书二11　　我们一听见，心就融化了。…耶和华你们的神本是上天下地的神。

　　彼前一18~19　　知道你们得赎，脱离你们祖宗所传流虚妄的生活，…乃是用基督的宝血，如同无瑕疵无玷污的羔羊之血。

　　太一5　　撒门从喇合氏生波阿斯，波阿斯从路得氏生俄备得，俄备得生耶西。

　　约书亚打发两个探子去窥探那地，特别是耶利哥（书二1上）。约书亚打发探子的真正目的，乃是把喇合找出来。…喇合相信以色列的神（8~11，来十一31上）。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，在他们面前也都丧胆了。她接着说，他们听见以色列人出埃及的时候，耶和华怎样在以色列人前面使红海的水干了，以及以色列人怎样待亚摩利人的两个王西宏和噩，将他们尽都毁灭。然后喇合宣告说，“耶和华你们的神本是上天下地的神”（书二11下）。因着她相信神，她“就不与那些不信从的人一同灭亡”（来十一31下）（约书亚记生命读经，二二至二三页）。

　　Josh. 2:11 When we heard, our hearts melted;…for Jehovah your God, He is God in heaven above and upon earth beneath.

　　1 Pet. 1:18-19 …You were redeemed from your vain manner of life…with precious blood, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ.

　　Matt. 1:5 And Salmon begot Boaz of Rahab, and Boaz begot Obed of Ruth…

　　Joshua sent the two spies to spy out the good land, especially Jericho (Josh. 2:1a). Joshua’s real purpose in sending out the spies was to find Rahab. Rahab believed in the God of Israel (vv. 8-11; Heb. 11:31a). 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. She went on to say that they had heard how Jehovah had dried up the water of the Red Sea before Israel when they came out of Egypt and what they did to the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, whom they utterly destroyed. Then Rahab declared, “Jehovah your God, He is God in heaven above and upon earth beneath” (Josh. 2:11b). Because of her faith in God, she “did not perish with those who were disobedient” (Heb. 11:31a). (Life-study of Joshua, p. 16)

　　喇合借着出于她信心的行动，愿意接待两个探子，将他们隐藏起来，又释放他们（书二1下~7，15~16，22，雅二25）。她接待、隐藏并释放探子，乃是信心的行动。这指明她的信心是积极的。她接待两个探子后，就与他们有很好的交通，说到神所要作的事。

　　探子告诉喇合，要在她房子窗户上挂一条朱红线绳（书二18）。她照着他们的话，“把朱红线绳系在窗户上”（21）。…系在喇合房子窗户上的朱红线绳，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血（彼前一18~19）。喇合作出这样公开的承认，并且相信借这记号，她和她全家都必得救。

　　妓女喇合后来成为基督一位超绝、显著的先祖。这迦南妇人嫁给犹大支派的首领撒门，她借着与这犹大首领的联结，成了以色列的一部分，并生出大卫的曾祖父波阿斯。马太一章基督的家谱里包括了喇合的名字，这是何等尊荣！这是个有力的记号，说出约书亚记所记载的历史，与神关于基督的永远经纶是一致的（约书亚记生命读经，二三至二四、二一页）。

　　现在我们必须全神贯注于管治我们与基督联合的原则。第一个原则是，无论我们的背景如何，我们都必须归向神和神的子民。第二，我们必须与适当的人结合，这不是就物质的意义说，乃是就属灵的意义说。我们归向神和神的子民以后，必须与适当的人联合、建造并调和。第三，我们必须生出正确的果实。然后我们就会完全在基督的长子名分里。

　　今天许多基督徒似乎失去了长子的名分。他们没有撒门和波阿斯。你若要有撒门和波阿斯，必须与正确的信徒，与领头支派中正确的领头人调和。然后你需要生出正确的果实，就是大卫的先祖波阿斯。我们必须归向主，我们必须归向主的子民；我们必须顾到如何与别人调和。我们若与适当的人调和，必然会生出正确的果实。这会保守我们在对基督长子名分的完满享受里（马太福音生命读经，三六至三七页）。

　　参读：马太福音生命读经，第三篇；认识生命与召会，第十六至十七篇。

　　Rahab was willing to receive the spies, hide them, and deliver them by her acts out of her faith (Josh. 2:1b-7, 15-16, 22; James 2:25). Her receiving, hiding, and delivering the spies were acts of faith. This indicates that her faith was active. After receiving the spies, she had good fellowship with them concerning what God intended to do.

　　The spies told Rahab to hang a line of scarlet thread in the window of her house (Josh. 2:18). According to their word, “she tied the scarlet line in the window” (v. 21). 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 (1 Pet. 1:18-19). Rahab made such an open confession and believed that by this sign she and her household would be delivered.

　　Eventually Rahab the harlot became one of the excellent, prominent ancestors of Christ. This Canaanite woman married Salmon, a leader of the tribe of Judah, and through her union with this Jewish leader she became a part of Israel and brought forth Boaz, the great-grandfather of David. What an honor it is that Rahab’s name is included in the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1! This is a strong sign that the history recorded in Joshua is in line with God’s eternal economy concerning Christ. (Life-study of Joshua, pp. 17, 15-16)

　　Now we must pay our full attention to the principles governing our association with Christ. The first principle is that, no matter what our background is, we must turn to God and to God’s people. Second, we must marry the proper person, not in a physical sense, but in a spiritual sense. After we have turned to God and to God’s people, we must be joined, built up, and involved with the proper person. Third, we must bring forth the proper fruit. Then we will be fully in the portion of the birthright of Christ.

　　It seems that many Christians today have lost their birthright. They do not have Salmon and Boaz. If you would have a Salmon and a Boaz, you must become involved with the proper believers, with the proper leading ones in the leading tribes. Then you need to bring forth the proper fruit, Boaz, who will be a forefather of David. We must turn to the Lord, and we must turn to the Lord’s people; we must also take care of how we become involved with others. If we become involved with the proper persons, surely we shall bring forth the proper fruit. This will keep us in the full enjoyment of the birthright of Christ. (Life-study of Matthew, p. 31)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Matthew, msg. 3; CWWL, 1953, vol. 1, “Knowing Life and the Church,” chs. 16-17