitting these greatest hits of the Bible so we’re prepared to play trivia. We do them because they help us see the world through God’s eyes — a world that God loves and that is terribly marred by our sinfulness. It’s all preparation for living.
On my way to our story, I do need to speak a word about the fear that many in our community and beyond are experiencing. I certainly do not have time or even the ability to speak to the breadth of all that has been happening, but I want to speak to those who are afraid for themselves or others today. There are immigrants in this church and in the wider community who are living today in fear. Despite having legal documentation to be living and working here, they are afraid that status will change or that they’ll get swept up in an immigration raid. They’re afraid because they really have little power to speak or advocate for themselves or others. There are people in this church who care for immigrants, helping them navigate the complexities of our society — shopping, school, employment — and who help them work within the system to find their place here. They are afraid of what will happen to these folks they care for in Christian love.
There are people who work in our school systems who are afraid for the children in their care. They are worried that doing normal things — concerts, sports, parent-teacher conferences — are spaces where immigration officers could show up to deport parents or children or both. Our government has separated families before, so it’s understandable that people would fear that happening today. Jesus was the one who welcomed children. Jesus sought out those who were outside of his people, welcoming them to his table as a way of showing how things work where God reigns.
We are a church that says of ourselves that we “celebrate God’s grace as a Christ-centered community of acceptance.” That means we love and accept difference because we want to live in the manner of Christ, who was constantly welcoming those cast out by society. Friends, we have people in this church and in our lives who are fearing what will happen to them because of who they love or how they look. We have LGBTQ+ people in our church. Many of us have friends and family who identify as such.
And the question really stands before us: How do we love our neighbors in this moment? How do we make sure all people know that they are the beloved children of God and that they too can hear God’s forgiveness and acceptance of them, especially in a time when it feels like they are unwelcome and that their basic humanity is questioned? In Matthew 25, Jesus tells his disciples that whatever we have done to the least of these, we have done to him. How are we following Jesus if we are not caring for those on the margins of society?
These are the practical implications of our political culture and policy. It is resulting in our fellow human beings living in fear. Fear shrinks us and makes us less than God created us to be. All of God’s creatures are worthy of love, care, and understanding, particularly from those of us trying to follow Jesus.
I told you at the outset that my goal in preaching and teaching is to anchor you to the God we meet in the Bible and that we know most fully through Jesus. That hasn’t changed at all, so let’s take a few moments in this story that I selected months ago. I think it speaks a timely word to us now.
The story gets right to it. Joshua sends two spies to check out the land, especially Jericho. But that’s not what they do. The spies go straight to Jericho and go to the prostitute Rahab’s house and spent the night. Not a whole lot of thorough spying going on in the story, is there? The city and region are on high alert because the Israelites are on their doorstep, and someone notices these spies going to Rahab. They go straight to the king and alert him.
He immediately sends orders to Rahab to hand over these spies, but she’s got a different plan in mind. That brings me to the first detail I want to highlight in this text. Be careful who you underestimate. That’s a theme found throughout the Bible. People have the tendency to look on the outside for the trappings of power or beauty or wealth. God sees what’s on the inside — what a person is made of — and Rahab is made up of some pretty strong stuff. Everyone has overlooked her. She’s a woman. She lives in the city walls, not in the center of power. Her work is not exactly reputable. Yet, it is Rahab who outsmarts everyone and who saves her whole family in the process. Be careful who you underestimate.
And be careful that you don’t underestimate yourself! God loves and calls you because you can do things that you probably think are way past your abilities. Don’t look in the mirror and think you’re not enough. Don’t look at your life and think that you can’t make a difference. Don’t look at your possessions and think you’re insufficient. God’s in the business of working with the most unlikely folks, and that includes all of us.
Back to Rahab. She has hidden the spies on her roof. In those days, roofs were usually flat and were used as a place for drying grain and hanging out the wash. Rahab must also make clothes because she has a pile of flax on her roof, which is what she uses to hide the spies. She outright lies to the men who’ve come looking for the spies. “Yes, officer, they were here, but they’ve gone already. I had no idea who they were, but they left before you closed the city gates at dark. Perhaps if you run quickly, you’ll catch them. Good luck!”
So, the underestimated Rahab has outwitted the city officials and sent them on a wild goose chase. This story is a reversal. The weak person, Rahab, turns out to be the strong one. The powerful, the king and his aides, end up tricked. And the spies who were supposed to be doing something productive for their people, only serve to help save Rahab and her family. They’re really a sideshow, and pale in comparison to Rahab’s intelligence and boldness. But notice that Rahab is using this reversal for good. That’s the second thing I’d like you to remember. God is in the business of reversal for good.
She acted in faith for a future that was unsure, and her actions save her and her family. They also serve to help the Israelites finally get to where they were going.
Getting back to our story, after Rahab has sent the king’s men out of the city in a fruitless search, she goes to the spies on the roof and cuts a deal for herself. You see, Rahab, this unlikely heroine, seems to know the goodness of God in a much fuller way than these Israelite spies. She’s heard about their Red Sea crossing. She knows what has happened to others who stood in their way. She believes that the Lord their God is in charge of heaven and earth, so she’s getting on the Lord’s side.
But there’s something even deeper going on here. She has an understanding about God that goes way beyond whether or not God is powerful enough to destroy Jericho or to save her. In verse 12 she proclaims, “Now then, since I have dealt kindly with you, swear to me by the Lord that you in turn will deal kindly with my family.” The word here for kindly is hesed. It’s can mean loyalty, steadfast love, and kindness. It’s the word that defines the story of Ruth that we’ll get to in a couple of weeks. It’s one of the words that most clearly describes how God is. The Lord is hesed — kind, loyal, and steadfast in love.
That brings me to a third thing I want us to remember, and this one binds the others together. Rahab acts in a manner that is rooted in an accurate understanding of who God is. God is hesed — steadfastly faithful and loving, come what may. So, like Rahab, we need to live bravely in these days but with a clear-headed understanding of who God is. God is faithful and is working all things together — in God’s time — for good. It doesn’t always feel true, but in those moments I’d chalk that up to the limitations of our perspective and understanding.
Rahab knew how to work the angles to gain the advantage, saving the day for herself, her family, and also for these spies. Others underestimated her, but she knew who she was and what she was capable of. She took what she had and used it to turn a bad situation into a good one. But she did so because she understood the heart of God. That’s something that is readily available to all of us. To seek and know the heart of God — no matter what is happening around us — will help us live boldly and faithfully.
I will close by pointing out that Rahab’s story doesn’t just show up in the book of Joshua. Her faith and faithfulness comes up three times in the New Testament. Matthew’s gospel includes her in the genealogy of Jesus in chapter 1. According to Matthew, she is the great-great-grandmother of King David. Isn’t it intriguing that this foreign and disreputable woman is a vital part of God’s plan leading to Jesus? The book of James compares her to the ever-important patriarch Abraham, writing that her bravery in saving the spies was something that God credited to her as righteousness. And Hebrews, which we heard earlier, credits her with acting against all odds in faith to save these spies, herself, and her family.
Rahab worked the angles, knowing the goodness of God and trusting it would see her through. May we live our days in a similar manner, acting by faith in the goodness of God and knowing that God’s steadfast love is there for all.
