Birthdays Before Christmas: John the Messiah's Forerunner, Luke 1:5-25

John Grisham wrote a popular novel entitled Skipping Christmas, which among other things was intended to remind us of how far from its real meaning the modern, secular and materialistic Christmas has come. Since I don't think my own celebration has departed quite so far as that of most people, I can truthfully say that I love Christmas and the many ways in which through its traditions my spirit is able to worship God and to thank Him for the Savior He sent us.

But I do not deny that most of us play down the message of the Advent season—the four weeks leading up to Christmas—which in many liturgies precedes and gives added meaning to Christmas Day itself. The scripture verses read from the pulpit during the weeks of Advent highlight not just the longing for the coming of God, but also the felt need for repentance. This is a concept that many Americans (and moderns, period) find difficult to "get a handle on." But it is fundamental to Christian experience, and to the true celebration of Christmas.

I have been reminded of this most recently through my daily Bible reading schedule. For my Advent and Christmas Bible reading this year, I decided to do a study of John the Baptist, beginning with the account of his conception and birth, and continuing through his entire career—or at least as much of it as I can follow in the interval between Advent 1 and Epiphany (January)! Since John's birthday came before that of his cousin Jesus, his was a "birthday before Christmas."

The Announcement and Conception of John

Luke tells the stories of the annunciation and conception (1:5-56), naming and birth (1:57-79; 2:1-18) of John and his cousin Jesus in interleaved parallels: John (1:5-25), Jesus (1:26-56), John (1:57-79), Jesus (2:1-18). This is because he rightly sees the two parallel events as inseparable parts of God's plan to reveal his salvation to Israel.

About John—his role and significance—all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) quote the prophet Isaiah:

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” (Mark 1:2-3 NRSV)

The quotation that immediately follows comes from Malachi 3:1 combined with Isaiah 40:3. Mark cites the source of only the second part. All three gospel writers cite the text with the pronouns "you", referring to the messiah, although both the Hebrew and Greek versions of Malachi 3:1 have "me" referring to God. This was their way of indicating that they knew Jesus was God. But more important, for our purposes, is the role assigned to John here: he is to be God's messenger to prepare the way for Jesus the messiah. How does he do this?

We will find the answer, as we study the stories of the announcement of his conception, his naming as a newborn, and the beginning of his public ministry. Let's begin with the announcing of his conception.

This episode is only recorded in Luke's gospel,

“In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.” (Luke 1:5-7 NRSV)

Being the historian that he was, Luke ties the incident to a known period of Jewish (and Roman) history: it happened during the reign of Herod the Great (74-4 BC). Modern historians would have liked Luke to have been more specific and indicated which year of Herod's reign this occurred in. Most scholars today have settled on 6 BC as the year. Of course, the irony of the "BC" should be apparent to anyone who knows what those letters stand for: "before Christ"! But the devisers of the Julian calendar simply didn't know the precise date of Jesus' birth.

We are introduced to a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was not a "chief priest," but a minor or ordinary one. This accords with other ways in which God prepared for bringing his Son into the world—using humble folk, low-level priests, carpenters, and shepherds. The only characters who play a positive role in this event who are not lowly and humble folk are the Magi, whom tradition makes into three "kings." But we do not know that they were royal at all, merely eastern scholars.

Zechariah was married to a woman named Elizabeth who like him was descended from the first high priest, Aaron, the brother of Moses. Since they would both play a decisive role in raising John to be the prophet to prepare the messiah's way, it was important that they both be "righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord" (1:6). "Blameless" living is not the same as sinless living: it means that they were conscientious about obeying God's law. And if they lapsed into a sin, they would confess it and make the proper repentance and sacrifices. This is the kind of example these two would provide as a model for their son John.

But there is another reason why Luke stresses their blameless living. There is an apparent contradiction between their blameless lives and the fact that God had withheld children from them into their old age. You see, in ancient Israel childlessness was not simply attributed to a genetic fault—in fact, people knew nothing of genetics—but to a decision of God's to withhold children, usually because the childless persons were unfit. This was a heavy burden for Zechariah and Elizabeth to carry! But God had waited long in order to give them the highest privilege—next to that given to Mary and Joseph—of parenting the prophet of the messiah! Sometimes God waits to give you and me privileges late in life. I have had a fulfilling career as a university scholar. But in my retirement God has blessed me with the free time to involve myself in Bible teaching and counseling, which has been more rewarding than any academic pursuit.

“Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him” (Luke 1:8-13 NRSV)

There was a kind of rotating duty for minor priests to offer incense in the sanctuary. The "sanctuary" was not the "Holy of Holies" which only the high priest could enter on the Day of Atonement, but it was a part of the temple that only the priests could enter; so the worshiping Israelites had to remain outside in the temple courtyard. And since incense was symbolic of the prayers of God's people, the worshipers in the courtyard were praying while Zechariah inside was offering the incense.

In any event, Zechariah was as human as you or I, and the sudden appearance next to him in the sanctuary of a mysterious figure—did he know immediately that the figure was not human?—thoroughly frightened him!

“But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”” (Luke 1:13-20 NRSV)

The angel assures Zechariah that his prayer has been heard by God. He doesn't say what the prayer was, or even if it was an old prayer repeated daily over a period of years, or one voice only in the sanctuary that day. But at least part of the answer will be in the gift of a son to the old priest and his wife. He must be named "John"—Hebrew Yohanan, which means "God has shown grace (to his people)." The choice of the name was important, or God would have left it up to the parents.

It was self-evident that the parents themselves would be happy with this child, but not evident that "many" (v. 14) would rejoice at his birth. Perhaps the thought here is not just the neighbors at the time of his birth, but the many down through history who would be grateful to God for providing his Son with such a faithful and humble forerunner, for the angel rightly predicted that "he will be great in the sight of the Lord" (v. 15). In fact, John became great also in the sight of men. Although his fearless preaching of repentance and obedience to God's laws turned Herod Antipas and his wife against him and led to his martyrdom, he was remembered as a great prophet by his Jewish countrymen, including the great Jewish historian Josephus.

John was to become what in the Old Testament Hebrew is called a nazîr, a nazirite. Although this sounds a little like the name of the town Nazareth, it has nothing to do with that place name. It means a kind of monk or hermit, who in his devotion to God and striving for maximum obedience and purity took vows to abstain from many of the pleasures of life such as wine. Some nazirites were "temporary" ones, vowing to abstain for a short period of time—a few months. The apostle Paul once took a nazirite vow (Acts 18:18).

Advocates of "abortion rights" do not like the angel's statement about John: "even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit," for it implies that the pre-born are real persons capable of a relationship with God and whose lives Christians should protect. But later, when Mary comes to visit Elizabeth, while both women are pregnant, pre-born John leaped for joy in his mother's womb (Luke 1:41-45), showing that he was filled with the Spirit and recognized the messiah still in the womb of Mary!

The next verses are the heart of John's ministry: "He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, … to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." And John did just that! Subsequent chapters in the gospels show that he prepared not only his intimate circle of disciples, several of whom became part of the twelve apostles of Jesus (John 1:35-40), but through his powerful message and his baptizing the repentant he prepared the entire people of Israel so that they would have a better understanding of who Jesus was, the promised messiah.

Zechariah's words to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years” do not sound like a refusal to believe. But the angel's reply indicates that he heard in them the voice not of faith but of doubt. "Because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”

“Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”” (Luke 1:21-25 NRSV)

All of this was going on inside the sanctuary, where no one but John was hearing and observing. In fact, even if other priests were in the area, it is possible that only John sw the figure and heard what he said. Outside the sanctuary the people continued to pray, but were worried at the delay, for priests were known to drop dead during their service, especially elderly ones like Zechariah. Then some other priest would have to go in and recover their bodies. But Zechariah came out all right. The problem was that he came out unable to speak, which led the observers to conclude that he has seen a vision.

But the words of the angel came true, for Elizabeth became pregnant and remained in seclusion for five months, grateful to God, as was her speechless husband.

Sometimes God does things for us that leave us "speechless"! It is good to experience how God can literally "take our breath away" with his marvelous mercy and grace, but it is not good when this leaves us "speechless" in the sense that we do not thank him! I can imagine that both Zechariah and Elizabeth did that repeatedly during the following months, and that Zechariah, unable to tell his wife what God had in store with the child in her womb, prayed repeatedly for the ability someday to relay this vital message not only to her but to others who needed to know that God was about to save his people from their sins.

Joshua 2—Is there a Mistress in the House?

American Indian Scouts

Scouts of the Union Army

Josh. 2:1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

Sending out scouts to do reconnaissance work in advance of an invading army has been standard military practice for thousands of years. In the ancient Near East there is textual evidence for the use of advance scouting of an enemy in Egyptian, Hittite and Assyrian military annals. During the Battle of Kadesh (c. 1350 BC), the Hittites completely deceived Egyptian advance scouts into thinking they had retreated from Damascus, allowing Ramses II to lead his first division unguarded into the city, where the Hittites ambushed it. Scouts are also mentioned in the letters between Hittite kings and their commanders during the age of Moses.
In Moses’ and Joshua’s time army commanders took two equally important advance measures to ensure military success:

1. They consulted their god (or gods) by means of divination (oracles, etc.) to determine if he was willing to grant their armies victory, and
2. They sent out scouts to reconnoiter the land in order to determine the location and strength of the enemy.

In other words, while they acknowledged the crucial role of their god’s will, yet they did everything humanly possible to ensure themselves a victory. In a way, this was an ancient equivalent of the World War I soldiers’ song “Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition!”

God had given a specific promise repeatedly to Moses—beginning in the land of Midian, when God called him, and continuing in Egypt and in the 40 years of wandering in the deserts—that he would bring the nation into the Promised Land and defeat their enemies for them.

Still—Numbers 13 (especially vv. 17-20) records that at the command of God, Moses sent out twelve scouts from Kadesh-barnea to determine the strength of the Canaanites living in the land that Israel intended to claim as its own inheritance from God.

You might wonder: “If God promised them victory, why was it necessary for them to send out those scouts from Kadesh-barnea?” In that particular case it was God’s way of testing the nation’s faith in his promise.

Each of the 12 scouts sent sent out by Moses from Kadesh-barnea was chosen from a different tribe, so someone from each tribe could express faith or unbelief. Of those 12 scouts who went on the mission and returned to Moses in Kadesh-barnea, only two—Joshua (of Ephraim) and Caleb (of Judah)—were in favor of proceeding. The other ten admitted that the land was all that God had described it to be in terms of desirability. But in their opinion the enemy was too powerful and numerous. Ten our of twelve tribes, through their representatives, failed the test of faith in God’s promise, and consequently God instructed Moses to delay the mission for another 39 years, so that this unbelieving generation would die off in the deserts, leaving only their sons to do battle in faith in the conquest of the Promised Land.

The twelve men sent by Moses probably operated in pairs, so that the fact that exactly two of them (Joshua and Caleb) diverged from the majority opinion may not be a coincidence, since Joshua and Caleb could have been a team and had discussed the issue and reached a mutual decision while still in the field.

In Joshua 2, Joshua sent only one pair, indicating that the purpose now was different. These two scouts do not seem to have represented different tribes: we are not even told what tribal affiliation either of them had! Nor was the purpose of the mission to test their faith, although in fact they did return encouraged by what they saw, and their report when it came was an encouragement to Joshua and all the warriors.

At the outset Joshua himself undoubtedly conceived their mission to be to gather as much strategic information about Jericho and its surroundings (“the land”) as possible. Jericho was the most prominent walled city in the direct path of the proposed invasion of the land. If, as is the view of most evangelical scholars, the goal of Joshua’s campaigns was not a total obliteration of the pagan population of the entire land, but the breaking of coordinated resistance among the Canaanite centers, then one would expect that after consulting God, Joshua selected only a few major points in the land to attack and subdue. The first and most obvious of these was Jericho. If the Israelites were successful against Jericho, it would send a message to the other centers that would demoralize the opposition.

Scouts wore no “uniform” or distinctive dress that would identify them as agents of an outside group. Their dress might have been different from that of the citizens of Jericho, but then any visiting traveler from, say, South Arabia would have had a distinctive dress. The language spoken by the descendants of Jacob was certainly not much different from the Canaanite dialects. They could easily infiltrate enemy territory without giving themselves away immediately.

Jericho was on a western offshoot from a major North-South trade route called "The Kings’ Highway", and merchant caravans and individual traders must often have passed through, each speaking a pidgin (or ‘Berlitz’) Canaanite, commonly used by travelers from other countries. Visitors with such foreign accents didn’t surprise or disturb the security-minded rulers of the city.

Whole merchant caravans might camp in the open country. Individual travelers visiting relatives in the city would lodge with them. But individual travelers just passing through would stay at inns. The principal guests of such inns were soldiers and merchants.

Ancient Near Eastern “inns” often contained brothels. We know this from Hittite and Babylonian texts from this same era. Such inns were usually located—like the "roadhouses" of my childhood in the South—on the outskirts of the city. In the case of walled cities, such an inn might actually abut the city wall (see Joshua 2:15), making it an easy point for escape by rappelling down the outside of the city wall.

The innkeepers in those days were often women (compare the Old Babylonian sabītum 'female inn/tavern-keeper'). Rahab, who is called a “harlot” or “prostitute” (Hebrew zônāh) therefore, was not just an ordinary prostitute, but the proprietress of the establishment. The building was also her (and her family’s) residence.

Although shocked rabbis tried in vain to dilute the meaning of the Hebrew word “prostitute” (zônah) used of Rahab, since she is obviously the heroine of the story, it is better to add her to the list of so-called “disreputable” women, who came to faith and became true heroines (see Hebrews 11:31). According to the genealogy in Matthew 1:5, Rahab became the wife of Salmon and the mother of Boaz, ancestor of David.

Regarding the scouts’ choice to lodge in an inn, Herzog & Gichon have written the following:

“Inns have always been excellent sources of information. The careless talk of guests and the sharp ears of hosts have combined to make them a coveted intelligence objective. Frederick the Great [of Prussia] advised his heirs to have an innkeeper in their pay in every region of interest. One of the subjects learned from listening to conversation in inns is the true morale and opinion of the population. Thus the report of Rahab's words—'For we have heard ... what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites … whom you utterly destroyed. And ... our hearts melted, there was no courage in any man because of you' (Josh. 2:10-11)—must have strengthened Joshua in his conviction that the proper psychological moment for the attack upon Jericho had come” (Battles of the Bible, p. 45).

Josh. 2:2-3 The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

2-3 It was probably not the custom in those days, as it is in European inns and hotels today, to send registration lists of the night’s guests to the local gendarmerie. But somehow, perhaps through agents of the king sent to the various inns, the information that two of Rahab’s guests were Israelite scouts reached the king (v. 2-3). The king and all the people had excellent information about the Israelites from the day that the pharaoh’s chariot corps was drowned in the Red Sea! They may have learned of those events from traveling merchants would have brought the news from Egypt to Jericho and other urban points along the caravan routes.

So the king immediately sent to Rahab and asked her to “bring out” the suspect men. Why didn’t the king just send soldiers into the inn to fetch them? Perhaps because he did not want a pitched battle, with the possibility that in the confusion of a struggle and other milling guests, one or both of the scouts might escape. Perhaps he had in mind that Rahab would think of some excuse to bring the two men he sought outside alone—a ruse.

4-7 Rahab’s ruse.

Rahab's roof

Josh. 2:4-7 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

Rahab was a clever woman, like other clever women celebrated in the Bible. She would indeed use a ruse, but the ruse would not be against the Israelites — it would be against the king of Jericho. Can you think of any other clever women of faith in the Bible, who by their cleverness saved God's people? That's right! The two midwives, Shiphrah and Puah in Exodus 1, who by a clever invented story ("disinformation") explained away their secret refusal to kill all the boy babies of the Hebrews.

What did Rahab do? She lied to the king’s messengers (v. 4-5). She too used “disinformation”! What parts of her statement were probably true, and what parts false? (I won't give you the answers to this one!)

Did she violate the Ninth Commandment (Exod. 20:16; Deut. 5:20) by lying to the king’s men? No, the commandment against “bearing false witness” does not apply to a war situation. In a war there is no neutrality: no decision that does not harm one side or the other. Whatever response Rahab gave to the king of Jericho would have harmed either Israel or the people of Jericho. Rahab chose, because she believed in the God of Israel and in his will to give victory to Israel in the invasion of Canaan. Her choice to protect the scouts, even at the cost of the lives of the people of Jericho, was morally right in both her own eyes and in God's eyes. In 1 Kings 22:19-23 God himself sent a "lying spirit" to wicked King Ahab in order to make him think that God would give him victory in battle, so that he would lead his army and be killed.

When the text says that the Israelite scouts were hidden on Rahab’s roof, we should not picture a modern American sloped roof! Israelite and Canaanite roofs were flat, and the perfect place for spreading out flax to dry in the sun, and for cool sleeping by the family on summer nights. Remember that this incident took place in April, when flax was harvested in Israel. The beds of flax would not only provide the spies with a comfortable bedding, but could be piled over them to conceal them in emergency.

Why did Rahab take this risk of hiding the scouts? One answer involves the ancient custom of hospitality. A host was responsible for the safety of his/her guest(s). Can you think of other stories in the Bible where hosts risked their own safety to protect guests? Right! Lot protected visiting angels from the men of Sodom (Gen. 19). And Jael ‘protected’ Sisera (in Judges 4).

The Israeli archaeologist Oded Borowski has this to say about the role of hospitality:

“That the custom of hospitality was practiced not only by Israelites but was part of ancient Canaan's Sitz im Leben (setting in life) is reflected in the biblical story of Rahab and the Israelite spies. When the spies sent by Joshua came to Jericho, Rahab hosted them and protected them against the locals who wanted to capture them (Josh 2:1-8). Protection of guests, which was emphasized in the stories of Lot and the concubine in Gibeah, is also the background of the encounter between Jael and Sisera (Judg 4:17-22; 5:24-27)” (in Daily Life in Biblical Times, 23).

But while the host’s obligation to protect a guest may have played some part, it is clear from Rahab's subsequent bargain with the spies that another more powerful motive drove her. What do you think that was?

She believed in the God of Israel, and knew that she could only secure her own safety and that of her family who lived with her by coming to terms with the God of Israel through these two emissaries of his. In verse 11 we learn how advanced was her concept of Israel’s God, for she calls him “God in heaven and on earth”, which means there is room for no other god. This is a statement of pure Monotheism. Hebrews 11:31 places Rahab in the “honor roll” of Old Testament heroes and heroines of faith.

8-14 Rahab strikes a bargain

Josh. 2:8-14 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.” 14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land.”

It was still not too late for Rahab to betray the spies, once the king’s commando unit returned from the fruitless pursuit. The spies were still at her mercy. Rahab, therefore, proposed a deal. It was not a dastardly deal: it grew out of sincere faith that Israel’s God was the only God, and that her city was doomed, despite its seemingly impregnable walls. If she wanted to save herself and her family, she had to secure the promise of these men that they would spare her. Rahab’s course of action was threefold:

• First she showed her willingness to put her own life in jeopardy by hiding the spies and sending the king’s men on a wild goose chase (vv. 4-7).
• Then she told the scouts what the city had heard about Israel’s God & its demoralizing effect (vv. 8-11).
• Finally she showed her willingness to trust the promise of the scouts: if she would help them escape and return to Joshua with valuable information, they would spare her life and lives of her household when they invaded the city (vv. 12-14).

Furthermore, she ensured the compliance of the scouts by making them swear by Yahweh, their God. Rahab knew that no one who wished to continue living would violate his oath to the God of heaven and earth. And she required that they give her a sign (v. 12), which they eventually do in vv. 17-20.

15-21 Rahab lets the scouts escape

Josh. 2:15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 Now she had said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” 21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

The several requirements which the scouts put on Rahab were not intended to give them wiggle room. Rather they were to protect themselves and the Israelite soldiers from mistakenly killing her or a member of her family and thus falling under the curse of oath-breakers. She and her family must stay in her house and the house must be clearly marked by the scarlet cord. This reminds us also of the function of the blood mark on the doors of the Israelites in Egypt on the night of the fateful Passover. It saved them from the Angel of Death who passed through Egypt that night, killing the firstborn in every house not so marked (Exodus 12).

Rahab’s reward

Josh. 6:24-25 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, …. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

Matthew 1:5-6, 16 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab; Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth; Obed was the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse was the father of King David. … 16 And Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

Rahab eventually married an Israelite named Salmon (or Shalmon, see Matt 1:5-6) and became part of the royal line leading to King David, and even further to the Messiah Jesus (Mat. 1:5-6).

The acceptance of Rahab into the “family” of Israel illustrates how we must understand the so-called “ban” (Hebrew ḥerem) imposed by God: that the Israelites, when they captured a city which resisted them, were to exterminate “everything that breathes”. It was apparently acceptable to spare the life of a Canaanite who left his city and came to the Israelite camp to convert to faith in Israel’s God. But in cities that offered armed resistance to Israel even non-combatants forfeited their lives. This “ban” was imposed only on the key centers of armed resistance: Jericho, Ai, and Hazor. People in the other cities captured by the Israelites were not killed, if they surrendered. So this was not what we call today “ethnic cleansing”.

If this seems “unfair” to modern audiences, it is because we do not credit God with the ultimate wisdom, justice and love which we know that he has.

Before us in the case of Rahab we see how a “righteous Gentile” (Hebrew gôy ṣaddîq) behaves, when confronted with evidence of the Living God. Even at the risk of death for “treachery” such a person realigns himself or herself with God and God’s people. This “realignment” we call “repentance” and “conversion”.

Does it give you some hope for the world to think that even among the groups most outspokenly opposed to the Christian gospel—atheists or Muslims—there are such “righteous Gentiles” as Rahab? When you are tempted to give up praying for someone whom you think will never yield to the gospel, remember our good friend, Saul of Tarsus! In his day he would have been seen by most of the early Christians as an Osama bin Laden figure!

There is another question to ponder: If the scouts had not come to her house in Jericho, would Rahab, solely on the basis of what she had heard of Israel's God, have had the courage or opportunity to leave the city of Jericho and go throw herself on the mercy of Joshua in the Israelite camp? Most likely not, don't you agree? Her "conversion" was the result of those courageous Israelite "scouts" who dared to penetrate the city of the enemy.

This certainly speaks to us of the need for Christians to "penetrate" social, business and educational circles that are openly hostile to the gospel in order to make friends with people in those groups who, despite their "disreputable" outward appearance, are in reality inwardly hungering for the gospel of the King of Kings?

Ask yourself what groups you have access to but have hesitated to penetrate? Do you have a neighbor, whom you think is too hostile to befriend or invite to a church event? A church-sponsored golf outing?

Ask yourself what steps you can take to “penetrate” an apparently hostile person’s life?

• Prayer.
• Genuine acts of kindness (offer of a ticket you “can’t use” to some desirable sporting or social event; inviting over for a backyard cookout at your house; offer to plow his driveway, while you are plowing yours).

22-24 Encourgement to Joshua and all Israel

Josh. 2:22 When the scouts left [Rahab], they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the Jordan river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”

The final lesson of chapter 2 is the effect of the scouts’ report on Joshua and the Israelites. What word in verse 24 shows that the experience confirmed God’s earlier promise to Joshua and the people? Right! NIV “surely”, NRSV, RSV, ESV “truly”.

What lessons do you think the scouts learned from this experience? Perhaps you can add others, but here are a few that occurred to me:

• Not to be afraid: God would be with them and protect them within the very camp of the enemy.
• God’s promises can be relied upon.
• Appearances can be deceiving. Do not look down on or despise a person because of circumstances that can be changed by God’s grace entering their lives. (Rahab the harlot!)
• Don’t underestimate the possibility of finding a potential convert or turncoat among the enemy. Remember Saul of Tarsus, who became St. Paul, the great Apostle and Missionary to the Gentiles.
• Appearances can be deceiving. Don’t overestimate the morale of the enemy or underestimate the intimidation that God’s acts can produce on an opponent of the Gospel.
• God is full of pleasant surprises for those who will run risks in order to obey and serve him.