September 27, 2026 | Rahab Welcomes Spies

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Devotional Reading: Matthew 25:31–46

Background Scripture: Joshua 2; 6:16–25; Matthew 1:5;

James 2:25; Hebrews 11:31

Introduction

A. Help in Surprising Places

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the United States, resources were developed to help liberate people experiencing enslavement in the South. One such resource was an informal network called "The Underground Railroad." It was never an actual railroad but a series of safe houses and routes that assisted enslaved people in their escape to free states and Canada. Along the route, many people risked their lives and livelihoods to aid those traveling along the "railway."

One notable "conductor" was an abolitionist named Levi Coffin, Jr. (1798–1877). Born in North Carolina, Coffin was an unexpected figure in the abolition movement, having been born and raised on a farm in the South. Despite this background, he and his family opposed slavery and took significant steps to educate enslaved individuals and shelter those who had escaped. In 1826, Coffin moved to Indiana, where, for the next twenty years, his home was a significant stop on the Underground Railroad. Travelers designated the stop as the "Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad."

God often uses people in surprising ways. Last week’s lesson covers the events of the Israelite conquest of northern Canaan (Joshua 11; see Lesson 3). In today’s lesson, however, we take a step back in the timeline to examine how a non-Israelite surprisingly chose to assist the Israelites as they entered the land of Canaan.