Joshua 2:1-24
Friday, 4 December 2020
‘….And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.’ -Joshua 2:21
God’s particular choice of people to accomplish His purposes on earth, is often a matter of wonder. Today’s reading once again gets us thinking on the strange choices of God—Rahab, a prostitute!! Would we ever consider associating with someone like that, let alone involve her in any plans of ours? Yet God sees beyond the exterior, He looks into our hearts. He demonstrates His Sovereignty by doing away with tradition and doing the unusual that causes us to understand that “He will have mercy on whom He pleases and compassion on those He chooses.” [Romans 9:14 Paraphrased]
Dear reader even as you are reading this, do you feel worthless? Rahab would also have had such thoughts-thoughts that her life could amount to nothing. But she was wrong! The God of the universe has a way of choosing the lowly and the despised things of the world to bring to nothing what the world considers important. [1 Cor. 1:28 Paraphrased]
Let’s learn a few lessons from Rahab’s response to God that enabled her to experience God’s magnificent plan for her life:
She believed what she heard-When Rahab heard of God’s great deeds for His people, she declared: ‘…for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and earth below.’(V.11) She began to believe in this God who fought on behalf of His people and realized that only ‘This God’ could save her from the coming doom, give her life instead of death and hope in the face of fear. Unlike the Israelites who could not make it into the Promised Land, here stands a figure in history who declares to the world that, “Faith in this GOD would lead you to New life.” How do you respond when we hear about God and His mighty acts? Hebrews 11:6 says ‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’ Rahab did just this. So God honored her and today, her name is recorded in the lineage of Jesus.
She believed and so she asked- Rahab’s faith in this God gave her confidence to ask for protection not only for herself but also for her family. She wanted her entire family to enjoy the freedom that the God of Israel had to offer them- not just herself! We who have accepted God’s offer of salvation, like Rahab must stand in the gap for the lives of our loved ones who are yet to know this truth. Paul in Acts 16:31 speaks to the jailer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household.” This promise stands even to this day. Ezekiel 22:30 tells us, God is looking for people who will stand in the gap so he would not have to destroy the land— will he find us willing to do this?
She believed and so she acted – James 2:26 says “Faith without works is dead.” James notes how Abraham when he offered Isaac showed through his life that faith and actions work together and his faith was made complete by what he did.[James 2:21] Rahab did just this. In Joshua 2:21- we see her tying the scarlet cord as soon as the spies departed. She obeyed the word spoken to her by the men of ‘THIS GREAT GOD’. It was this obedience that enabled her to join the elite group of Joshua and Caleb as they entered the Promised Land. Though many had begun this journey, they failed to reach their destination due to their disobedience to God’s word.
Today God has offered us His son Jesus Christ as a sin offering to condemn sin in our lives (Romans 8:3). He is our scarlet cord to salvation and freedom from the old way of life. Will you accept what He has to offer us?
Quote for the Day: “I am an imperfect person loved by a perfect God” -Anonymous.
Listen: ‘I Choose Jesus’
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