4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 “It came about when it was time to shut the gate at dark, that the men went out; I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” 6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them in the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof. 7 So the men pursued them on the road to the Jordan to the fords ; and as soon as those who were pursuing them had gone out, they shut the gate. 8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. 10 “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 “When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath . 12 “Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s household, and give me a pledge of truth, 13 and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 14 So the men said to her, “Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the LORD gives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” (Joshua 2:4 -14)
Rahab was not what the Israelites would have called a respectable woman. She was one of the enemy, the people who were in the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob so many, many years ago. But God wasn’t just giving the land to the Israelites. He was on their side and helping them, but he wanted them to fight for it, to make them strong.
Rahab, even though she was the enemy, helped the two men that Joshua, the new leader of the Israelites, sent to spy out the land. Joshua wanted to know what they were up against. She told them how everyone was afraid of them, because they had heard how God fought for them, and did many wonders, and how they had defeated everyone who got in their way. She was sure they were going to win the coming fight, and she wanted to be on their side.
She chose to protect them and asked them to help her in return. The men promised that they would help her, and they did.
Rahab joined Israel. She married an Israelite and God chose her, the children who came through her, to be part of the the line of people through whom His promised blessing would come. Just like Abraham, and Sarah, and Isaac, and Rebekah the children of this woman, who wasn’t good enough in the eyes of a lot of people, would be how He brought this promise to the world.
Rahab chose God’s side, and He blessed her for it.
Sometimes it’s not as clear which side God is on, or what we should do. Do you ever wonder what they right thing to do in a situation is? How do you figure it out?
Day 13 – Righteousness is Hard Without the BREATH OF LIFE