Joshua 2:8-24
Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."
"Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land."
So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."
The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear."
"Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."
This passage really continues to reveal to me the trust that Rahab had with God and also the spies had with God. They were able to see God's hand in the work. Rahab saw it in the works that God had done with Israel, the spies saw it through what Rahab had told them: the fear of the people of Jericho. What should be strucking to us is that Rahab was willing to put her life on the line. This has been talked about yesterday. But consider what God is teaching us about trusting him in times of danger and trouble, or even uncertainty.
A magnificent trust that Rahab showed to God, is it what we can show to God when the time comes? I think about myself. I just received back my result. It ended three semester of mediocre results to allow me to scrape by with a 2nd Upper Class Honours by the skin of my teeth. Do I continue to trust God with this, even as my job search is not that optimistic as yet, though I have one interview coming up next week? It informs a lot to me about how am I trusting God.
I reflected a bit along the way after my electric guitar lesson. God taught me how to trust Him by His grace throughout my life as a student. I learned how to trust Him in my abundance and prosperity in my result, I have also learned how to trust Him in times when my results do not seem good enough and keep on dropping. I realise that I have learned to trust Him in all circumstances.
My question here is that are we willing to continue to trust Him in all times? I think it is good here to think about are we willing to trust His will in our lives? A lot of times, we want things our way. But how about God's way? Is it possible that as we seek our way and ask God to bless our plans that we are deviating from God's plan? That's why I try to be assured in my job search that where I am going, is where I am going to transform the marketplace, no matter how idealistic am I.
How about confirmation? I have no easy answer here. A lot of signs can be given, but if I am hardened enough to tell God that I want things my way, then He can come down and give me a tight smack and I will still go ahead with my own stuff. It calls for an opened and soft heart towards God. Joshua got his sign from God regarding Jericho and he is willing to respond to it. It tells a lot if you dun realise.
So carry on praying. I am praying for confirmation of His will in my life. And with that along, an opened and soft heart towards Him and His sign.
"Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land."
So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."
The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear."
"Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. They said to Joshua, "The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."
This passage really continues to reveal to me the trust that Rahab had with God and also the spies had with God. They were able to see God's hand in the work. Rahab saw it in the works that God had done with Israel, the spies saw it through what Rahab had told them: the fear of the people of Jericho. What should be strucking to us is that Rahab was willing to put her life on the line. This has been talked about yesterday. But consider what God is teaching us about trusting him in times of danger and trouble, or even uncertainty.
A magnificent trust that Rahab showed to God, is it what we can show to God when the time comes? I think about myself. I just received back my result. It ended three semester of mediocre results to allow me to scrape by with a 2nd Upper Class Honours by the skin of my teeth. Do I continue to trust God with this, even as my job search is not that optimistic as yet, though I have one interview coming up next week? It informs a lot to me about how am I trusting God.
I reflected a bit along the way after my electric guitar lesson. God taught me how to trust Him by His grace throughout my life as a student. I learned how to trust Him in my abundance and prosperity in my result, I have also learned how to trust Him in times when my results do not seem good enough and keep on dropping. I realise that I have learned to trust Him in all circumstances.
My question here is that are we willing to continue to trust Him in all times? I think it is good here to think about are we willing to trust His will in our lives? A lot of times, we want things our way. But how about God's way? Is it possible that as we seek our way and ask God to bless our plans that we are deviating from God's plan? That's why I try to be assured in my job search that where I am going, is where I am going to transform the marketplace, no matter how idealistic am I.
How about confirmation? I have no easy answer here. A lot of signs can be given, but if I am hardened enough to tell God that I want things my way, then He can come down and give me a tight smack and I will still go ahead with my own stuff. It calls for an opened and soft heart towards God. Joshua got his sign from God regarding Jericho and he is willing to respond to it. It tells a lot if you dun realise.
So carry on praying. I am praying for confirmation of His will in my life. And with that along, an opened and soft heart towards Him and His sign.
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