Contents ▼▲
Front Matter The Garden of Eden The First Great Crime The Flood The Tower of Babel Abraham Moves into Canaan Sodom and Gomorrah The Trial of Abraham's Faith Searching for a Wife for Isaac Isaac and Rebekah Esau Sells his Birthright Jacob Serves for Rachel Jacob Returns to Canaan Joseph is Sold into Egypt Pharaoh's Dream Joseph's Brethren Buy Corn Jacob Moves into Egypt The Early Life of Moses Egyptians Smitten with Plagues Egyptians Drowned in Red Sea The Lord Provides for Israel Plan to Build the Tabernacle The Golden Calf Wanderings of the Israelites Spying Out the Land of Canaan Punishing the Israelites Balaam is Made to Prophesy Border of the Promised Land Last Days of Moses Rahab Saves the Spies The Destruction of Jericho The Capture of Ai Joshua Conquers Canaan Gideon is Given a Sign Gideon Overcomes Midianites The Punishment of Abimelech Jephthah's Daughter The Young Samson Samson and the Philistines The Death of Samson Naomi and Ruth Ruth and Boaz The Young Samuel Philistines Capture the Ark Philistines Return the Ark Saul in Anointed King Jonathan and the Philistines The Disobedience of Saul Samuel Anoints David David and Goliath Saul is Jealous of David David and Jonathan The Madness of Saul David Spares the Life of Saul The Last Days of King Saul David Becomes King The Rebellion of Absalom The Death of Absalom Solomon Becomes King The Wisdom of Solomon Solomon Builds the Temple Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon Revolt of the Ten Tribes The Wickedness of Jeroboam Elijah Begins His Ministry Elijah Destroys the Prophets Elisha is Made a Prophet Death of Ahab Sickness of Ahaziah Last Days of Elijah Miracles of Elisha Naaman is Cured of Leprosy Flight of the Syrians Jehu is Appointed King The Story of Joash Last days of Elisha Destruction of Sennacherib Judah Led into Captivity Destruction of Jerusalem Daniel Interprets the Dream The Fiery Furnace Madness of Nebuchadnezzer Handwriting on the Wall Daniel in the Lion's Den Jonah Swallowed by a Fish Jonah Warns Nineveh Esther Becomes Queen The Vengeance of Haman Esther Saves Her People The Return from Captivity Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem

Heroes of Israel - Lawton Evans




Rahab Saves the Spies

After the death of Moses the Lord said to Joshua: "Moses my servant is dead; now, therefore, arise and go over this Jordan with all this people, into the land which I will give you." Then Joshua called the officers and told them to get the people ready and prepare food for the march, for within three days they would pass over Jordan.

Joshua sent two men to spy out secretly the land where the people were going, even as far as Jericho. The spies left, crossed the river, and after a while came to the house of a woman named Rahab, who lived in Jericho. Rahab took them into her house and gave them food and shelter.

But some one told the king of Jericho: "There came two men into the city by night and they are of the children of Israel, who are camped beyond Jordan. Perhaps they come to search out the land." And the king sent men to search the house of Rahab that they might find the spies.

When they came to the house of Rahab they called out: "Bring out the men who are with you for they are spies of the children of Israel and have come to search the country."

Rahab had no intention of betraying the spies, and quickly hid them under the stalks of flax which she had piled up on the roof of the house. Then she replied to the king's men: "There came men here but I did not know who they were nor where they came from. The men went out about the time the gates of the city were shut, but where they went I do not know. Pursue after them quickly and you will overtake them."

The men departed and sought for the spies as far as the fords of the river Jordan, but they did not find them for they lay safe under the flax on the roof of the house of Rahab.

Rahab went to where the spies were and said to them: "I know the Lord has given you this land, and that terror has fallen upon all of us and we faint because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea, and slew your enemies and fed you in the wilderness, and there remains no courage in us because of you." Rahab then begged the spies to spare the lives of her father, her mother, her brothers and her sisters because she had hidden them from the men of the king of Jericho.

The spies promised Rahab that they would spare all those whom she wished saved. They said: "When the Lord has given us this land we will deal kindly and truly with you." The spies told Rahab to bind a scarlet thread in the window of her house and to get all her kindred inside, and that her house should then be safe from the hosts of the children of Israel.

Rahab was satisfied and since the gates of the city were shut and the guards were placed at the entrances, she purposed to let the spies down the walls of the city.

Rahab's house was upon the walls of the town, and her windows overlooked the walls outside. She took a cord and bound it around each spy, and let him down the wall from her windows, until each spy was safe on the outside of the city. She had already told them to fly to the mountains and hide for three days, lest their pursuers meet them at the fords of the river. After three days the pursuers would return and the men could go their way.

The spies did as Rahab told them and were safe from those who sought their lives. Rahab brought her father and mother and sisters and brothers into her house and kept them there. She bound a scarlet thread on the window of her house as the spies had told her to do, so that when the hosts of Israel came they might know the place where she lived and that all her people were to be saved.