Question 1

Who is Rahab in this passage and why is she important?

Accepted Answer

Rahab is a woman in Jericho who shelters two Israelite spies sent to check the land before Israel crosses the Jordan. She has heard how God dried up the Red Sea and defeated Sihon and Og, and she believes that God has given Israel the land. Because of this, she chooses to side with Israel instead of her own city. She hides the spies, protects them from the king’s men, and asks for mercy for herself and her family. Her faith shows up in both her words and her actions.

Question 2

What does Rahab mean when she says, “I know that the LORD hath given you the land”?

Accepted Answer

When Rahab says she knows the Lord has given Israel the land, she is admitting that Israel’s God is in control of what happens in Canaan. She and her people have heard how God opened the Red Sea and how Israel defeated strong kings on the other side of the Jordan. These reports have convinced her that this is not just normal war, but God keeping His promise to Israel. So she speaks as if the outcome is already settled: God’s plan will stand, and Jericho cannot resist Him.

Question 3

Why were the hearts of the people in Jericho said to have melted?

Accepted Answer

Rahab explains that when the people of Jericho heard about the Red Sea and the defeat of Sihon and Og, “our hearts did melt” and no courage remained in anyone. This means they were filled with fear and lost all confidence. God had already promised that the nations would be terrified when Israel came near, and here that promise is coming true. Their fear shows that they know something greater than them is at work. Yet, instead of turning to God, most of them remain His enemies, while Rahab turns to Him in faith.

Question 4

What is the significance of Rahab’s confession that God is “God in heaven above, and in earth beneath”?

Accepted Answer

Rahab’s words show that she is not just afraid of Israel’s army but has come to believe in Israel’s God Himself. In a city that likely worshiped many local gods, she confesses that the Lord is the true God over everything in heaven and on earth. She is turning away from the idols of her people and recognizing one God who rules all. This is a deep statement of faith for someone from a pagan city, and it explains why she is willing to risk her life to protect the spies and seek mercy from their God.

Question 5

Why did Rahab ask the spies to save her whole family, not just herself?

Accepted Answer

Rahab’s request shows how seriously she takes the coming judgment and how much she cares for her family. She does not only think of her own safety. She asks that her father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all they have be spared from death. This points to the way God often works through one believer to bring blessing to many others. It also shows that true faith does not sit back, but pleads for the good of loved ones and wants them to share in the mercy God is showing.

Question 6

What is the meaning of the scarlet cord in Rahab’s window?

Accepted Answer

The scarlet cord was a sign the spies gave Rahab. She was to tie it in the same window she used to let them down from the wall. When Israel later attacked Jericho, this cord would mark her house so that the soldiers would spare everyone inside. Practically, it was a simple signal that could be seen from outside. Spiritually, it pictured how God gives a clear sign of His promise and calls a person to trust that sign. Rahab’s quick obedience in tying the cord showed that she truly believed their word.

Question 7

Why did the spies insist Rahab keep everyone inside her house to be saved?

Accepted Answer

The spies told Rahab that anyone who went outside the doors of her house when Jericho was attacked would be responsible for their own death, but anyone inside would be under their protection. This set a clear boundary: safety would be found only in the place marked by the scarlet cord. It teaches personal responsibility, because people had to choose to stay in the house, and it also shows mercy, because a whole household could be safe if they followed the warning. It underlines that God’s rescue has a clear, not casual, way.

Question 8

How did Rahab’s actions show that her faith was real, not just words?

Accepted Answer

Rahab’s faith shows up in many practical ways. She hides the spies at great risk to herself, she speaks openly of her belief that God has given Israel the land, she asks for mercy, she follows their directions about how to escape, and she immediately ties the scarlet cord in her window. She does not wait to see what happens; she acts on what she believes about God and His promise. Her story shows that real faith leads to obedience, courage, and wise action, even when the situation is dangerous and uncertain.

Question 9

Why did Rahab send the spies to the mountain for three days?

Accepted Answer

Rahab knew how her own people would search for the spies. She tells them to go to the nearby mountain and hide there for three days until the pursuers give up and return. This advice is simple but very wise, and it works: the pursuers do not find them. Her counsel shows that trusting God’s protection does not mean ignoring good sense. God used her local knowledge and careful planning to keep His servants safe, showing that faith and practical steps can go together.

Question 10

What does this passage teach about God’s character and His grace to sinners?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God is powerful in judgment and rich in mercy. He is giving Israel the land, and the people of Canaan are rightly afraid because of their rebellion. Yet, in the middle of a doomed city, God draws one woman with a bad past to Himself. Rahab hears what God has done, believes, and pleads for rescue. God makes a way for her and her family to be saved when Jericho falls. This shows that no background puts a person beyond His reach when they turn to Him in faith.

Joshua 2:8

¶ And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

The Promise to Rahab

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Joshua 2:8

¶ And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

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The Promise to Rahab

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