What is the meaning of Joshua 2:11? When we heard this - Rahab is speaking of the news that has swept through Canaan—the parting of the Red Sea and the recent victories over Sihon and Og (Joshua 2:9–10). - God had promised Israel that “this day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples under the whole heaven” (Deuteronomy 2:25), and here we watch that promise fulfilled. - Just as the nations trembled when they heard of the Red Sea in Exodus 15:14–16, the word of God’s deeds still carries real power. Our hearts melted - “Their hearts melted and became like water” is an idiom for total loss of resolve; Psalm 22:14 uses the same picture to describe utter weakness. - It mirrors the unbelieving report that once made Israel’s own hearts melt (Deuteronomy 1:28); now God turns the tables and causes the enemy to feel what Israel once felt. Everyone’s courage failed because of you - Courage fails when human strength meets divine power. When the Jordan was crossed a few days later, “their hearts melted, and they no longer had the courage to confront the Israelites” (Joshua 5:1). - The scene foreshadows how Jericho’s walls will fall without a sword being lifted (Joshua 6). God alone breaks resistance (Isaiah 13:7; Luke 21:26). The LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below - Rahab’s confession echoes Moses’ declaration: “The LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39). - It proclaims the universal reign of Yahweh—His sovereignty is not regional like the Canaanite deities but absolute, “whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth” (Psalm 135:6). - This Gentile woman’s faith anticipates the global authority Christ claims in Matthew 28:18 and the bowing of every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth (Philippians 2:10). summary Rahab’s words reveal four truths: (1) God’s past acts are heard and still move hearts; (2) His power drains human confidence; (3) He alone causes enemy resistance to collapse; (4) His rule spans heaven and earth. The verse is a living testimony that God keeps His promises, draws unexpected people to faith, and reigns everywhere, always. |
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