神永远的经纶主要包括两件事－基督和祂的配偶，为着基督的扩大、扩增和开展。基督这配偶至终要终极完成为新耶路撒冷，作三一神完满的彰显，直到永远。约书亚记这卷书的内在意义，就是取得那地，预表我们取得基督；加上得着适当的人，以生出基督，使基督得着开展与扩增。约书亚一章是说到取得基督，而二章是说到向人开展基督、生出基督。神为着取得那地预备了约书亚。然而，为着基督的开展需要一个外邦的妇人；为此神预备了妓女喇合。
喇合信了以色列人的神。她告诉探子说，她知道耶和华已经把那地赐给以色列人，并且那地的一切居民，在他们面前心都销化了。喇合宣告说，『耶和华你们的神，本是上天下地的神』。喇合转向以色列人和他们的神，并信靠祂和祂的百姓。她求探子恩待她的父家，并给她一个可信靠的凭据，好救活她的父母、弟兄和姐妹，拯救他们的性命不死。喇合借着本于信心的行为，乐意接待两个探子，将他们藏起来，又释放他们。她接待、隐藏并释放探子，都是信心的行为。这指明她的信心是积极的。
探子告诉喇合，要在她房子窗户上挂一条朱红线绳。照着他们的话，她『把朱红线绳系在窗户上』。朱红线绳是公开的挂在那里，每一个人都看得见。因此，系在窗户上的朱红线绳，预表公开承认基督救赎的宝血。喇合这样公开的承认，并且相信借着这个记号，她和她一家都要蒙拯救。这个给喇合与她全家得救的记号，指明神对外邦罪人的全家救恩。我们赞美主，为着祂拯救全家的奇妙救恩。行传十六章三十至三十一节启示，主的救恩是为着个别信徒的，但祂的救恩却是以家为单位。挪亚全家的事例，和以色列人全家的事例，也可说明这点。喇合全家的事例，印证家乃是神救恩的单位。在新约里，撒该一家的事例，哥尼流一家的事例，吕底亚一家的事例，以及腓立比禁卒一家的事例，都说明了全家得救的原则。
喇合是一个被定罪、只配灭亡的迦南人，但她借着转向神和神的子民，并借着嫁给以色列领头的犹大支派中一个首领的儿子，或许是两个探子之一的撒门，成了基督的一位主要的先祖，在基督的成为肉体里与祂联结，为着完成神永远的经纶。
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Preparing Rahab the Harlot – Jos. 2:8
God’s eternal economy consists mainly of two things – Christ and His counterpart for the enlargement, the increase and the spreading of Christ. This counterpart of Christ will ultimately consummate in the New Jerusalem as the full expression of the Triune God for eternity. The intrinsic significance of the book of Joshua is the taking of the land, which typifies our gaining of Christ, plus the gaining of the proper persons to bring forth Christ that Christ might be spread and increased. Chapter one of Joshua is concerned with the gaining of Christ, and chapter two, with the spreading of Christ, with the bringing forth of Christ to others. God provided Joshua for the gaining of the land. However, there was the need of a Gentile woman for the spreading of Christ, and for this God provided Rahab the harlot.
Rahab believed in the God of Israel. She told the spies that she knew that Jehovah had given the land to the people of Israel and that all the inhabitants of the land melted before them. Then Rahab declared, “Jehovah your God, He is God in heaven above and upon earth beneath”.
Rahab turned to Israel and their God, and she trusted in Him and His people. She asked the spies to deal kindly with her father’s house and to give her some token of trust that they would preserve her father, mother, brothers, and sisters and deliver their lives from death. Rahab was willing to receive the spies, hide them and deliver them by her acts out of her faith. Her receiving, hiding and delivering the spies were acts of faith. This indicates that her faith was active.
The spies told Rahab to hang a line of scarlet thread in the window of her house. According to their words, “she tied the scarlet line in the window”. The scarlet thread tied in the window of Rahab’s house was hung out in the open; it was there for everyone to see. Thus, the scarlet thread tied to the window typifies an open confession of the redeeming blood of Christ. Rahab made such an open confession and believed that by this sign she and her household would be delivered. This sign for Rahab and her household to be saved indicates God’s household salvation to the Gentile sinners. We praise the Lord for His marvelous household salvation. Acts 16:30 and 31 reveal that whereas the Lord’s salvation is for the individual believer, the unit of His salvation is the household. This is also illustrated by the cases of the whole house of Noah and of the houses of Israel. The case of the whole house of Rahab confirms that the family, the household, is the unit of God’s salvation. In the New Testament the principle of household salvation is illustrated by the cases of the house of Zacchaeus, the house of Cornelius, the house of Lydia and the house of the Philippian jailer.
Rahab was a condemned Canaanite qualified to be destroyed, but she became one of the main ancestors of Christ, associated with Christ in His incarnation for the fulfillment of God’s eternal economy, by turning to God and His people and by being married to Salmon, the son of a leader of Judah, a leading tribe of Israel, and probably one of the two spies.