Journey Through Joshuaনমুনা

Central Campaign: In Front of the Text

The juxtaposed stories of Rahab and Achan teach us a lot about the essential identity of God’s people, and that identity is still in place today.

Comparing Rahab & Achan

Let’s examine one of the creative tensions in Joshua: judgment and mercy. The stories of Rahab and Achan in the Central Campaign punctuate this tension.

Why, we might ask, is Rahab (the Canaanite) shown mercy, and Achan (the Hebrew) shown judgment? These two stories get at the issue of insiders and outsiders. At the end of the day, to be an insider among God’s people is an option even for a Canaanite. And, by contrast, it is possible for a Hebrew to be an outsider. This issue of identity has important implications as we think about what defines insiders and outsiders in the Church today.

The Bloodline that Matters

God makes it crystal clear to Israel that being a member of the family is not about bloodlines. The main thing was, and will always be, submission and obedience to YHWH.

He left the Israelites a very tangible reminder. There’s a big pile of stones that was once Jericho. That was example No. 1. But there’s a little pile of stones too—covering Achan and his family—and that’s example No. 2.

Both Achan and the Canaanites of Jericho lie buried under a pile of stones because they shared the same kind of hearts.

Meanwhile, the Canaanite Rahab and her family live, safe and secure, with the Israelites. Do they have Hebrew blood? No. Does everybody in Israel have Hebrew blood? No.

Remember, a mixed multitude came out of Egypt. The people came out of Egypt because of blood. Not because they all shared Hebrew blood, but it was the blood of the lamb on the doorpost that mattered. All who obeyed the command of YHWH were passed over.

People loyal to the God of Israel—they’re the ones eligible to enter the Promised Land. You’ll see this persistently. A Gentile coming to faith may be an exception, but it is a persistent exception. You’re meeting it now with Rahab. You’re going to meet it later with Ruth.

God deliberately inserts people into the genetic line to keep people aware of this reality. Our spiritual ancestors needed to be aware that being Hebrew was not a guarantee. It was about a kind of bloodline of faith. The only thing that really mattered was if you were loyal to the God of Israel. So at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what your ethnicity is in Israel. Rahab and her family are like trophies. Everybody can point to them. They say, “Look. They are among us to this day.”

Wrap up

Nicole wraps up this lesson on the importance of our obedience, not just individually, but for our brothers and sisters.