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Jos 2:1-7. RAHAB RECEIVES AND CONCEALS THE TWO SPIES.
1. Joshua . . . sent . . . two men to spy secretly--Faith is manifested
by an active, persevering use of means
(Jas 2:22);
and accordingly Joshua, while confident in the accomplishment of the
divine promise
(Jos 1:3),
adopted every precaution which a skilful general could think of to
render his first attempt in the invasion of Canaan successful. Two
spies were despatched to reconnoitre the country, particularly in the
neighborhood of Jericho; for in the prospect of investing that place,
it was desirable to obtain full information as to its site, its
approaches, the character, and resources of its inhabitants. This
mission required the strictest privacy, and it seems to have been
studiously concealed from the knowledge of the Israelites themselves,
test any unfavorable or exaggerated report, publicly circulated, might
have dispirited the people, as that of the spies did in the days of
Moses.
Jericho--Some derive this name from a word signifying "new moon,"
in reference to the crescent-like plain in which it stood, formed by an
amphitheater of hills; others from a word signifying "its scent," on
account of the fragrance of the balsam and palm trees in which it was
embosomed. Its site was long supposed to be represented by the small
mud-walled hamlet Er-Riha; but recent researches have fixed on a spot
about half an hour's journey westward, where large ruins exist about
six or eight miles distant from the Jordan. It was for that age a
strongly fortified town, the key of the eastern pass through the deep
ravine, now called Wady-Kelt, into the interior of Palestine.
they . . . came into an harlot's house--Many expositors, desirous of
removing the stigma of this name from an ancestress of the Saviour
(Mt 1:5),
have called her a hostess or tavern keeper. But Scriptural usage
(Le 21:7-14;
De 23:18;
Jud 11:1;
1Ki 3:16),
the authority of the Septuagint, followed by the apostles
(Heb 11:31;
Jas 2:25),
and the immemorial style of Eastern khans, which are never kept by
women, establish the propriety of the term employed in our version. Her
house was probably recommended to the spies by the convenience of its
situation, without any knowledge of the character of the inmates. But a
divine influence directed them in the choice of that lodging-place.
JFB.
The Book of Joshua
Joshua 5:13 - And it came to pass, when Joshua was by
Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold,
there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his
hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, [Art] thou
for us, or for our adversaries?
Joshua
5:14 - And he said, Nay; but [as] captain of the host of the
LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth,
and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his
servant?
Joshua
5:15 - And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua,
Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou
standest [is] holy. And Joshua did so.
The Old Testament - A Brief Overview
Bible Survery - Joshua
Hebrew Name - Yehoshua "Yahweh is salvation"
Greek Name - Iesous (Greek form of the Hebrew)
Author - Joshua
Date - From 1451 to 1425 BC Approximately
Theme - The Conquest of Canaan
Types and Shadows - In Joshua Jesus is the captain of the LORD's
host
Ancient Rallying Horn
This Carchemish relief reveals how horns were blown.
Summary of The Book of Joshua
The book of Joshua received its name because of the main character of the book which is Joshua, whose name means "Jehovah is salvation". The Greek form of the name of Joshua is actually Jesus and means the same thing as the Hebrew Joshua. The man Joshua makes his first appearance as the commander of the armies of Israel against the Amalekites in the book of Exodus (Exodus 17:8 ff). Joshua was clearly a leader of Israel, he accompanied Moses to the foot of Mount Sinai when Moses went up on the mountain to receive the 10 Commandments, but Joshua did not go up with him (Exodus 24).
The way that Joshua enters the book of Joshua is already as an established leader in. Even Moses commissioned Joshua as the man chosen and conquer the land.
When Moses gave his farewell speech in Deuteronomy 34 Joshua accompanied him to the foot of Mount Sinai
This book is named for its chief character, Joshua, whose name means "Jehovah is salvation." The Greek form of this name is Jesus. The first appearance of Joshua is as the leader of the forces of Israel against Amalek (Exodus 17:8ff). The manner in which he is introduced into the story indicates that he was already well established as a leader. Later, he accompanied Moses to the foot of Mt. Sinai, but did not make the ascent with him (Exodus 24). In Exodus 32-33 he is also found in close association with Moses. No doubt, the years which he spent with Moses greatly influenced his spiritual development. The aspect of his life for which Joshua is most often remembered is his having brought back a positive report from the land of Canaan after serving as one of twelve men sent to spy out the land (Numbers 13). From this it can be seen that the experience and spirit which were Joshua's equipped him well for his duties and responsibilities as the leader, of God's people.
Quick Reference Map
Map of the Conquest of Canaan (Click to
Enlarge)
The book may be regarded as consisting of three parts which may be analyzed as follows :
Outline of the Book of Joshua
1) The Conquest of Canaan (Joshua 1-12). This includes the preparation for and crossing of the Jordan (Joshua 1-4). After the crossing, they camped at Gilgal. Here they circumcised all the males who were born in the wilderness, as circumcision had not been observed since the departure from Egypt. Gilgal was also the scene of the keeping of the Passover and the cessation of the manna. Joshua 5:13-6:27 tells of the miraculous destruction of Jericho and the salvation of Rahab. The crime and punishment of Achan is discussed in Joshua 7. In Joshua 8, the narrative records the avenging of the defeat which Israel had suffered at the hands of Al because of the sin of Achan. The latter portion of this chapter tells of the setting up of the stones on Mount Ebal. The stratagem of the Gibeonites is the topic of Joshua 9. In Joshua 10 is contained the story of the conquest of Southern Canaan, with the aid of Joshua's long day. Joshua 11-12 describes the conquest of Northern Canaan and give a list of the defeated kings.
2) The Distribution of the Territory (Joshua 13-22). This provides a record of the area which was assigned to the various tribes (13-19), the appointment of the six cities of refuge (Joshua 20) and the forty-eight cities of the Levites (Joshua 21), as well as the departure of the Transjordanic tribes to their home.
3) Joshua's farewell addresses (Joshua 23-24). The first of these is a speech of encouragement and warning. The second recalls the history of Israel, with emphasis on divine interventions on their behalf. At the close of this speech, Joshua issued the famous statement, "choose you this day whom you will serve . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).
The book closes with an account of the renewal of the covenant and the death of Joshua and Eleazer.
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