A Sunday School Lesson On Rahab And The Spies

Here is a Sunday school lesson or Bible study about Rahab and the spies in Jericho.

Rahab Hides the Spies

Joshua 2:3 “Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.”

“Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there” (Joshua 2:1) so it was “By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies” (Heb 11:31) because she could have died . Rahab believed in God because she told the spies “that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you” (Joshua 2:9) “And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath” (Joshua 2:11).

How did Rahab know that God had given the land to Israel?

Why did the men go into the house of a prostitute (Rahab’s house)?

Why did Rahab risk her life in protecting the lives of the spies?

Rahab Warned

Joshua 6:17 “And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.”

The spies warned Rahab about the coming fall of Jericho, saying “when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household” (Joshua 2:18) which seems to be symbolic of the red cord that runs throughout the Bible that flowed from Emmanuel’s veins (Jesus Christ), so immediately after “she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window” (Joshua 2:21) as Joshua 6:17 shows, and when the walls came down, Rahab and her family was spared.

Was it okay for Rahab to lie about the spies in this case? If so, why?

What does the red cord mean to you?

Why was the city to “be devoted to the Lord for destruction?”

Rahab Spared

Joshua 6:23 “So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel.”

After Rabab and all her family had been saved from the destruction of Jericho, “Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho” (Joshua 6:25) and that story was never forgotten by the to this day and will forever be remembered because she became part of the line of Jesus Christ and His family. Talk about grace! A prostitute living in a pagan nation turns to faith in God and is included in the New Testament as part of Jesus Christ’s lineage.

Why would God include Rahab in the family line of Jesus Christ?

What does that tell you about God (Acts 10:34; Rom 2:11)?

Do you think the rest of Rahab’s family believed in God?

Conclusion

I urge you in your study to look at all of the Bible verses and read them aloud in the class so that you can get the most out of this lesson on Rahab and the spies. Rahab is a great story of forgiveness and redemption because she ends up being in the royal lineage of King David but also of Jesus Christ (Matt 1:5), the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Rahab showed her faith in God and so “was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way” (James 2:25)? She believed God, she acted upon that belief, and she and her whole household were saved.

Does Rahab’s story sound familiar (Acts 16:25-34)?

Does James mean that Rahab was saved by works?

What has changed in your understanding of Rahab and the spies in this study?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.