For many readers, the book of Joshua is often associated with war, destruction, and death. While these elements are present in the book, they do not depict the whole story. The destruction of the Canaanites occurred only after a long period of grace (Gen. 15:16). The events of the Exodus served as a significant testimony to God’s sovereignty and can be seen as a final call for the inhabitants of Canaan. The stories of Rahab and the Gibeonites demonstrate that most Canaanites were aware of what God had done, but only a few responded appropriately. Instead of surrendering, they chose to resist, echoing the failure of Pharaoh 40 years prior.
Indeed, Joshua is a book of grace and mercy. This week we see how God’s grace was manifested in the lives of the Israelites and Canaanites. Again, Israel is ready to enter the Promised Land. God is giving them a second chance. The threat posed by the capabilities of the Canaanite military has not changed. What has changed is the faith of this second generation of Israelites. As for the Canaanites, the stories of Rahab and the Gibeonites demonstrate that not everything is lost in the doomed land. At the same time, their faith is far from perfect. The faith of the chosen people of God, however, is far from perfect too. We can learn important lessons for our spiritual journey as we compare the faith of Israel, Rahab, and the Gibeonites. The most crucial lesson, as we shall see, is that we all need God’s amazing grace.
Part II: Commentary
The Faith of the Second Generation
In Joshua 2:1, the second desert generation of Israel faces the same dilemma as the first one. The subsequent deployment of the spies reminds Israel that the land that God is giving them must be conquered first. This irony was the reason behind the first desert generation’s frustration in Kadesh Barnea (Numbers 13, 14); namely, that the land is a gift, but there is a cost to acquiring it. How can these seemingly opposing ideas of bestowal and conquest be reconciled? That is, how can a gift—which, by definition, is free—also cost its recipient something? Put another way, if the land is a gift, then why must Israel acquire it through conquest?
Faith, which is better understood as trust, is really at the heart of the issue here. In the relationship with His creatures, God always leaves room for trust. In a certain sense, trust has been the pivotal issue since the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Is it not the same in the human sphere? There can be no genuine relationship without trust. If the Israelites had trusted in God, they would have expelled the Canaanites by supernatural means (Exod. 23:28). The lack of trust demonstrated by the previous generation is explicitly indicated by God as the reason for their failure when He asks Moses: “ ‘How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?’ ” (Num. 14:11, NKJV).
Forty years have passed, and a new generation emerges. For the youngest among them, the recent military victory against Og and Sihon and the miraculous preservation of their lives during the desert wanderings are merely memories of a relatively distant past. At this point, Israel finds itself at a junction again, facing the same issue: no trust, no land.
In the story, two spies are sent instead of 12. There seems to be no specific reason for this change, but it could be related to the episode of Kadesh Barnea, in which two spies had to confront the unbelieving ten. Although there are some similarities between the two accounts of spies, the differences are even more striking. First, the two spies do not bring any proof that the land is good this time. Second, there is no mention of a widespread search of the land. Third, they spend more time hiding than spying. Finally, there is no report about the land regarding its general characteristics or the challenges in subduing it. The spies simply state: “ ‘Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands’ ” (Josh. 2:24, NKJV). What gives them such confidence? The only thing they have is Rahab’s assurance. The spies essentially repeat to Joshua what Rahab told them: “ ‘I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you’ ” (Josh. 2:9, NKJV). Rahab’s words, in turn, echo the words of Joshua and Caleb in Numbers 14:8: “ ‘He will . . . give it to us’ ” (NKJV).
The first generation did not trust, despite what they had seen. However, this new generation trusts based on what they heard from a harlot. “The key figure in their escape and their knowledge of the land and its inhabitants is the harlot Rahab. . . . She is both savior and oracle.”—Phyllis A. Bird, “The Harlot as Heroine: Narrative Art and Social Presupposition in Three Old Testament Texts,” Semeia 46 (1989), p. 127. This dynamic indicates that 40 years in the desert taught the Israelites the most potent ability they could develop: trust in Yahweh. This ability would make them invincible before their most formidable enemies.
The Faith of Rahab and the Gibeonites
Faith Elements
Rahab
Gibeonites
Basis
Hearing
Hearing
Means
Lie
Lie
Goal
To be spared
To be spared
Immediate Results
Deliverance
Deliverance
Long-Term Results
Full citizenship
Servitude
As the chart above indicates, the first parallel between Rahab and the Gibeonites is that their faith is based on what they have heard. Hearing about the past acts of God on behalf of His people is enough to produce in them a positive response of surrender, while most of their fellow countrymen prefer to resist. At this point, their faith is commendable, in line with what Jesus says in John 20:29: “ ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’ ” (NKJV). Rahab and the Gibeonites’ attitudes are remarkably different from those of the first desert generation, which did not believe, despite what they saw. As a result of their hearing, their “hearts melted” (Josh. 2:11, NIV). This expression, which is an idiom for “losing heart” or “being frightened,” refers proleptically to the Canaanites in the song of Moses (Exod. 15:15), to the Israelites under the influence of the ten spies (Deut. 1:28), to the inhabitants of the land (Josh. 2:9) and its kings (Josh. 5:1), and to the Israelites in disobedience (Josh. 7:5). Furthermore, Rahab’s wording shows that she understands the religious nature of the war (Josh. 2:10). The verb haram (“to destroy utterly”), which appears in Rahab’s speech, designates an object or person devoted to destruction by God. The concept is known outside Israel, as its use in extrabiblical texts demonstrates.
The second parallel is about how Rahab and the Gibeonites showed their faith through unconventional means. While Rahab lies to protect the spies, the Gibeonites lie to save their lives. Regardless, what motivates their actions is the certainty that God will fulfill His promises to Israel. Although we cannot expect much from these Canaanites in moral terms, the ruse of the Gibeonites is viewed differently. According to the narrator, they acted cunningly (armah), similar to the Hebrew term used to describe the serpent in Genesis 3. Unlike Rahab’s reactionary lie, their plan is calculated and well-orchestrated.
The third parallel concerns their motivation. In both cases, they seek to be spared from the coming destruction. In these first steps, their faith is self-centered, looking for transitory solutions for their problem. At this stage, their faith cannot see beyond the horizon. It is based on fear and not love (Josh. 2:9, Josh. 9:24). Here, faith is somehow a bargain. The pragmatic aspect of this faith as the bargain is evident by their use of the word ḥeseḏ. In its secular sense, it often refers to a kind of transaction in which “the one who receives an act of ḥeseḏ responds with a similar act of ḥeseḏ, or at least that the one who demonstrates ḥeseḏ is justified in expecting an equivalent act in return.”—Hans-Jürgen Zobel, “חֶסֶד,” Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 1986), p. 18.
The fourth and fifth parallels involve the outcome of their decisions. Rahab receives the guarantee that she and her household will be spared. Similar to the Israelites in the last plague, there is a sign to be fixed: a scarlet cord hanging from a window, probably where Rahab lowered the spies via a rope. However, her deliverance is ultimately a divine act. If the walls of Jericho fell flat, God must have preserved the section where her house stood. On the other hand, the Gibeonites are untouchable from now on. They succeed in obtaining the protection they sought, as a coalition of Canaanite kings advances against Gibeon in Joshua 10. The defense of Gibeon triggers a major military campaign in which many cities are destroyed. In the end, the deceitful plan of the Gibeonites is used to advance God’s purpose in the conquest of the land. However, the long-term outcomes are pretty distinct. Rahab became an ancestor to the Messiah and assimilated into Israel. The Gibeonites also assimilated but as servants. They have enduring protection (compare with 2 Samuel 21), but the consequence of their scheme remains. “They had adopted the garb of poverty for the purpose of deception, and it was fastened upon them as a badge of perpetual servitude.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 507.
Part III: Life Application
The Amazing Grace in Our Lives
The story of Rahab and the Gibeonites reminds us that the Israelites and Canaanites are more than just ethnic groups; they also represent spiritual conditions. God’s Israel, whatever one’s ethnicity, is primarily a spiritual community. All people are invited to be part of this community. No one is beyond God’s reach. In this sense, the Pauline call to break down all the barriers is not a mere gospel novelty (Gal. 3:28).
Thought question: Consider places where you can find people apparently beyond grace’s reach today. What could you and your local church do to reach the unreachable?
Discerning God’s Will
Israel’s failure to discern the true identity of the Gibeonites reminds us of the danger of being led by appearances. The leaders of Israel tasted the aged bread with their mouths instead of asking “the mouth of the Lord” (literal translation of Joshua 9:14). Israel’s error is grave because its failure to consult the Lord undermines its call to mediate God’s will to the world.
Invite your students to consider the following questions:
How can we avoid falling into the same trap today as the Israelites did with the Gibeonites?
In what way did Israel repeat Eve’s failure before the serpent in the Garden of Eden?
How do we discern God’s will today? What role should the Scriptures play here?
Try to remember the last time you decided to follow a particular direction without consulting God’s will. What were the consequences?
Notes
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Key Text: Hebrews 11:31
Study Focus: Josh. 2:1–21, Num. 14:1–12, Heb. 11:31, Exod. 12:13, Joshua 9, Neh. 7:25.
For many readers, the book of Joshua is often associated with war, destruction, and death. While these elements are present in the book, they do not depict the whole story. The destruction of the Canaanites occurred only after a long period of grace (Gen. 15:16). The events of the Exodus served as a significant testimony to God’s sovereignty and can be seen as a final call for the inhabitants of Canaan. The stories of Rahab and the Gibeonites demonstrate that most Canaanites were aware of what God had done, but only a few responded appropriately. Instead of surrendering, they chose to resist, echoing the failure of Pharaoh 40 years prior.
Indeed, Joshua is a book of grace and mercy. This week we see how God’s grace was manifested in the lives of the Israelites and Canaanites. Again, Israel is ready to enter the Promised Land. God is giving them a second chance. The threat posed by the capabilities of the Canaanite military has not changed. What has changed is the faith of this second generation of Israelites. As for the Canaanites, the stories of Rahab and the Gibeonites demonstrate that not everything is lost in the doomed land. At the same time, their faith is far from perfect. The faith of the chosen people of God, however, is far from perfect too. We can learn important lessons for our spiritual journey as we compare the faith of Israel, Rahab, and the Gibeonites. The most crucial lesson, as we shall see, is that we all need God’s amazing grace.
Part II: Commentary
The Faith of the Second Generation
In Joshua 2:1, the second desert generation of Israel faces the same dilemma as the first one. The subsequent deployment of the spies reminds Israel that the land that God is giving them must be conquered first. This irony was the reason behind the first desert generation’s frustration in Kadesh Barnea (Numbers 13, 14); namely, that the land is a gift, but there is a cost to acquiring it. How can these seemingly opposing ideas of bestowal and conquest be reconciled? That is, how can a gift—which, by definition, is free—also cost its recipient something? Put another way, if the land is a gift, then why must Israel acquire it through conquest?
Faith, which is better understood as trust, is really at the heart of the issue here. In the relationship with His creatures, God always leaves room for trust. In a certain sense, trust has been the pivotal issue since the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Is it not the same in the human sphere? There can be no genuine relationship without trust. If the Israelites had trusted in God, they would have expelled the Canaanites by supernatural means (Exod. 23:28). The lack of trust demonstrated by the previous generation is explicitly indicated by God as the reason for their failure when He asks Moses: “ ‘How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?’ ” (Num. 14:11, NKJV).
Forty years have passed, and a new generation emerges. For the youngest among them, the recent military victory against Og and Sihon and the miraculous preservation of their lives during the desert wanderings are merely memories of a relatively distant past. At this point, Israel finds itself at a junction again, facing the same issue: no trust, no land.
In the story, two spies are sent instead of 12. There seems to be no specific reason for this change, but it could be related to the episode of Kadesh Barnea, in which two spies had to confront the unbelieving ten. Although there are some similarities between the two accounts of spies, the differences are even more striking. First, the two spies do not bring any proof that the land is good this time. Second, there is no mention of a widespread search of the land. Third, they spend more time hiding than spying. Finally, there is no report about the land regarding its general characteristics or the challenges in subduing it. The spies simply state: “ ‘Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands’ ” (Josh. 2:24, NKJV). What gives them such confidence? The only thing they have is Rahab’s assurance. The spies essentially repeat to Joshua what Rahab told them: “ ‘I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you’ ” (Josh. 2:9, NKJV). Rahab’s words, in turn, echo the words of Joshua and Caleb in Numbers 14:8: “ ‘He will . . . give it to us’ ” (NKJV).
The first generation did not trust, despite what they had seen. However, this new generation trusts based on what they heard from a harlot. “The key figure in their escape and their knowledge of the land and its inhabitants is the harlot Rahab. . . . She is both savior and oracle.”—Phyllis A. Bird, “The Harlot as Heroine: Narrative Art and Social Presupposition in Three Old Testament Texts,” Semeia 46 (1989), p. 127. This dynamic indicates that 40 years in the desert taught the Israelites the most potent ability they could develop: trust in Yahweh. This ability would make them invincible before their most formidable enemies.
The Faith of Rahab and the Gibeonites
Faith Elements
Rahab
Gibeonites
Basis
Hearing
Hearing
Means
Lie
Lie
Goal
To be spared
To be spared
Immediate Results
Deliverance
Deliverance
Long-Term Results
Full citizenship
Servitude
As the chart above indicates, the first parallel between Rahab and the Gibeonites is that their faith is based on what they have heard. Hearing about the past acts of God on behalf of His people is enough to produce in them a positive response of surrender, while most of their fellow countrymen prefer to resist. At this point, their faith is commendable, in line with what Jesus says in John 20:29: “ ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’ ” (NKJV). Rahab and the Gibeonites’ attitudes are remarkably different from those of the first desert generation, which did not believe, despite what they saw. As a result of their hearing, their “hearts melted” (Josh. 2:11, NIV). This expression, which is an idiom for “losing heart” or “being frightened,” refers proleptically to the Canaanites in the song of Moses (Exod. 15:15), to the Israelites under the influence of the ten spies (Deut. 1:28), to the inhabitants of the land (Josh. 2:9) and its kings (Josh. 5:1), and to the Israelites in disobedience (Josh. 7:5). Furthermore, Rahab’s wording shows that she understands the religious nature of the war (Josh. 2:10). The verb haram (“to destroy utterly”), which appears in Rahab’s speech, designates an object or person devoted to destruction by God. The concept is known outside Israel, as its use in extrabiblical texts demonstrates.
The second parallel is about how Rahab and the Gibeonites showed their faith through unconventional means. While Rahab lies to protect the spies, the Gibeonites lie to save their lives. Regardless, what motivates their actions is the certainty that God will fulfill His promises to Israel. Although we cannot expect much from these Canaanites in moral terms, the ruse of the Gibeonites is viewed differently. According to the narrator, they acted cunningly (armah), similar to the Hebrew term used to describe the serpent in Genesis 3. Unlike Rahab’s reactionary lie, their plan is calculated and well-orchestrated.
The third parallel concerns their motivation. In both cases, they seek to be spared from the coming destruction. In these first steps, their faith is self-centered, looking for transitory solutions for their problem. At this stage, their faith cannot see beyond the horizon. It is based on fear and not love (Josh. 2:9, Josh. 9:24). Here, faith is somehow a bargain. The pragmatic aspect of this faith as the bargain is evident by their use of the word ḥeseḏ. In its secular sense, it often refers to a kind of transaction in which “the one who receives an act of ḥeseḏ responds with a similar act of ḥeseḏ, or at least that the one who demonstrates ḥeseḏ is justified in expecting an equivalent act in return.”—Hans-Jürgen Zobel, “חֶסֶד,” Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 1986), p. 18.
The fourth and fifth parallels involve the outcome of their decisions. Rahab receives the guarantee that she and her household will be spared. Similar to the Israelites in the last plague, there is a sign to be fixed: a scarlet cord hanging from a window, probably where Rahab lowered the spies via a rope. However, her deliverance is ultimately a divine act. If the walls of Jericho fell flat, God must have preserved the section where her house stood. On the other hand, the Gibeonites are untouchable from now on. They succeed in obtaining the protection they sought, as a coalition of Canaanite kings advances against Gibeon in Joshua 10. The defense of Gibeon triggers a major military campaign in which many cities are destroyed. In the end, the deceitful plan of the Gibeonites is used to advance God’s purpose in the conquest of the land. However, the long-term outcomes are pretty distinct. Rahab became an ancestor to the Messiah and assimilated into Israel. The Gibeonites also assimilated but as servants. They have enduring protection (compare with 2 Samuel 21), but the consequence of their scheme remains. “They had adopted the garb of poverty for the purpose of deception, and it was fastened upon them as a badge of perpetual servitude.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 507.
Part III: Life Application
The Amazing Grace in Our Lives
The story of Rahab and the Gibeonites reminds us that the Israelites and Canaanites are more than just ethnic groups; they also represent spiritual conditions. God’s Israel, whatever one’s ethnicity, is primarily a spiritual community. All people are invited to be part of this community. No one is beyond God’s reach. In this sense, the Pauline call to break down all the barriers is not a mere gospel novelty (Gal. 3:28).
Thought question: Consider places where you can find people apparently beyond grace’s reach today. What could you and your local church do to reach the unreachable?
Discerning God’s Will
Israel’s failure to discern the true identity of the Gibeonites reminds us of the danger of being led by appearances. The leaders of Israel tasted the aged bread with their mouths instead of asking “the mouth of the Lord” (literal translation of Joshua 9:14). Israel’s error is grave because its failure to consult the Lord undermines its call to mediate God’s will to the world.
Invite your students to consider the following questions:
Notes