DEVOTIONAL

Prayer: Father God, I come to you in all humility, acknowledging there is no one like you, for you are the one and true living God. Help me today to love you more than anything else in the world and teach me your ways and as I come before your throne of grace and mercy, I confess and acknowledge, I have sinned against you in thought and deed. I ask you to forgive me and, in your grace, purify my heart, cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. And in your great love lead me and help me to walk in the paths of righteousness, so that I may bring glory to you, the one triune God. I praise you that you are my healer, awesome in power. I now receive your forgiveness and mercy in the name of my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. 

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise: Psalm 66:1-4

"1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth! 2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.” 3 Say to God, How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.” 4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.”            

Worship Song Sung or Said: Our God (Chris Tomlin)

https://youtu.be/yuFozjKk7S8

Water You turned into wine
Opened the eyes of the blind
There's no one like you
None like you
Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There's No one like you
None like you

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God

Into the darkness you shining
Out of the ashes we Rise
No one like you
None like you

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
Then what can stand against?

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who can ever stop us?
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
Then what can stand against?
Then what can stand against?

Gods Word for Today: (Part 2)

Joshua 2:1-24 "1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim.” Go, look over the land, he said, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.” The king of Jericho was told, Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.” She said, Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.” 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left.” I don’t know which way they went.” Go after them quickly.” You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.”) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.” 8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, I know that the LORD has given you this land 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.” 10 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.” 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” 12 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 13 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.” 14 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.” 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall.” 16 She 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.” 17 Now the men had said to her, This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 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.” 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible.” As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them.” 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” 21 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.” 22 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.” 23 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.” 24 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.” 

Devotion/Study: (Part 2)

We now come to Rahab. She lived in a house with her family where travellers would often lodge and as a prostitute, her profession, her occupation, her trade, was to sell her body to men for sex. We do not know much about her; except that she lived in Jericho and grew up in a pagan environment, in a place where everyone worshiped idols and false gods.

We do not know why she became a prostitute or anything about her family. (I wonder what her family thought about her lifestyle).

One wonders how she became a prostitute, maybe she was forced into prostitution out of financial desperation. Brother Muinr informed me in Pakistan there are many young Christian girls who come from very poor backgrounds and struggle to survive, so they have become prostitutes, they are trapped because their husbands take drugs and are in prison.

Back to Rahab: We know she lived among people whose lifestyle was one of idolatry and immorality. It was a corrupt society that engaged in all kinds of every sexual perversion and idol worship, which included child sacrifice (Levticus18). 

I assume her life was messed up, without hope and purpose and meaning to life. What we discover in her story is that our God redeems, restores and rescues and renews sinners, the rejected and the broken, people like you and me. As I look back at my own life I can say, once I was lost but Jesus found me. It’s truly wonderful to know Jesus as Lord and saviour. 

Pause for Prayer: Let’s take some time to pray and thank God for saving us and for those who society rejects and pray they may know the one who forgives, heals and restores. 

It’s because of the cross we are saved from hell and eternal separation from God. A puritan named Thomas Brooks said “The first step to mercy is to see our misery. The first step toward Heaven is to see ourselves near Hell.” Because of Jesus love for us we can say these words from the wonderful hymn I will sing the wondrous story. 

“I was lost, but Jesus found me, found the sheep that went astray, threw His loving arms around me, Drew me back into His way. I was bruised, but Jesus healed me, Faint was I from many a fall, Sight was gone, and fears possessed me, But He freed me from them all.”

Although our sins may be different from Rahab’s we are all equally guilty of sin. We thank God through the cross we are forgiven. So back to the Rahab. The king of Jericho found out the two spies were in the house of Rahab. We read in Joshua 2:3 "So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” 

Its likely Rahab suspected that they were the spies from the Israelites who were camped by the Jordan River. She knew what was about to happen and probably for her safety and family decided to side with them, and hid them on the flat roof of her house. Rahab admits that they were there but claims she does not know where they are from.

She says to them In Joshua 2:5 "I don’t know which way they went.” Go after them quickly.” You may catch up with them.” The spies spent the night there, however before these men went to sleep, Rahab went up to the roof to speak to them and had a interesting conversation with them. I am guessing that these two spies may have told her about their God and the great things they had seen or heard of him doing. But Rahab had already heard about God. 

In Joshua 2:9-11 she told them she knew that the Lord had given them the Land and that great fear had come upon the people and they had heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea to bring them out of Egypt and also how they had defeated the 2 kings of the Amorites. 

Then she said something amazing in Joshua 2:11 "for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” This statement from Rahab’s mouth shows that she believed the God of Israel is the true God who owns all things. Brothers and sisters, our God is the only truly living God, there is no else. We read in Isaiah 44:6 "This is what the LORD says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.” Paul the apostle said in 1 Corinthians 8:6 "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”  

Brothers and sisters, what a privilege and honour we have that we know this one and only God, our saviour the Lord Jesus. Sadly, many people have rejected God and follow all kinds of gods and idols. Rahab’s faith in the God of Israel was according to the light she had received. It may have been at this point that she moved from knowing about God to believing in Him. As I was thinking about this it raised a question for me, do I really know God, do I know what’s in his heart and mind? This is something I need to pray about. What about you, how well do you know God, how deep is your relationship with Him? I think we need to pause for prayer.

Pause for Prayer: Lets reflect on our own spirituality and think about our relationship with the God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 

Back to Rahab. After her confession she asks the spies to do something for her. We read in Joshua 2:12-13 "12 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 13 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.” 

The spies agreed to her request and told her that if she tied a scarlet cord, she, and anyone in the house with her would be spared in the coming battle. she tells them to go to the hill country and hide there for three days v15-16. 

See picture below

Rahab then let’s them down through the window, going outside the wall. The spies go to the hills and eventually they go to Joshua and tell him everything. We read in v23, "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.”  

Then later in chapter 6 we read about the Israelites marching around Jericho, and the downfall of the city. And because of the scarlet cord, Rahab and her family were saved from the destruction of Jericho. From then on, she and her family lived among Gods people. We read in Joshua 6:25 "But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.” 

For Joshua, this was his first victory. For Jericho, this was the judgment of God for their wickedness. For Rahab it was a beginning of a new life and a new start. Rahab was no longer a citizen of Jericho; she was now a citizen of heaven. Rahab was no longer a prostitute; she was a new person in a new nation and a child of God and probably respected for the first time in her life.  This is what happens when we are born again, we become a new creation, enter a new family, and become a child of God. Its so wonderful to know that because of our faith in Christ we are daughters and sons of the Living God. How great it is to be called a Child of God. 

In this story of Rahab some Bible commentators see the scarlet cord as very significant. They see this as a similar hope of salvation that the Israelites experienced when they faced the plague of death. We read in Exodus 12:23 "When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.” 

It is believed Just as the lamb’s blood saved the firstborn of Israel during God’s judgment of Egypt; the scarlet rope saved Rahab during God’s judgment of Jericho. Some commentators see the scarlet thread as representing the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for you and me to save all those who believe and follow Jesus. There is wonderful song that goes like this. There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb. (Lewis Edgar Jones)

You may like to listen this wonderful song

https://youtu.be/EFbQq7eBMFQ

Would you be free from your burden of sin
There's power in the blood
Power in the blood
Would you o'er evil a victory win
There's wonderful power in the blood

There is power power wonder working power
In the blood of the lamb
There is power power wonder working power
In the precious blood of lamb

Would you be whiter much wither than snow
There's power in the blood
Power in the blood
Sin's stains are lost and
It's life giving flow
There's one flicker power in the blood

There is power power wonder working power
In the blood of the lamb
There is power power wonder working power
In the precious blood of lamb

Would you do service for Jesus your king
There's power in the blood
Power in the blood
Would you lift David his praises to sing
There's wonderful power in the blood

There is power power wonder working power
In the blood of the lamb

There is power power wonder working power
In the precious blood of lamb

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Hundreds of years later her name shows up in the gospel of Matthew 1:5-6 "5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David.” David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife 

And we see from the line of Rahab came the Messiah of Israel, the Saviour of the world, our God and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Rahab’s story reveals how wonderfully God changed her life. Once she was described as a prostitute and then in Hebrews 11, she is mentioned alongside many great men and women of faith. I love this story and feel for Rahab, her story brings hope to the worst of sinners and demonstrates Gods love and mercy. God gave hope to this woman who had no hope and transformed her from been a prostitute to a woman of faith.

The story of Rahab shows that no one is beyond the saving grace of God and can find a place in the family of God One day we will meet her in heaven. And we will not call her Rahab the prostitute. We will call her Rahab our sister. I can’t wait to meet her in heaven. Brothers and sisters’ thanks be to God who takes sinners like Rahab, you and me and uses us to bring glory to His name and fulfil His purposes and plans. God knows the hearts of all and is able to save and transform anyone who chooses to turn to Him. He did it with Rahab, He did it in our lives and He will transform anyone who turns to Him Amen. 

Personal Prayers: