Last Sunday it was reported that a spy device designed to look like a rock may have self-destructed when Iranian soldiers came across it near an important nuclear facility.

Here’s part of the article:

A spy device camouflaged as a rock exploded when it came into contact with Iranian troops near an underground nuclear enrichment plant.
Last month, Revolutionary Guards at the Fordo nuclear facility, near the northern city of Qom, came across the rock and attempted to move it.
The guards, who had been on patrol to check terminals connecting data and telephone links to the site, reportedly witnessed the disguised spy device exploding when they came into contact with it.

You may not realize it, but a different kind of spy may have interacted with you recently. Research indicates that as many as 750,000 jobs are lost each year in the US due to corporate espionage. In 2010 the activities of these white-collar spies led to the loss of over 100 billion dollars among Fortune 1000 companies.

We’re going to be looking at a passage where Joshua sends out 2 spies to explore Jericho. While they’re on assignment they have an important encounter with a woman named Rahab who is in urgent need of salvation.

Not only is this a great story, but it’s applicable to us today. Because, if you’re a Christian here this morning, the Lord says that you’re an active field agent, sent behind enemy lines in a war between 2 kingdoms. He specifically says that He is sending you and I out on mission into a dark and dangerous place. Why? To prepare the way of our King, to stand against the Devil and to rescue the prisoners he’s taken captive.

Toward that end, God sends us out on specific missions to explore regions of this world and along the way we’re going to encounter people that need salvation, just the way these 2 Israelites did in Joshua chapter 2.

So, let’s look at our text and see what we see.

Joshua 2.1-24 – Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.”
So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.”
So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.”
Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.
Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”
So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”
Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.”
So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.”
Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.
They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”

This is a great story. You could spend many, many hours in this text because there are a lot of really interesting perspectives here. If you focused on just what God was doing, you see a powerful demonstration of God’s grace and His providence and His keeping a promise to the children of Israel.

Then of course there’s the Rahab angle. Back in 2008 we went verse by verse through Joshua and our pastor had a great look at her and how she can represent us.

This morning we’re going to focus on the spies and their mission.

First, they were sent out to explore the land.

Joshua 2.1a – Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.”

Joshua was a great military leader, a great spiritual leader and a good type for us this morning of Jesus Christ. Here he hand selected these 2 guys to be some of the first ever Mossad agents for the nation of Israel. Their mission was to scout the land, explore the country, get a feel for what was happening in Canaan and especially the city of Jericho.

It’s a similar pattern to what we see in the New Testament and what we’re commissioned to as disciples of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus sent out His disciples in the Gospels, He sent them to go through the country 2 by 2, doing ministry and supporting each other.

To us the Bible says that God is going to send us out throughout the world. There are specific fields that the Lord puts us in, but we’re also to spread the Gospel and make disciples as we are going.

Now, here’s something that’s important: These 2 spies in Joshua 2 probably felt inadequate for the job. They had grown up in the wilderness. They’d never been sent on a mission like this. And though they knew the Lord was for them, this was still as serious an assignment as you could have. But Joshua knew they could do it. He knew they could accomplish what he asked them to do and he knew that these 2 guys were the right men for the job.

The task of making disciples and living out the call of Christ may seem overwhelming, but the things God asks us to do, we can do. And when God speaks to you and says, “I’d like you to serve in this ministry,” or, “I want you to share with this person over here,” He does so because He knows you can do it, because He does it through us. Our Commander has confidence in us and He has the strength to accomplish what He asks us to do.

Joshua 2.1b – So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.

We’re going to take a look at their encounter with Rahab in a moment, but first let’s deal with the harlotry issue.

First of all, on Rahab’s behalf, yes she had been a harlot. But what’s clearly seen now is that she was ready to follow the God of Israel. You can read the study from 2008 which explains a little more about who she was. Her house was probably not just a brothel, but an inn that travelers would stay at.

But, yes, she had been a harlot. The New Testament verifies that. So the bigger issue for us this morning as we look at the spies is: What were they doing at a harlot’s house?

I’ve heard some suggest that they were there to solicit Rahab. This is not only inconsistent with what we’re seeing in the text, but it also would’ve made God inconsistent. In just a few chapters the whole nation of Israel is judged by God and set back because of the sin of one man, named Achan, who took a few pieces of clothes and treasure from Jericho. If these spies had been in sin we would’ve undoubtedly had another Achan situation. Because the Lord cares a great deal about the way we live our lives.

They found themselves there at her inn because that’s where God directed them. We’ll see that in just a little bit. But devotionally this morning I hope we’re reminded that if we’re living and loving like Jesus did, then we’re going to find ourselves ministering in some tough places sometimes. Places where the Gospel is needed. Places with spiritually sick people.
Joshua 2.2-3 – And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.”
So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.”

So much for being undercover. The people in Jericho were immediately tipped off about these 2 guys. An interesting thing about being a Christian who’s been sent behind enemy lines is that we’re not really supposed to be covert about it. We’re sent as darkness into light, which is the most noticeable thing in the world. Even when we try to keep people from knowing that we’re Christians, which we should never do, there’s really no way to be covert about it. Peter, there outside of the trial of Jesus on the night before His crucifixion, utterly failed at trying to fly under the radar.

Have you noticed that you stick out as a Christian? It’s like being the only live person in a room full of zombies. They can sniff you out. That’s a good thing. Jesus drew a lot of attention. So, if we’re being Christ-like, it’s going to draw attention both from people who are seeking help and from the enemy who wants to snuff out our light.

The encouragement for you is not to hide away. Don’t be ashamed of your Christianity. Shine as brightly as you can.

Matthew 10.32-33 –  “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

Joshua 2.4-7, 22 – Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate. (drop down to 22)
They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them.

These guys had to be quick on their feet in every sense. Things weren’t really going according to plan. Being on assignment for God requires flexibility. We’re to be ready, we’re to be prepared, we’re supposed to train ourselves and plan when it comes to ministry and living out our faith, but above all we’re to be Spirit-led. Able to go with the flow of God’s will and the opportunities He brings us.

If we could see our lives from heaven’s perspective I think we would be amazed at how many Spiritual opportunities God has for us each day. In order to be ready for those opportunities we have to be living holy and preparing our lives for what God might do, but we also have to be personally connecting with the Holy Spirit so that we recognize a divine appointment when it comes. The Book of Acts gives us many great examples of how that happens.

Joshua 2.23-24 –  So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”

Joshua had asked these 2 guys to go and view the land. They brought back a great report and a ton of information that they had received from Rahab. No doubt they talked strategy and potential plans for conquest, while also prayerfully waiting for the Lord’s direction.

God has placed each of us into a specific place and time, a specific mission field to explore and work in. Do we have vision for that battlefield? Or, expanding these guy’s assignment as a whole, am I really willing to go behind enemy lines, or am I living out my Christian life in an aquarium?

Remember the aquarium in Finding Nemo? When little Nemo is taken from the ocean and dropped into the aquarium, at first all the other fish are afraid of him and afraid of the ocean except one fish named Gill. He’s the only one that wanted to get back out into the open waters where they belonged. The other fish thought the ocean was dirty. That it was too dangerous to go in themselves. They were content to stay in the aquarium until they caught the vision that Gill had to get out to the place they were meant to be. Out of their little 6-foot confinement and into the vast waters of the open sea.

That’s the kind of Christian we need to be. Not content to stay in a little segregated aquarium, but ready to go where the Lord wants to send us. Realizing we’re made to go out on assignment for Christ, not just sit around in a tent till He returns for us.

Now, as we read, their fact-finding mission ended up turning into a life-saving rescue operation when they encountered Rahab.

How did they end up there?

Well, it’s clear that God, in His providence, brought them there. It was no accident that they found their way to the only believer in the whole city. The only person who was interested in finding salvation.

This is what God does! He leads you to the right spot at the right time if you’re willing to go and be used.

God loves doing stuff like this. Remember, He directed each pair of animals to the ark Noah had built. He directed Philip out into the desert, right to a place where the Ethiopian eunuch would be driving by. He got Jonah to Nineveh. Because God loves to providentially and supernaturally connect His disciples with people who are searching for salvation.

Somehow the Lord directed these 2 spies to the house of the one woman in the whole city who was searching for Him. Which is an example of His amazing, abounding grace and His unfailing mercy.

Here’s what we learn from their encounter with Rahab:

First, they bridged the gap between Rahab and the Lord.

Joshua 2.8-13 – Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

She had heard about the God of Israel, but until these guys showed up there was really nothing she could do to save herself or her family. But the Lord sent 2 of His people to her and she’s able to effectively ask them, “What must I do to be saved?!?”

Christians, you are the bridge in connecting sinners with the Gospel.

Romans 10.14 – How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Not only were these 2 spies the bridge between Rahab and this God she had heard about, but they clearly mapped out for her the way of salvation.

Joshua 2.17-21 – So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.”
Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

You know what I like about this? Even though these 2 guys didn’t exactly know how God was going to conquer Jericho or exactly how it work out for Rahab and her family, they knew God enough to know that He would act mercifully. They knew He would pour out love and grace to her if she was willing to cling to Him. And they detailed that to her very clearly.

That’s something for us to take away this morning. She asked how to be saved and they said, “THIS is how you can be saved,” and laid it out simply and directly.

The people of the world need salvation. And they also want it. They want to be freed from their guilt. Forgiven. Given purpose. To know that they are loved by God. And we really don’t have time to get off message. Because those people are moments from judgment.

God’s intention is to scatter you and me out there in the world so that we can encounter people who are searching for Him and are at the moment of decision. And we’ve got to deliver the Gospel to them, not anything less.

Sometimes we get distracted trying to solve every problem a person has. When what we should be doing is getting them to Jesus. See, the spies didn’t find out she was an ally of theirs and then try to figure out how she could escape the city. They knew that what she and her family needed was for God to save them. And they trusted God to save. They trusted God to take care of her and her family.

Above all other things, the lost people around us need to know the truth about the Lord because Jesus Christ is the answer to every problem they are facing. And Jesus Christ can take care of their lives much better than we ever could. That’s not to say that we don’t help and don’t participate in compassionate works. Of course we do. But in the end we’re to deliver the method of salvation to people and then trust God to work out the other problems in His timing and with His methods.

How should we deliver the Lord to them?

Joshua 2.14 – So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

Kindly and truly. Dealing out love to those who, like us, do not deserve it. People who deserve judgement.

What a challenging example these 2 spies are for us! They are so gracious that they were willing to lay down their lives for a harlot who they just met and her family. They could’ve said, “Sorry, you guys had your chance,” or, “Sorry, it’s not our problem,” or, “Sorry, it’s not really in my job description to do this for you.” But instead they willingly laid down their lives so that she could be saved.

This really spoke to me. To pause for a minute and ask myself if I’m willing to even talk to a person like Rahab? Am I willing to interact with the kind of people Jesus did? And then, am I willing to lay down my life to show people the route to salvation?

Those are important questions for each of us to pose to ourselves, because we’re called to love others with agape love, which is by definition unconditional and self-sacrificing.

1 John 3.16 – We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

This was an amazing encounter and should be a great inspiration for us today.

As Christians, you and I have been selected and sent out to explore some specific place. Some specific battlefield. Don’t stay in the aquarium. Don’t ask the Lord to send someone else. Choose to go out where you’re made to go. Those who seek to serve the Lord will find more opportunities than they could imagine. And as you encounter the lost, do justly, love mercy, walk humbly. Minister to people kindly and truly and remember that we’ve been commissioned to lay down our lives in service to God and for others.

If you’re not a Christian here this morning, well, you’re not Joshua, you’re not one of the spies, you’re certainly not God. No, you’re one of the people living in Jericho on the eve of destruction. God’s judgement is coming. But you can choose whether you’re going to be Rahab or if you’re going to be like all the other people living inside the walls that night. You can be saved. You can be forgiven, because God loves you and doesn’t want you to lose your life. In fact, God wants more for you than you could ask or imagine. Call out to Jesus, talk to someone who knows Him before it’s too late. If you seek God, you will find Him, because God’s grace is never-ending and His love for you is real.