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| The Conquest of Canaan
p 119 Rahab and the Battle of Jericho The story of the Conquest begins with three closely interrelated stories that revolve around Israel’s interaction with three key characters: Rahab, Achan, and the inhabitants of Gibeon. To grasp the deeper plot, we must understand how all three stories connect and contrast a subtle pattern of hiding and discovery, concealment and revelation. Before Joshua leads Israel across the Jordan River, he sends out spies to view the land and the city of Jericho in particular (Jos 2:1). Joshua’s intelligence strategy follows that of Moses (Nm 13), but this time Joshua sends only two spies, symbolic of the two spies who were faithful to Moses. Joshua has learned from Israel’s failures. The two spies lodge in the house of a harlot named Rahab. However, after Jericho’s king uncovers their reconnaissance mission, enemy soldiers are sent to seek them out. Rahab hides the spies on her roof, and confesses that she will try to save them because she fears the God of Israel: I know that the L ORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the L ORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan … And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any man, because of you; for the L ORD your God is he who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. (Jos 2:9–11) To understand Rahab’s full meaning, we must hear her words in light of the Exodus. Her opening words “I know” hearken back to Pharaoh who refused to “know” Yahweh, and to the plagues sent so that Egypt and its king would “know” that Yahweh is the one true God. Rahab, a Canaanite harlot, confesses to both know and believe the lesson of the Exodus that Yahweh is “God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” Not only will her confession of faith save her life, but as we shall see later, it will graft her into the very bloodline of Abrahamic blessing that brings salvation for the world. Rahab demands that the spies swear to spare p 120 her and her father’s house. They agree, and the sign of this oath is a scarlet cord marking and preserving her and her family from death. Rahab’s report illustrates an important piece of intelligence that Moses’ twelve spies had missed. The people of the land, however strong they were in numbers, arms, and fortifications, had lost all courage because they had heard what God had done for Israel. The people whom Israel feared to fight were themselves trembling in terror and ready to “melt away” if only Israel had crossed into the land (see Ex 15:14–16). The failure of Israel and the ten spies is only now fully realized. God’s miraculous deeds had set Israel up for taking the land without much of a fight. But now a generation has passed, and the golden opportunity is gone. What Israel could have won with simple obedience will now have to be taken by force. Joshua leads the people across the Jordan, hoping that upon seeing the turning back of the waters Israel will “know” that the living God is among them (Jos 3:10). Joshua then commands all the males to be circumcised, indicating that the generation in the wilderness failed to practice circumcision. After this, Israel celebrates the Passover. The original Passover celebrated God’s saving of Israel from Egypt. Here, at the Passover’s first commemoration inside the Promised Land, Israel additionally gives thanks for deliverance from the hostile wilderness. Circumcision marks Israel out from the uncircumcised Canaanite tribes; the worship of the Passover marks out their faith in the one God from the false worship of idols that permeates pagan worship. With ethnic and religious identity secured, Israel is ready to secure the land. tải về 6.33 Mb. Chia sẻ với bạn bè của bạn:
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