The Life of Joshua
We spoke in the previous issue about the secret of the strength of Joshua the Prophet, and today we continue our meditations on the life of Joshua, and on the story of Jericho and Rahab the harlot:
The Life of Joshua (1)
A Negative Duty and a Positive Duty:
In the spiritual life, a person has two duties: one negative and the other positive.
The negative duty is to come out of the bondage of Pharaoh…
to come out of the bondage of sin and its captivity and despoiling. This is symbolized by escaping from Pharaoh’s slavery.
There must also be a positive act — entering into the joys of God, entering into the Promised Land, into the life with the Lord…
It is not enough to leave sin; one must also enjoy the blessings of Canaan.
Joshua’s mission was to enter into the blessings of Canaan, which symbolize the enjoyment of the Lord and communion with Him — the joy, love, peace, and other fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The Spiritual Life Is Not Just Negatives:
“Do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not covet what belongs to your neighbor…” — all these are the works of the Law, as written by Moses.
But Joshua reminds us of the positive work — entering into the Land.
It is like a person who repented, left sins behind, but still needs to taste the sweetness of the Lord and His fellowship. Repentance alone is not enough; he still lacks spiritual enjoyment.
Many people live in the wilderness — neither in Pharaoh’s bondage nor in the delights of Canaan. They wander in the desert: not living in sin, yet not living in divine fellowship. They need a person like Joshua (whose name means “Savior,” the same as our Lord Jesus the Savior) to move them from the bondage of Satan into the joys of the children of God.
Wisdom Alongside the Promises:
Although Joshua had received promises from God, and God had surely pledged to deliver his enemies into his hands and to prosper all his plans, yet he still acted with sound order and wise steps to reach his goal.
God’s promises are not an excuse for laziness. They do not prevent us from walking wisely and orderly. The Scripture says: “Let all things be done decently and in order.” We cannot rely on faith alone without doing our part of the work.
Therefore, Joshua first sent two men to spy out the land and bring him a report… He gathered the people and gave them the necessary guidance and instructions before beginning the task. And he did not stop there — he sanctified the people so that they would enter in holiness, ensuring that no sin or impurity would exist in God’s army, lest all the people perish because of the sin of a few. Even when crossing the Jordan, he proceeded with full wisdom and order.
Saint Rahab the Harlot:
The two men whom he sent entered the house of Rahab the harlot.
In fact, Rahab the harlot is the most famous character the Bible presents to us in the story of Jericho — at the very beginning of entering Canaan.
The Bible does not mention the name of Jericho’s king, nor the commander of its army, nor any of its nobles or priests. It mentions only one great person — Rahab!
Rahab the harlot is presented by the Scripture as the strongest person in that city — not before men, but before God.
When God’s records are opened on the last day, when the names written in the Book of Life are read, we shall marvel indeed…
For God has different standards than those of men. Perhaps Rahab was despised by people, yet she was honored and precious before God.
When Joshua entered Jericho, the only house that was saved was Rahab’s house — the one from which hung the scarlet cord, symbolizing the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and salvation itself.
Who would have thought that the only house to be saved would be Rahab’s? Perhaps some imagined that Joshua would burn her house with fire to cleanse the city from impurity — but the opposite happened entirely.
Rahab’s house was the only one saved — and not only she, but everyone who sought refuge in her house was saved as well.
She received the promise of salvation for herself, her father, mother, family, friends, and all who took shelter with her.
One could even say that Rahab’s house was like Noah’s Ark in that city — everyone who entered it was saved!
What power is this! Rahab became an intercessor — an intercessor for all those who were saved through her. She became a cause of salvation for many, a source of blessing, and she received promises.
Even more, Rahab became an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ came from her lineage. Saint Matthew includes her in the genealogy, as she gave birth to Boaz, one of the ancestors of David. Some may wonder how Christ came from the line of such a woman, but we say:
Christ took our corrupted nature in order to sanctify it and to offer us a pure and holy nature. He was born of the lineage of Rahab, and also of the wife of Uriah, who had also sinned…
But what matters is not the sin — it is repentance. Many sinned, but when they repented, they became whiter than snow.
Rahab represents those who came to the Lord at the eleventh hour and seized the Kingdom like the right-hand thief.
Rahab had excellent qualities and is portrayed in Scripture as a leader.
When the two men entered her house, she took command of the situation — she planned, led, and organized everything.
Those two men whom Joshua had sent — no doubt they were highly capable — yet under Rahab’s direction they were like children following her guidance. She gave orders, and they obeyed, acting only according to her counsel.
Indeed, Rahab had once been a harlot, but she received the men with utmost modesty and dignity. Neither of them sinned with her, nor did she sin with them. On the contrary, she spoke with them with faith-filled words, overflowing with trust in God’s work, and acted with deep wisdom.
She had a faith not found anywhere else in Jericho.
Do not think that virtue belongs only to God’s children. Many people who seem wicked are not utterly evil — God may find in them some bright points which He nurtures and grows until they are saved.
Many harlots had strong affections, though misdirected toward fleshly love. But when that affection turned toward divine love, it became a mighty power in the spiritual world.
The same emotion, with all its strength, was transformed from love of the world to love of God.
These women, once changed, became not only repentant but also great saints and guides for many.
Among them is Saint Mary of Egypt, who turned from a harlot into a repentant ascetic hermit — a saint whom the priest Zosima was blessed by. She reached high levels of holiness and love for God that thousands have never attained.
The same could be said of Saint Pelagia and Saint Augustine.
Augustine, too, was a passionate man, full of sensitivity and tenderness — all these gifts had been misused toward corruption. But God redirected them, transforming the sinful youth into a deep saint, a contemplative of the highest order, a pure spring of spirituality.
God never despairs of anyone. He can use all the great misguided energies and turn their direction completely.
And so it was with Rahab — she believed in God and His works.
She had heard of God’s miracles and was deeply moved. She believed that the walls of Jericho could not stand before the power of God. She saw God’s victory with the eyes of faith and asked the two men to remember her and her father’s house when they marched in His triumph.
Alongside her faith, Rahab also had the virtue of honoring her parents. She did not wish to be saved alone, leaving her father and mother behind.
She was clever and resourceful, capable of handling matters wisely. Even the children of the world have their talents — the principle of equal opportunities. When such qualities fall into God’s hands, guided by the Holy Spirit, they become talents in His service for the sake of His Kingdom.
Rahab was the type who learns from surrounding events.
She heard of the miracles and was moved to repentance.
Many have seen miracles — like the apparitions of the Virgin — yet have not repented even now.
The Jews knew of the miracle of giving sight to the man born blind and did not benefit, saying to him, “Do you not know that the man who healed you is a sinner?” About them, Abraham said of the rich man’s family in Hades: “If one rises from the dead, they will not believe.” But Rahab was of the kind who learns and takes heed.
Rahab was also one who made a covenant with the Lord and set a sign for that covenant — her scarlet cord was the symbol.
She saw salvation near and seized the opportunity. She entered into a covenant and fulfilled her part faithfully, risking her life in the process. But she was seeking salvation, holding fast to it, planning her future, and working for her eternal destiny.
God did not look at Rahab’s sinful past but at her believing present and her striving for salvation, and He accepted her. Her past sins were swallowed up in the ocean of His mercy.
She is a great lesson in repentance and salvation — in how God accepts sinners and transforms their lives. Rahab finally awoke, and God saw her in her awakening and covered her with His grace.
God had an appointment with Rahab’s heart that night.
He stood at the door and knocked — and the repentant saint opened to Him.
(1) Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – El-Keraza Magazine, Sixth Year (Issue No. 6), February 7, 1975.
