Escape from Jericho

By Mary Vee
Joshua 2

Thoughts of an Israelite Spy

Screaming and shouting in the streets had stopped shortly before Rahab returned to the roof. Apparently she convinced the soldiers to look somewhere else for us. I'm not sure why she hid my friend and me, but I'm thankful.


She dragged stacks of flax from our hiding place and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "The guards left. You have time to escape if you go now."


She led us downstairs to a room with a window. Since her house had been built into the city wall, the window faced a valley outside the city. 


She uncoiled a rope and dragged it to the window. "Look, I know your God is the God of heaven above and earth below." She  sighed as a tear fell. "I beg you, please, spare my family. Reward my kindness to you today, my Lords. Spare my family and all they have. Please, deliver us from death."


What could I say? We didn't plan to spare anyone from Jericho. Then again Rahab did hide us from the soldiers and she planned to help us escape. "If no one, not you or anyone from your family, tells the king about us, we will save you and your family the day our army attacks."


She smiled. "Thank you, my Lord." She handed me the rope. "I'll lower both of you to the valley below, run to the mountains and hide for three days. The soldiers will stop looking for you after that time."


I wound the rope around my wrist and stepped toward the window. "Remeber, we'll only keep our promise to save you and your family if you keep our secret, and hang this same red rope in the window. Also, your family must stay inside this house. If any one leaves during the attack, we won't protect them."


She nodded. "I understand, your secret is safe. My family and I will be here as you said and this red chord will be in the window."


She tied the rope to the doorknob then lowered me down to the ground outside the city wall. My partner followed.


We search the area and saw no one. All the merchants had retuned to their homes since the city gate had closed. We dashed through shadows away from Jericho and up into the mountains. 


We set up camp in a secure place on a peak overlooking the city. Three days later we crept safely down the mountain, hiked back to the beach then swam the high waters of the Jordan River to our camp. 


Joshua, the Israelite leader, called us to his tent to report. "What did you find? Has the Lord blessed?"


"Yes, my lord, our journey went well. We sneaked into the city and listened to townspeople complain about the Israelites and their God. Some said the king and his soldiers feared our army. A woman named Rahab hid us from soldiers. She asked for protection and we agreed. I'm convinced the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands because the people of Jericho are afraid of us."


"You promised protection? I didn't plan to spare any one from Jericho." Joshua pushed his shoulders back and nodded. "All right. God has shown His will. We'll spare her, but you must take care of her and her family. Good work on this mission. We leave for the Jordan River shore tomorrow."


****************************
1. What did Rahab want the spies to promise?
2. What instructions did the spies give Rahab?
3. Where did Rahab tell the spies to hide for three days?
4. Did the spies plan to help anyone from the city?  Did Joshua?
5. Who planned to save Rahab and her family?  (If you need help with this question, email me, mimary_vee@yahoo.com or leave a comment)