Jos 2:15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house [was] upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

Her house was located within the fortifications of Jericho. The Hebrew translation literally reads, “Her house was against the vertical surface of the city wall, and in the city wall she lived.”

How was her house preserved when the wall fell? German excavations from 1907-1909 on the northern section of the site, uncovered a portion of the lower city wall that did not fall as it did everywhere else.

The still-standing section rose as high as 8 feet, with houses built against it still intact. A second wall at the crest of the embankment revealed that these particular houses were situated between the upper and lower city walls and were thus “in the city wall.”

Since the lower wall also formed the back wall of the houses, an opening (window) in the wall would have provided a convenient escape route for the spies. From this northerly location it was only a short distance to the hills of the Judean wilderness, where the spies hid for three days.

Jos 2:16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.

Hiding themselves for three days is reminiscent of, or a foreshadowing of Christ’s burial and resurrection three days later.

Jos 2:17 And the men said unto her, We [will be] blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
Jos 2:18 Behold, [when] we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.

And now, here the scarlet thread represents the blood that was shed; much like the Passover.

Jos 2:19 And it shall be, [that] whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood [shall be] upon his head, and we [will be] guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood [shall be] on our head, if [any] hand be upon him.
Jos 2:20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.
Jos 2:21 And she said, According unto your words, so [be] it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
Jos 2:22 And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned: and the pursuers sought [them] throughout all the way, but found [them] not.
Jos 2:23 So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all [things] that befell them:
Jos 2:24 And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.

This story of Rahab proves that God uses individuals of all temperaments and backgrounds to accomplish His purposes – even prostitutes. She was strategically positioned in a home in the wall of Jericho working as a prostitute in Jericho when the Israelites approached the city.

When the two Hebrew spies came to her for aid, she displayed a clear understanding of spiritual issues. She not only described the dread of her people concerning the Jews, but additionally, she acknowledged that the land belonged to the Israelites.

Therefore, she willingly risked her life to hide the spies. She leveraged her hospitality on behalf of her family, and being a woman of her word, fulfilled her end of the bargain, and kept their secret.

Although the Hebrew spies needed someone to help them scope out the best approach to conquering the city, there seemed little logical reason why Rahab should have been considered for the role.

She occupied no position and held no official title in the city.
The Israelites looked upon women as lower class citizens.
As a prostitute, she held an even lower social rank than the average woman.

God chose Rahab because leadership depends less on titles than it does on influence. She helped the spies by her quick wisdom, gutsy style, and clever plan. Why? Because she believed in the power of God, having heard about the accomplishments of the Israelites.

By doing so she saved not only her own life, but aided in accomplishing the purposes of God in Jericho.

Wise leaders remember that God sees the human heart; while many would never trust a woman with a personal history like that of Rahab, God selected her. The name “Rahab” even occupies an honored place in the Hall of Faith, because Rahab faithfully served God. Her family lived and was adopted into Hebrew society – and she became an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Himself.