March 23, 2025 -Thanks That Make Me Go Hmmm

JOSHUA 3:1-6:27

Chronological Bible Readings

Joshua 3:16 the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.

How did the spies get across the Jordan to get to Jericho when Rahab protected them? Especially with the water being a flood stage.

Here is one storyteller's idea of what may have happened. It is pretty to cool to listen to this story.

Joshua Part 1 - Two Spies | Joshua 2 | Bible Storyteller

Joshua 6:1 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors.

Joshua 6:17 Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.

Joshua 6:20 When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it.

Joshua 6:22 Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.”

Rahab's house was part of the wall so when the walls of Jericho collapsed was it all but her house that collapsed? That is pretty miraculous also so, you would think it would be mentioned. Or did just a section of it collapse to let them in. That might make more sense because if the walls all around collapsed then the people and animals could escape and would not have been completely destroyed as God had commanded. That would also account for Rahab's and her family's safety.

Here is a commentary that seems to agree with only a portion of the wall collapsing. It also points out that there is no mention of people dying in the wall collapse and Rahab would not have been the only one living in the wall. They present that it could have been just the section of the wall at the city gate where there would have been no homes. How did the house of Rahab survive in Joshua 6? - Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange