Rahab

As I mentioned before, I'm going through the one year devotional Women of the Bible, which covers the lives of 52 women in the Bible over the course of the year (one woman a week). At the same time, I am reading the book, Twelve Extraordinary Women as a supplement to my study time each day. This book covers extensively the lives of 12 women in scripture, how God dramatically worked in their lives and how he wants to work that same way in ours. I am gaining so much from my studies of these women and the way the scripture is coming alive to me- it is just amazing! I decided to follow the table of contents in Twelve Extraordinary Women and skip over some of the women in the devotional for now. I'll study the twelve in that book first, then go back and start back with the ones I skipped over in the devotional, using the books together.

So, this week I've been studying Rahab. Oh my! What a story that girl has! Several months ago, I wrote about a woman we saw from time to time on a route we take often between Tejarcillos and Los Guido. She is always strung out or high on something and the way she uses her body to attract men is really a gut-wrenching thing to watch. That women could have been Rahab.

Rahab lived in Jericho, a vile and evil city on the brink of judgement. God was planning to destroy the entire city and all the people in it- it was that evil. Jericho was part of Canaan. Deuteronomy 20:16-18, Moses says,

"In the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave anything alive that breathes.

Completely destroy them, Hittites- Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites- as the Lord your God has commanded you.

Otherwise they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God."

Can you imagine God being so disgusted with people that His command would be so strong as to say "completely destroy them...leave not one thing alive." YIKES! Talk about an unrepentant people.

Well, that's where Rahab lived. In a city destined to be destroyed - completely - because of their sinful, evil ways. And scripture tells us that she lived a life of self-indulgence and evil herself. She was not immune to the evil around her. Rahab was a prostitute. She made her living off the sick desires of the men in her community. The Reina-Valera Spanish text uses the word, "ramera," which means "whore."

Joshua 2:1 introduces Rahab as "a prostitute named Rahab." Some reputation, huh?

Apparently she was an affluent one, because scripture says her house was part of the city wall, which signifies her wealth. (Joshua 2:15)

A bit of history leading up to Rahab's story, Moses had died and passed the torch to Joshua. Joshua is preparing the Israelites to invade Jericho to take it over and destroy it. He sends two spies to Jericho to scope it out and then come back and report their findings to Joshua. (Josh. 2:1) This was done in secret because about 38 years before, Joshua himself had been sent by Moses to scope out the Promise Land. He and Caleb had done so and brought back favorable report to Moses. However, 10 other renegade spies had went on the same scouting mission as Joshua and Caleb, but in secret, and brought back conflicting reports, therefore causing a rebellion amongst the Israelites and widespread unbelief in the One True God.

So, now Joshua prepares to finally have a piece of the Promise Land and sends in two spies. They enter the city and go to house of the prostitute, Rahab. And thus begins the events that lead to the great change in her life- all for God's glory.

I read her story and in awe of the hand of God. Her house must have a perfect spot for the spies to check out the city and its surroundings, a fact that cannot be overlooked as coincidence. Rahab, as well as the entire city of Jericho, must have heard about the hand of God being with the Israelites in the crossing of the Red Sea, and this too, demonstrates the perfect timing of God. Rahab's heart was ready to trust and believe in God the Father, Ceator of heaven and earth.

All scripture tells us is that the men entered her house and stayed there (vs 1). But my mind wonders, "What did she see in them that clued her in that they were different than the other men who came through her door?"

Surely, she saw them as different when they made no advances or demands on her like the others who came to her door. Did she recognize them immediately as men of the One True God?

Scripture says,

2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.”
3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.”
4 Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” 6 (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) 7 Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate. (Joshua 2:2-7 NKJV)

Rahab immediately acted on faith and went and hid the men as soon as the king's men came asking about them. This speaks volumes to me about just how very ready Rahab was to give her life to God. These men came, spies looking to destroy her city and all the people in it, and she risked her life to save them, to protect them, from the king's men, who would have undoubtedly captured them so they could not return to the Israelite camp to report on the security of the city.

After the king's men left, she went to the Israelite men and testified to them her faith in their God.

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, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you,

for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” Joshua 2:8-13

In an instant, a life is eternally changed. Rahab, the known town whore, instantly and forever changed by her faith in God the Father. A beautiful picture of God's grace. An important reminder that God freely offers His grace to anyone, in anyone situation, at anytime in their life.

What happens next in the story is the part that demonstrates God's offer of grace to even the vilest of sinners.

14 So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. 16 And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.”
17 So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, 18 unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. 19 So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.”
21 Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

Rahab's declaration of her faith was real and obvious. Joshua's spies believed her instantly and promised her that her family would be spared. they left her with specific instructions for their rescue to be carried out. then she gave them parting instructions to evade the king's pursuers.

God, in His great mercy meets us where we are at, even in our sin.

10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:10

Rahab could not have been more of an enemy of God's...and yet, He saved her from eternal death, once she reconciled with him, and she will spend eternity forever with him!

I love the way the Message says this same verse:

Romans 5:10 (The Message)

9-11Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we're at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!

It is when we are at our very worst that God most often saves us and it is precisely because we were at our worst that we are ready to be at our best- the very best we cab be in life forever with him!

God's transforming grace. Are there even words to describe it?

What is most impacting to me about Rahab's story is how God demonstrates to us through Rahab just how powerful His grace is. Rahab was so deeply entrenched in sin, yet God did not wait to save her until she was out of that sin. He didn't wait until she had gotten herself clean to save her.

No. He met her in the midst of her sin. When the entire city of Jericho was so vile and disgusted him so much that he was ready to save her. That is when He chose to save Rahab. And her life was changed. Transformed. Never to be the same again. No longer at odds with God. Ready to sing and shout for him.

And further examination of scripture shows that this is exactly what happened with Rahab.

Hebrews 11:31 (New King James Version)

31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

Rahab's faith was so strong and her life had such great impact for the kingdom of God that she is mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11, the Hall of Faith. The chapter containing the heroes of the faith. Rahab, a harlot, yet a heroine of the faith.

James 2:25 (New International Version)

25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?

Rahab demonstrated for us that faith requires action. She immediately acted in faith to save the spies most likely from death at the hand of Jericho's king and put herself at risk of death as well, if she had been caught. James uses her as an example when teaching on the importance of demonstrating our faith with good works.

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
James 2:17

And the very place in the New Testament that Rahab is mentioned is, to me, the most important.

Matthew 5:1 mentions Rahab as Matthew tells the family genealogy of Jesus. That's right- Jesus, Our Messiah- our Savior- has a harlot, a whore, in his family tree. She is listed among several other women like Tamar, who slept with her father-in-law and bore his child, Ruth, who was from a line of people who were generally despised, Bathsheba (who is not called by name, but as the "wife of Uriah") who had an affair with King David, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, who we know was disgraced because she had a child, God's child, out of wedlock.

My life has never been picture perfect. I am such a work in progress. I love my Jesus and my desire each day is that I die more to myself, act less out of my selfish desires and more out of my love and devotion to my King. But my flesh is weak and I fail him- daily. And Rahab, yet weak and sinful, was seen by God to be worthy of saving. And God, the same God of Rahab, in his grace and mercy, while I was a sinner, living a self-gratifying life of my own, chose to save me. God chooses to use people, women and men, who appear to be shameful, disgraceful, totally unworthy of His great love. He chooses to take them, in the midst of their sin and transform them into beautiful masterpieces. Isn't that the true gift He gives us? That despite our weaknesses He uses us, weak, feeble, so far from perfect, flesh-loving pagans, yet designed to bring Him glory. Somehow out of the brokenness and messiness of our lives, He is glorified.

Romans 8:28
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Brothers and sisters, that is us- we are those who are called according to His purpose. He has designed us exactly the way we are because He knows in His infinite wisdom the way He can be glorified most. And I'll tell, you it isn't when we are strong and confident. It is when we are weak and usually feeling most useless...

When Paul is speaking to the Corinthians about the perfect power of god's grace he says, "When I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10)

So often we try to hide our weaknesses, when in reality is through our weaknesses that God is most revealed. When we are strong and confident in our own ability we show off Christ and His power in us the least.

WOW...May I be weak before you today, My Lord.

Rahab's life was a mess. everything about her life points to her innate desire to be loved, to fill the hole inside all of us before Christ fills it. As a woman she was distinctly designed to be loved, like we learned about studying Eve. So, her initial search for love may have began when she made her career choice. As someone who searched many years for the love that only Jesus can give me, I can relate to Rahab in some ways. Because of that, my heart breaks for the pain she must have felt deep inside every single day as she gave herself over and over again trying to meet that need for love. Her heart must have been in pieces by the time God found her. She had to have been weak in spirit, desperate knowing the end was near for her city and people. Broken, abused, mistreated, used. How could anything have been able to piece together the mess she had made of her life.

And herein lies the solution the brokenness we all have.

Romans 3:23 (New International Version)

"23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

We each have a need, a hole, like Rahab that can only be filled by Jesus Christ.

It doesn't matter who you are, what you've done in life, how nasty and detestable you look to the world, you are lovely in the eyes of the Lord. You are His majesty, His creation. He loves us so much that He meets us in our weakness and then uses that very weakness to show the world His strength.

John 3:16 (New International Version)

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Just as Rahab was spared from death and given life eternal, God offers this to you, too. He sent His only Son Jesus to die on the cross for you. And in that, you too can have eternal life.

the first part of Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death.

Jericho was destroyed - not one thing left living because of their sin.

But Rahab was saved from death and given eternal life because her faith in God.

The second part of Romans 6:23 says that the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (New International Version)

"8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast."

Christ paid the price for our sins on the cross, once and for all, so we could live free of condemnation and for His glory. (1 Peter 3:18).

Romans 10:9-10 (New International Version)

"9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

If you are living a life like Rahab. If you cannot find the missing piece in your life. If you are desperately seeking whatever it is that will finally make you whole...don't wait any longer. Call out to Jesus. Ask Him to cleanse you and make you whole, despite your brokeness. He will and you will never be the same. You will be a new creation in Christ. You will be sealed forever as part of the family of God and will never be able to separate yourself from Him. you will never be able to do anything to make Him not want you. You can never be perfect, and never be too weak, because He will make Himself known to the world through your weakness. Admit to God your sin and and believe with your whole heart the sacrifice He has made for you and that He died on the cross for you, to save you and you will have eternal life.

God, may you use the life of Rahab to transform someone's life today. May you be glorified through the weakness in someone today. May you work through me, despite my weakness, and be glorified through my life. thank you for your Son Jesus. Thank you for the messiness of His family tree. Thank you that you meet us where we are at, in the midst of sin, in order to save us. Thank you that you save us from our sin, and we cannot save ourselves. Help me demonstrate my faith to the world with actions, through the good works you have prepared for me. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Dad update

Just wanted everyone to know that my Dad is now home from the hospital! Praise Jesus! He is doing well, but prayers for the following would be greatly appreciated:
1. Pray that mom and Dad can keep track of all of Dad's new medicines. Pray that they can understand the schedules and doses and all.
2. Pray for Dad's new diet restrictions and exercise regimen. Pray that he will be proactive and willing to work hard.
3. Pray for their marriage to be strengthened during this time. Pray that the enemy will not be given a foothold and that they will learn to live life with all that is new and that has changed.
4. Pay for patience for each of them.
5. Pray for each of them for job security and understanding as they both will need to be off for extended periods of time.

Thank you in advance for praying.

Annals of Audrey (in pictures)

Audrey has recently become obsessed with carrying her little red purse around. It goes with her wherever she goes, all through the house, no matter what she is doing, she has that purse tucked neatly under her arm! She has "her" cell phone in it incase she gets and "important" call, a little notebook and a pencil to take notes on important things that happen and her chapstick. She wants to be like me and carry a purse...although I leave mine at the door when I get home! It is so fun to watch her grow up right before our eyes.



At lunch on a Girl's Date with Mommy :)
Can you see the little red strap on her left shoulder?


She fell asleep on the couch one afternoon (despite declaring on her 5th birthday that she no longer needs to take naps because she is 5 now!) and the purse is right there with her!


Checking out what there is to read, ready with her purse in case she needs it!


Eating supper- you never know what might happen at meal time...
(doesn't she look so BIG in this picture???)


Flashing a smile for the Mommy paparazzi!

Gotta LOVE this girl!
Praise God for the spice she brings to our lives!

Dad doing well :)

Just found out that my Dad is doing so well! He had the trach removed last night and had a bath. Also he stood on his own- which is VERY good and also was eating ice chips! All very good progress for the day of surgery! So, now he is being moved out of ICU and into his own room for the rest of recovery! Praise God!!! :)

THANK YOU for praying!!!

Praise Jesus with us!

Hello!
I wanted to ask you to join in praising God with me for the successful surgery of my Dad today. Everything went smooth and as expected. He is currently in ICU trying to wake up. The plan is to get the trach (sp?) out tonight and get him to a sitting position at the side of his bed. WHEW! I am sure he is going to be so exhausted and tired and sore and all that...Mom said he looked pretty rough, but I suppose that is to be expected.

Many thanks to all of you who have emailed, called me or my mom, or stopped by the hospital and all who have prayed. I had an unbelievable amount of peace today. Definitely the peace that passes all understanding that comes only from God! Sweet perfect peace filled my heart all day long and even now as I type.

Now begins the recovery process and it will be a long one. We'd be blessed to have you all walk through this with us in prayer, as well.

My dad is in ICU at Clarion Lafayette near Meijer for anyone who would like to visit them.

Much love and many thanks!

Out of surgery!

Aunt Sandy just called and said that they have finished surgery and are preparing to him to move to ICU. After they get him there and settled Mom will get to go in and see him. Praise God as He deserves all the praise and honor and glory!

Now we can shift our prayers to long road to recovery :)

Dad update

Just got word that the actual surgery has been completed and everything went well as as expected! Praise God!The doctors are now working on getting Dad's temperature back up to where it needs to be and as soon as that happens he'll be heading to recovery. I should have another update in a few hours!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Initial Update on dad's surgery

I've received a couple of updates about my Dad's surgery- all good news! Praise God!

The surgery is going well and the valve has been replaced. The bypass has just begun and everything is going smooth and as planned.

Your prayers are being felt there and here. We are very thankful for everyone who is praying. Keep it up! :) God is answering them!

Prayer for my Dad

Well, tomorrow is my Dad's surgery. (go here and here for more info)

Please pray for my Dad, the hand of God to be upon the surgeons and all of the prep and recovery, with the nurses and all who we will be present throughout the entire process. Pray especially for God's perfect peace to be granted to my Mom and my Aunt as they will be waiting together throughout the surgery. Pray that God would grant me peace as well.

I'll be updating my blog as I receive updates throughout the day from my mom.

Thank you for praying.

Thanks for your prayers

We wanted to let you know that we appreciate all the prayers for our little pup, Mac and for our family.

Today, Mac died.

While we have all had a pretty rough day, Ethan best described all that has happened:

"I prayed that we'd be able to bring Mac back home with us to live for a long, long time. I know that God heard my prayers and answered them. It is just a different answer than i had hoped for."

Through all that life will bring, Lord, may we always have this same faith that You are always listening, always hearing us, and always, ALWAYS answer our prayers, even when the answer is different than we had anticipated.

We're thankful for the little time we had with our first pup.

more pictures from los estados