In 1400 BC the city of Jericho (City of Palms) was an imposing eight-acre fortress situated in the valley just 6 miles from where Joshua would lead the people across the Jordan. It has been described as having two 32 foot high walls: the outer being 6 feet thick and the inner was 12 feet thick. In between the two walls was a gap of 15 feet filled with rubble. Suffice it to say it would take some precision bombing with today’s modern munitions to bring it down.
So, before even crossing the Jordan with his mandate to take the Promised Land, Joshua found himself faced with his first challenge. His first task was to take that formidable city and so, as a good general he sent out two spies to investigate the city and the land. Herein we find the story behind The Hidden Miracle of Jericho.
The second chapter of the Book of Joshua introduces us to the harlot, Rahab. We are told that the two spies found her in Jericho and lodged in her house. When word got to the King of Jericho that spies were in her home she hid them on her roof and told the king they had fled. Before they retired for the night she approached them and acknowledged that she knew what the Lord had done for Israel and that the city of Jericho was in fear of them. She then made them a proposition … a covenant of sorts between a Gentile and Israel. She would save them and in turn they would save her and her family. But there is a lot more to the story?
Let’s go back at the time of the visit by the two spies and note some interesting facts contained in the scripture.
Josh 2:9-13 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: 13 And 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.
Note what we have here … a Gentile acknowledging that the God of Israel had performed miracles on behalf of His people and that the people in the land of Moab feared them. Look at what she says in verse 11 … for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. Simply based on what she had learned she made the determination that Jehovah was the God of heaven and earth. In response they agreed to her proposal but under certain conditions:
15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. 16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. 17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father and they mother and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.
Note that her house was on Jericho’s wall and that she let them down by a cord. The spies told her that if she were to put the scarlet thread in her window then they would protect all who were within her house. But there was a catch:
19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.
Next look at verse 21:
21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
She was immediately obedient to the demands that they made as a condition of her safety and the spies returned to report to Joshua. Now we need to jump ahead to Chapter Six and the siege of Jericho.
God gave Joshua specific directions concerning just how he was to take the city (Josh 6:3-5). We all know the story … just march around the city once a day for six days without uttering a word and the priests blowing the trumpets.
10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, ye shall not shout, nor make and noise, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout. 11 So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp. 12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 And seven priests beating seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the reward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets. 14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did for six days.
Then on the seventh day go around it 7 times …
Josh 6:5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.
Imagine what must have been going through Joshua’s mind. A normal siege of a city took a year or more and involved armed conflict. Here he was told specifically not to lift a finger and take the city in SEVEN DAYS! Now, just a couple more verses to examine before we uncover The Hidden Miracle of Jericho.
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. 22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. And the young men that were spies went in, and brought Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred and left them without the camp of Israel. 24. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein; only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. 25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelt in Israel even unto this day because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
What a beautiful “type” of the sacrifice the Lord Jesus made on our behalf. Here was this Gentile woman who became aware of and acknowledged the God of Israel as the God of heaven and earth; the only one true God. When the opportunity was presented she asked for salvation by the God of Israel. In response she was told to stay within her house with her family and signify her presence by a “scarlet” thread.
What a picture of a believer being covered by the blood of Jesus. But note that she was told to stay within her house and not go out into the city for if she did her safety would not be guaranteed. It is just like the believer being protected from the world. Further, note that in verse 25 it is said that she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day. Once again we see a type of salvation as the wild olive branch is grafted into the natural olive tree as described by Paul in Romans 11:16-21. For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. Look at verse 17-21:
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
As the spies told Rahab not to depart from her home lest she lose her life, so Paul admonishes the believer not to depart from faith because if God cut off the Jews (the natural branches) because of their unbelief then it was just a certain that God would not spare the believer (wild branches) because of their unbelief. A stern warning to Rahab … a stern warning to the believer.
We can see why God had Joshua destroy the city and all life within it. He wanted to protect His people from the contamination contained within it … like the contamination in the world today.
Josh 6:18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
Just as Paul spoke of the “root” (Israel) being holy, then the “grafted branches” (Gentile believers) are holy. The Israelites were warned to keep themselves from the accursed thing (city) lest they make Israel a curse. So believers are also warned to keep away from the “world” lest they become cursed by it.
We see within the entire New Testament the message for believers to live a holy life, separated from the world unto the Lord. Rahab typifies that life in her choice to separate from Jericho. Just as the scarlet thread spared her from the fate of Jericho so long as she remained separate from the city, so the blood of Jesus saves the believer from the fate of the world. But like Rahab, the believer is told to maintain a life separated from the accursed thing.
The end result, like Rahab dwelling in Israel from that point on, the believer is grafted into Israel from the moment of salvation. So what was the fruit of the grafting in of Rahab? She became the wife of Salmon (the son of Nashon), whose son Boaz (who married Ruth) was the father of Obed who was the grandfather of Jessie … the father of David out of whose line was born the Messiah, Jesus. What a miracle!
But it wasn’t The Hidden Miracle of Jericho!
As the congregation came to the end of the seventh circuit on the seventh day the trumpets were blown, the people shouted and the walls came tumbling down. But … where was Rahab? She was in her house where she was told to be. How do we know? Because she was spared and the only way that was to happen was for her to be there with her family. And where was her house?
Josh 2:15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
Remember the chronology of events:
- The Lord told Joshua specifically how he was to take the city.
- Joshua and the people were obedient and the walls fell down.
- Then, after the walls were down, Joshua sent in the spies to bring out Rahab, her father, brothers and all that she had.
- They burned the city and destroyed all the men, women and animals.
- The walls came down and then they got Rahab, after which they killed all the people and animals and burned the city.
If she was upon the 32-foot wall, did God just levitate her house in the air? How was she saved?
Now there is a miracle!
Well, how are you saved? Just as her faith delivered her out of the destruction of Jericho and into the family of God, so the blood of Jesus delivers you out of the destruction of the world and into the family of God. In closing note just one more little act of faith on Rahab’s part.
Josh 2:21 And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
The moment the spies left she “immediately” bound the scarlet line in the window. In essence, she began to claim the blood of Jesus over her life the moment she made her covenant with the God of Israel. It was some time before Israel came to take Jericho but her scarlet cord hung out of that window the whole time, signifying to whom she belonged to. She didn’t know when they were coming, or how long it would take.
Does the world know to whom you belong to? Is the scarlet cord visible in your window? Is it hanging there, visible to the whole world while you wait for your deliverer to come and spare you from the destruction?
Well, let’s all be cautioned and take heed. When the city was suddenly destroyed, Rahab was found ready within her house … it was her part of the covenant!
Does the parable of the 10 virgins come to mind?