"Joshua the son of Nun dispatched two spies, saying: Go and see the Land, and
Jericho." Joshua 2:1
This event took place just after Moses’ death, when the Israelites were about to cross the Jordan
and defeat the first city in the Promised Land - Jericho. The east bank of the Jordan - the land allotted to the tribes of
Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh - had already been conquered during the days of Moses. Because Moses died before his
work was completed, it fell to his successor, Joshua, to organize the capture and settling of the Land
of Canaan by the Israelite nation.
Although Yahveh was with him, Joshua did not take victory over the walled city of Jericho for granted. He
sent two men to enter the city gates and search the place out, to obtain as much military information as possible. Word reached
the king of Jericho that two dangerous men entered the city. Rahab (her profession being variously rendered as 'innkeeper'
or 'prostitute') had already secreted them into her home within the actual city walls, hiding them under a pile of flax on
the roof. When the king's men came in to search, she told them that the two men left the city before nightfall,
causing them to search along the wrong trail.
Rahab knew what the two Israelite spies wanted, and she told them all they needed to know: that the
people of Jericho were in dread and terror of the Israelites. "They heard of the miracles of the Red Sea
and Moses' victories on the east side of the Jordan, and their hearts had melted" - knowing full well that Yahveh was
with the Israelites. (Joshua 2:11) The most she could hope for was that she and her family will be allowed to live. The
men - on oath - agreed to spare them, under two conditions. She would ensure their safety out of Jericho by not betraying
them, and hang on her window a bright red rope that would be recognized by Joshua's invading troops.
The men left Jericho in pitch dark. Because the gates were still locked, Rahab let them escape
from the city though her window - going down the rope. They hid in the mountains for three days until the search was
called off. Their report to Joshua, in contrast to the earlier spies sent by Moses, was short and to the point: "Yahveh
has given all the Land into our hands, all the inhabitants of the land have melted in the face of us." Joshua
2:24
The expedition to spy out Jericho prior to its capture was very successful. The expedition to spy out the
Promised Land thirty nine years earlier turned out to be a disaster, resulting in Yahveh's sentence of "Not
one of you shall enter the Land in which I had sworn to settle you except Caleb the son of Jephuneh and Joshua the son of
Nun." Numbers 14:30
What was the fundamental difference between the two operations that caused such differences in their
outcome? A closer look at the two texts reveals some fundamental differences.
The two spies sent by Joshua were ‘cheresh’ - meaning 'deaf': they pretend they could not hear,
so that the locals would not be scared to disclose vital information of interest to Joshua in their presence. (Joshua 2:1) 'Cheresh'
also means that the spies were to be sent 'secretly'. The twelve spies dispatched by Moses did not report their information
solely to Moses and Aaron and let them deal with it as they saw fit. Rather, they presented it dramatically before the
whole congregation of Israel. (Numbers 13:26) In contrast, the two men who collected information about Jericho, reorted to
Joshua only - "Yahveh has given all the Land into our hands, all the inhabitants of the land have
melted in the face of us." (Joshua 2:24)
This comparison is relevant to us today, where projects are more likely to be successful if undertaken
quietly and unobtrusively, than under the public eye, with pomp and publicity.
Video Teaching By Rena Richman
Rachav: Profile in Repentance, part I
Rachav: Profile in Repentance, part II
