Jericho, situated in the beautiful plains of the Jordan, was a city of vast strength in a position of exceeding loveliness, but it is a figure of this world headed for judgment. Christ will come from heaven and execute judgment on this earth, and after that He will set up His kingdom and reign. Also, the god of this world will be arrested and imprisoned in the pit during the reign of Christ (Rev. 20:1-31And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Revelation 20:1‑3)).
In the purposes of God, the world’s ways must reach their development, and certain characteristics of evil must progress to completion, before Christ comes to the earth in judgment. Hence, since the judgment tarries, it may be said, “The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full” (Gen. 15:1616But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. (Genesis 15:16)). However, the Christian has to keep the eye on Him whose coming in the air may take place at any moment, while rejoicing in the long-suffering of God in His mercy to sinners by His gospel. The development of events is not the polestar whereby the Christian directs his steps. “What saith the Scripture?” guides him.
The Spies Find a Prepared Heart
With these considerations we follow the two spies whom Joshua had sent secretly to spy out Jericho. The two spies were directed (Josh. 2:11And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. (Joshua 2:1)) by God to the very house in the city where a prepared heart was to be found. Standing with Rahab upon the flat roof of her house and looking around, we learn a lesson for our own times. Mark the development of the city, with its great and high walls. Look at the face of nature; the valleys are golden with ripening wheat, for it is the time of harvest. Prosperity and the hope of increasing greatness abound. How little does the world dream that the sickle, which is about to reap the harvest, is one of judgment!
The ancient Jordan flows on, its banks covered with deep waters. The sun, which they worship, calm in the heavens, sinks beneath the mountains, shedding its rich glow over the scented valleys. The business of the city, its commerce and its luxury, go on as in former generations. To the scoffers in the city, the tale of judgment has grown old; there is nothing now for them to fear!
The Coming Judgment
The testimony as to Christ’s coming and His world kingdom is already ridiculed. “Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:44And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:4)). Be it so, but “when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them” (1 Thess. 5:33For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)). The scoff of infidelity and its destructive effects cannot be denied, but when a believer, in the power of faith, testifies by his manner of life to the reality of Christ’s coming, men tremble. Doctrinal intelligence convinces no man; practical behavior is unanswerable.
The two spies were the exponents of their expectations; they came to Jericho not to make it their home, but to spy it out and to be gone. The Christian is sent into the world to be a witness for God and to Christ’s coming and kingdom. While the two spies were conversing with Rahab and listening to her strange tale of melting hearts and departed courage because of Jehovah’s might, the king of Jericho heard that they were in his city. At once there arose direct opposition between him and Rahab. Alliance with enemies is madness to nature, but there must be breaking with the world and Satan by God’s people. Security can be had only by taking sides with God alone.
The wisdom of faith invariably outwits Satan. Rahab “hid” the men (Josh. 2:44And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: (Joshua 2:4)) as soon as they were inquired after. If a believer takes to planning, let him remember that Satan is a craftier planner than he. If the believer trusts his Father like a little child, then Satan is beaten before the battle begins.
Her Faith and Falsehood
Because of the lie Rahab told, those wishing to argue would cast a slur on the veracity of the whole story. But God tells the truth about her character and her ways, as about everything; it is man who hides what is not to his credit. Her faith, not her falsehood, is commended, for Rahab had no right to tell her king a lie. Had her faith in Jehovah gone further, she would have trusted in Him for deliverance, instead of in her deception.
By faith Rahab believed that the days of her city were numbered, and in the two spies she beheld the messengers of the God in heaven. Her conviction was, “I know that the Lord hath given you the land.” Faith knows what God will do, simply because God has spoken. “I know” is an immovable assurance in the heart of the child of faith, which gives infidelity no point of attack whatever. The testimony of the spies filled Rahab with assurance as to her own salvation and with energy for the lives of her whole family. Her cry was therefore, “Save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death” (Josh. 2:1313And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. (Joshua 2:13)). For the fulfillment of this desire she sought a true token, and the spies gave her their solemn assurance, “Our life for yours.” In a similar way we have the Word of God for our confidence. On it we rely for our eternal good.
The Promise
Having received the promise to her based on the life of the spies, she “sent them out another way” (James 2:2525Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? (James 2:25)), letting them down by a cord from her window, for her house was built upon the wall. Then they, being outside of Jericho, gave the outward token, the sign to Rahab—“this line of scarlet thread”—and they bade her bind that cord in her window.
Rahab bound the bright color in her window in faith and in hope of the coming of her saviors. Its indelible hue, the color which arises from death, proclaimed the kingdom, for the crimson dye is due to the death of the little creature whence it comes, and points to the blood of Jesus, whose kingdom shall be established in the virtue of His reconciling death. Her dwelling was on the wall, and her house was the only place in the city of destruction where salvation could be had. Her window faced out of Jericho, and the scarlet cord was bound in it. This should be true of the outlook of every house where Christ is known; its windows should not look toward the world, but toward the coming One.
Salvation to Individuals
No message of mercy came to Jericho, and it is written, “Now is the judgment of this world” (John 12:3131Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (John 12:31)). No good news is sent now by God to the world as such, but rather to individuals in it. The gospel is “to every creature” in “all the world” (Mark 16:1515And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)), but not to the world as a system. A false gospel inverts this truth, for it cries, “Make the world good, improve society, educate man up to holiness,” and refuses to admit the fact that sinners need salvation out of this world, as did Rahab out of Jericho.
May God stir up His people to faith in Christ’s appearing and kingdom and to the certain end of this world; then there will arise real earnestness for the salvation of souls from the coming wrath! Wherever the reality of Christ’s appearing and kingdom possesses the soul of a believer, that man is marked off from the rest as a Christian soldier. Already the night is far spent, already the Morning Star shines in the hearts of His own; “yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:3737For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (Hebrews 10:37)).
The Good Report
Upon the return of the two spies to the camp, they brought a good report to the people of Israel — that sort of soul-inspiring report which stirs up energy for God. They spoke of victories yet to come: “Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us” (Josh. 2:2424And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us. (Joshua 2:24)). Their hearts had melted like wax before the face of Israel. Strong faith makes strong hearts.
Forty years previously, the fainthearted spies had brought discouragement into the camp of Israel; they had judged by the testimony of their own eyes, and unbelief makes hearts to melt. They did not know the real state of the people of the land. This secret was declared by Rahab, which had been hidden from Israel for 40 years, because of their murmuring and unbelief.
With what different eyes will two servants of the Lord look upon the same battlefield! One regards all as lost, seeing only giants, and cities walled to heaven; the other sees God. One regards himself as a grasshopper, is frightened away from the field, and infects all he meets with the same fear; the other, strong by reason of faith, stirs up the courage of his brethren. What kind of spies are we? What is our testimony?
H. F. Witherby (adapted)