Joshua 6:22

Joshua 6:22 says, But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.  Joshua kept the promise to Rahab.  He told the two men who had been the spies to go to her house and bring out all that were with Rahab and Rahab herself.  When we, as followers of Christ make a promise, especially one made in God's name, we should always do our best to keep it.  First though we must make sure that what we are promising is in the will of God.  For example, we cannot promise salvation by any other method than by faith in Christ as one's Savior and Lord, nor can we promise prosperity unless it is for the furthering of God's work and within His will.  Verse twenty-three states, And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.  The two young men who were spies went in and brought Rahab and her family out of the city.  They were the ones who knew her and had made the promise to her.  These two young men were also the ones that she knew.  Sometimes, it is easier to trust those that we have a personal relationship with, so we should be witnessing especially to those that we know who are lost, even though we are to also witness to those that we don't know.  Verse twenty-four declares, And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.  The people of Israel burned up everything and everyone in the city of Jericho, except the gold, silver and vessels of brass and iron.  These they brought into God's storehouse.  Though we might see this as being extreme, I believe that it was God's way of removing all pagan influence and insuring that His people were not just following Him for profit.  They could have had the whole city and its wealth, but what they were doing was not for them to get rich, but for them to prove their faithfulness to God.   We today should never see following God as a way to earthly riches, and I believe that we should never follow those who proclaim that God promises us riches if we follow Him.  Verse twenty-five says, And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.  This verse says that Joshua saved Rahab abd her family, but her faith in God and actions because of that faith saved Rahab.  We must not only have faith in God if we are to be effective in the world today, but we must act on that faith.  Verse twenty-six declares, And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.  Joshua warned the people against trying to rebuild the city of Jericho, just as we today should never attempt to rebuild the things that we tore down when we came to God by our faith in Jesus.  Verse twenty-seven adds, So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.  God had promised Joshua that He would be with him, and He was.  Joshua's fame did not grow because of his own abilities, but because of his faithfulness to God.  If people know our name today, let it be because of our faithfulness to God.