The Pulpit Commentary — Joshua — Section 102

rarent.ly treated with respect by her people. But applying such considerations t.o mo<'lify the revulsion which every pure mind feels at the name given her, we still cannot avoid feeling that there is a vast gulf between Raho.b as she ho.d been, nnd the Rahab that can say," Jehovah, your God, He is God in heaven above o.nd in earth beneath." A former faith-for the heathen ho.ve faith-had disappeared; in stern and terrible questioi:iings i~ had broken up and melted awo.y ; a new God had nseu on her soul ; a deity of mdnlgence had sunk into the disregard of true repentance, and the Jewish deity of mercy and of duty had risen on her heart. Fo:r us to change one thought about our God for another involves often 0, po.inful and protracted emba!·i:assment; but_ for one to change her goddess in spite of all the centunes of tradit10n commending her-her acceptance by the people, and to be in Jericho a solitary believer in Jehovah-such a change was not wrought easily or lightly, and was not wrought out, one fancies, while she still pursued a course of wrong. "The fountains of the great deep were broken up," and her soul went through the experience of earthquake and fire, before the small still voice could cahn her into faith. Thi,s was a soul waking. How it came about no,ne can tell. The external influences that prepare for such changes mo.y be roughly traced, but the inward " moving" is too deep and subtle to be seen. Jericho lay on the route of a cara,an trade, v.·hich was even then carried on between Babylon and Egypt (see Babylonish garment, eh. vii. 21). And so she had heard of all God's wonders in Egypt, and of " the strong hand and mighty arm" with which He had brought them out. The overthrow of the inhabitants of Bashan and the Amorites, the war- like people-the remains of whose cities excite the marvel of all to-day-had seemed too wonderful to be the result of unaided human strength or skill. And these, likely enough, started the deeper thoughts. But they only occasioned, they did not produce them. There must have been a deeper work going on. Dubiety had risen in her about the Godhead of Deity that sanctioned the life she led ; a sense that her country's gods exerted no hallowing or elevating influence-that they sanc- tioned all vile indulgences, but inspired no virtue; she had grown weary of "°orldliness ; restless with the longing for a God pure and strong enough to trust. The God of Israel-who alone among all deities then worshipped, stood forth as the God of help and duty-looked in her face, breathed on her heart, and she was His. ·we must not miss the lessons of such a waking. We must despair of none. The soul, like the body, may sometimes be easily killed, but sometimes it takes a great deal of killing. And from sins, and vices, and unbelief, which wound the soul and apparently leave no chance of life, ofttimes it will recover, and its health will come again like the health of a little child. God can travel where no teacher comes, and can enter where no truth is known, and can co=end Himself to hearts that seem incapable of appreciating His charms. And so here, without guide, teacher, or companion, she rises to the light of God. Have you waked thus to the greatness, the nearness, and the claims of a redeeming God? Observe secondly- IT. THE ACTION OF FAITH. Here we have not quite so easy a theme; for the mixture of good and evil which always marks human action is provokingly obvious here. With clear faith falsehood is mingled ; with devotion to Israel, something like treason to her people. And persons who can do addition, but cannot balance accounts, are apt to reject her altogether. They forget that morality has its chron- ology, and that the sanctity of truth dates from the Christian era. They fmget, too, what ought to be obvious, that the charge of not doing all she can to save her country hardly lies against a person who has the conviction that her country cannot J,e saved, and that her city is for its sins a very City of Destruction; and that in rewarding her, God rewards, not her lie, but her hospitality, her courage, her taking the part of Israel, her confession of His name ; and that what we have here is not nineteenth century Christianity, but incipient Israelitism. Considering these things, mark the action of faith in her case. When these considerations have their weight, it is very striking how many of the characteristics of Christian faith are found here. 1. Her faith see& clearl!y all that it is needful to aee. She has the purged <>yo which discerns the great lines on which God works, and the ereat lines on which Vii, II, 1-12.] THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. a, our s11fety 11nd bliss are to be found. Fortune itnd probabilities fade from her view, and she sees o.11 things depending on God, and all bliss depending on followin"0 Him. 2. Her faith braves every d(J/11,ger in the W(JJY oJ duty. Think you a weak or timorous woman would have risked her life as she did? The King was nearer than the hosts of Israel : it were easy to have her falsehood discovered ; and if so she dies. But faith dares what nought else dares. An inward moral courage is its continual mark, and at the risk of life she makes her choice. 3. Her faith leads her to cast in her lot with the people of <Jod, and seek to shai·e their fortune. An earthborn faith makes a person trim and endeavour to stand neutral-to avoid the fate of Jericho without identifying one's self with the fortunes of Israel. But she says in effect to the men, " Your people shall be my people, and your God my God." And by hiding them, aiding their escape, counsel- ling for their safety, entering into covenant with them, she chooses her part with the people of God. To this she may be moved by fear more than by love. And love is better than fear. But the feat· of Goel is infinitely better than listlessness, and is the beginning of wisdom. Happy they who see with the clearness, who venture with the courage, who choose with the piety of God's believing people. Shrink thou from no risk in following Christ. Choose thou the heritage of the people of God: His grace, His pardon, His eternal love. Lastly, observe- III. THE REWARDS OF HER FAITH. Faith has always an exceeding great reward. It passes tremblingly along its anxious path to peace and rest. And so here. Observe how, answering the workings of her heart, God brings nigh His help. 1. She has an open door set before her, Not casually, but by God's guidance, the spies come for lodging to her house. 2. All needed wisdom is given where she has the will to use it. 3. She is kept safe from the men of Jericho by Goel. 4. While miraculous incidents in the destruction of Jericho leave her no room for thought of having helped it, she is herself saved, with her father, mother, brethren, and all that she had. 5. An honoured guest of Israel, she becomes the wife of the head of the tribe of Judah, Salmon. Probably he was one of the two spies, Ephraim and Judah being the leading tribes, and heads of the tribes being chosen for such work. 6. Her child was Boaz, one of the brightest and most honourable of Israel's saints ; her daughter-in-law, Ruth the Moabitess; her grandchild's grandchild, D11vid; and Jesus of Nazareth had her blood in His veins. How little she hacl dreamt of all that s11tisfaction, that gracious wealth, and sweet renown I Ancl so it ever is ! C11st in thy lot with the people of God. Like them, follow Him, His conscience- oracle, and there will be a growing benediction on your life, a various mercy- parclon, peace, joy of His love, hope of His heaven-- till, so exceeding and abundantly above what you asked or thought, His mercy will come tc you, that you will be "like them that dream;'' and when others say, "The Lord h11th done great thmgs for us,'' your heart will reply, "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad."-G.