Rahab and the Spies

The conquest of Canaan by the Jewish people starts to unfold in the book of Joshua. Joshua is an assistant to Moses and Moses leads his people to a land promised by God. The land was flowing with milk and honey and had a thousand acre wood (sorry – that’s Pooh Bear’s wood).  The land was Canaan. Palestine, Lebanon, Israel – this was the promised land.

Although Moses never reached the promised land, after his death, Joshua takes no time in leading the people on what we would refer to today as a Holy War. There is a lot of blood shed in the book of Joshua; and the blood bath seems to have no end as we still today have conflict in the West Bank, and everywhere people everyday die in the name of God.

This is why the story of Rahab in chapter 2 is incredibly odd and out of place. I know of at least two ways to read the story.

First, let’s consider the Religious World. This would be the way to read Rahab in the church. So, Joshua sends two spies into Jericho to survey the walls and the city. The men had to go undercover because the leader – the king and his people – would surely find two Israelites among the many thousand residents. So in order to keep their cover they plot to visit the city’s harlot – Rahab the prostitute. Her home would have so much traffic, no one would bother to recognize two strangers. In addition Rahab was some sort of innkeeper as the text is careful to let us know the men lodged with her. Upon meeting her they recognized that Rahab had knowledge of their God and was quite happy to help anyone following the God of Israel. So when the spies’ cover was blown, she gladly hid them on her roof and detoured the king’s men to the west.

As all respectful hotel-operating prostitutes, Rahab was well positioned against the city wall having rooms with a view. From a window she lowered the men to safety. And the story ends with Rahab and the spies making promises – covenants – to each other to spare one another and live in harmony. And to top it all off, the covenant would be marked by a sign (see Noah for Rainbow). This is the church version. When it’s God’s plan, God can use anyone, even someone like Rahab. Or as I read somewhere, we remember Rahab because of her failures. But God remembers her because of her faith.

I love sweet Bible stories. They are so cute. But let’s consider what really happened. Jericho was like any other third-world city before the advent of electricity: Miserable. No hospitals, no checking accounts or safe deposit boxes, fire departments, recycling programs, or sewers.  Remember in Jericho they didn’t have March Madness and Anderson Cooper.

The only source of the conquest of Canaan comes from our Bible. Archaeology on the conquest is shady. This conquest, this bloodshed – is told from only one side. Even if it happened – all we have is the Bible as proof the Israelites were to blame (hence, no Anderson Cooper).  So, in order to understand Joshua, we have to suspend our traditional beliefs. We have to give history some credibility. It helps us to realize that this land was settled over time and not overnight. And this is just fine. We don’t need conquest.  There is no evidence of the fall of Jericho, there is no history of these Israelite conquistadors, and so if we desire to believe Joshua as literal, whom are we serving? That’s right … us.

Neither Joshua nor the Bible at all attempts to explain why God would want to slaughter thousands. Maybe they don’t need to explain it because it just didn’t happen.  Joshua then might be read as Scripture and not history. And by Scripture I mean, Joshua might be read correctly. What would happen to us and to the world, if Joshua had a more important message than bloodshed? What would happen if Joshua were a book about God, and not about Israel?

Enter two spies from Israel.

Spies … really? Maybe, but if these two were real spies, their first act is to stop at the house of a hooker, and their second act is to blow their cover.  These spies were like Steve Carrel. Actually, Steve Carrel in Get Smart did a better job. The spies messed up. And they messed up big. There would only be one reason for them to visit Rahab (and it wasn’t to seek her professional hotelier status).

And who is this Rahab, anyway? We know for sure that Rahab had two jobs. And no, running the Hilton was not one of them. She was, as we know a prostitute. But she must have also sold flax or used flax for a sewing job. Perhaps she was a seamstress? We know this because she kept flax on her roof. Thus we can conclude that Rahab was an entrepreneur.

We can also safely bet that she didn’t make as much as she needed as a prostitute. Which is odd because Rahab in later literature has been described as beautiful and stunning. I doubt this. If she was as amazing as she is credited, she would have worked directly for this king of Jericho, or if not that, she would have been able to live easily as a Jericho prostitute. Jericho was near the fords of the Jordan. The Jordan wasn’t a river easily crossed. So any city near a ford in the river would have naturally created a commerce culture. The city was booming, but her business wasn’t.

So the spies and Rahab meet.  At her house.  We learn that her house is not so much of a house as a makeshift dwelling. It does have a roof, but it only has three walls. She used the famous Wall of Jericho as her fourth wall – because it was free. If she had next-door neighbors on either side, then she utilized more than one free wall. If you have spent anytime in a developing country, this will make sense for you. Especially the poor will do whatever it takes to build their homes into hills, walls, or fences. It’s free wall. And believe me, Rahab took advantage of this.

So the two spies and Rahab met, at her house. And they stayed. Prudish scholars make special note of how careful the text is around this issue. They say, “look at how the text avoids sex.” But they are wrong. Internet Bible Scholars are sketch anyhow. Let me just be clear: This three-room house on the wall of Jericho was not an inn. Later in the story Rahab lowers the spies with a red cord and today we can thank Joshua 2 for the use of the term “Red Light District.” So, we just might thank Joshua for some other terms used for sex.

So, let’s recap:

• Rahab was articulate enough to spin a story and avert the king’s authorities.
• Rahab was opportunistic enough to build a house financed in part by the city and maybe others.
• Rahab was wise enough to hide these men – not once, but twice,
• And Rahab was holding all the cards in her hand, because as a prostitute, she had nothing to loose or hide … but these spies by being with Rahab were as guilty as Lindsay Lohan in a jewelry store.

Rahab was in complete control. The fate of these spies – and I suppose all of Israel – rested on Rahab. And Rahab welcomed such fate.

So the spies made covenant with Rahab.

They had no choice. The spies were at the mercy of Rahab. And so are we.  Not sure if you caught this, but the spies were from Israel. Rahab was from Jericho.

But not for long.

For with this covenant, Rahab worked her way into the people of Israel.  And she worked it good. Rahab became the mother of Boaz, Boaz and Ruth bore Obed, Obed was the father of Jesse and Jesse was the father of David.  And David was the king of Israel. And David is the line of Jesus. Jesus the Messiah. Jesus – and his pure line, full of cheaters, liars, murderers, and prostitutes.

So, here we have the story of Rahab. I can imagine that walled house on the edge of town. I can imagine her life, and the danger she lived. I can imagine the abuse and conditions, and the lack of hope. And I can imagine one day, Rahab, prayed to some unnamed God … God just help me. You know that prayer. That prayer when everything is going wrong. That prayer when we wonder if things can change. You know that prayer.  The ‘hey God give me a sign prayer.’

And what do you know … two strangers knocked at her door.

 

Steve