Oh Look! A Friendly Prostitute
- Joshua sends two spies over the River Jordan to scout the territory, especially Jericho.
- Upon entering Jericho, the spies immediately hit up the house of the prostitute, Rahab, and spend the night there. This may seem like a strange thing to do, but hear us out.
- At this time, brothels were the secret-keepers of the age. Everything said inside a brothel stayed in the brothel. So logically, if Israelite spies wanted to stay hidden but gather information, the brothel is the perfect place to do that.
- The king of Jericho gets wind of the fact that there are spies on his turf and orders Rahab to surrender them immediately.
- We guess brothels aren't as a safe as we thought—yes, we know what we just said.
- Rahab hides the Israelite spies on the roof (clever girl) and covers for them, explaining they were there but had fled.
- While the soldiers go off in search of the Israelites, Rahab goes to her roof to cut a deal with the two spies. She explains that "all the inhabitants of the land melt in fear before you" (9) because of what was done by Moses to the Egyptians, as well as the "Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og" (10).
- Rahab then swears her fealty to Israel for the protection of her family. As it turns out, Rahab is a prostitute with a heart of gold.
- The Israelite spies return in kind, and are all like, Don't worry, Rahab, we won't hurt your family.
- On one condition.
- There's always a condition.
- Rahab must tie a crimson cord in the window on the day of the Israelite invasion, otherwise her family will be killed along with the rest of the city (17-20).
- The Israelite—in a total spy move—scale down her great wall of Jericho on the crimson cord hung outside Rahab's window. Rahab, not taking any chances, leaves the cord right where it is.
- The Israelites report back to Joshua on all that has happened.