Good afternoon, everyone!
Today I read Joshua 1-4. Yay!
And in today's reading, Joshua begins his leadership of the Israelites.
They move into the promised land to a place called Jericho.
There, Joshua sends spies to see how they can best take the city. While there, a harlot named Rahab (Biblical words, not mine) hides them under the straw on her roof so the city's guards don't find them.
She helps them escape, in exchange for the promise that they will spare her and her family.
They agree, but only if she ties a red string in her window, and brings her family into her home. If anyone goes outside her home, they are released from their promise. Only the people inside her house will be safe.
Now, what fascinates me most about this story, is that the Bible makes a point of mentioning that Rahab is a harlot. Not a priestess, or a prophetess. Not a Godly woman. A harlot.
But she has heard of all that the Lord has done for the Israelites. In fact, the whole city has heard of everything, from their escape from Egypt, to the parting of the Red Sea, to the cities they defeated along the way.
They have heard of the Israelites. And they have heard of their God.
And how powerful He is.
And that's amazing.
When we obey God, and allow Him to fight our battles for us, taking each step in obedience to Him, even those who are wicked hear of us, and the greatness of our God. And they tremble.
That was my favorite part of this story.
Rahab told the spies that the hearts of the people in Jericho had "melted" with fear when they heard of the Israelites and everything God had done for them.
So, the spies returned to Joshua and said "Surely the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us" (Joshua 4:24).
I love the stories of Joshua. The stories of his faithfulness, of God's power, of God's faithfulness, of the triumph of God's people.
I can't wait to go through more of them with you.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Joshua 5-8.
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