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Rahab and the Spies - The Book of Joshua · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. Have I not commanded thee? Be strong
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  Speaker 1: and of good courage. Be not afraid. Neither be thou dismayed.
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  Speaker 1: For the Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest.
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  Speaker 1: Joshua 1.9 Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me
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  Speaker 1: to be strong and courageous. These words will serve as
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  Speaker 1: my life's reminders. as I move through the life of Joshua.
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  Speaker 1: As I face my first test and conquer my new territory,
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  Speaker 1: I will do so knowing that the God of this
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  Speaker 1: universe is behind me, beside me, and in front of me.
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  Speaker 1: Even though the mountain in front of me may seem
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  Speaker 1: as fortified and large as Jericho, I know that you
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  Speaker 1: have a plan, God, to cause the mountain to crumble
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  Speaker 1: before me. All I need to do is stand steadfast
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  Speaker 1: and reliant upon you, and my victory is inevitable. I
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  Speaker 1: decree and declare that you are setting up Rahabs in
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  Speaker 1: my life to help shield and protect me from the enemy.
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  Speaker 1: Praise you, Lord, for you have gone before me to
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  Speaker 1: speak on my behalf, even before I entered the room. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: the ground is ripe for the seeds of promise. and
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  Speaker 1: I know that my harvest time has come. I will
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  Speaker 1: let out a hallelujah because your word never fails. My
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  Speaker 1: future is secured, my family is protected, and my promise
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  Speaker 1: has been made sure in your unfailing love. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
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  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible
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  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Rahab and the Spies In our last story, we learned
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  Speaker 2: about the passing of Moses. His past with anger had
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  Speaker 2: kept him from leading the new generation into the promised land.
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  Speaker 2: Before Moses' departure, God appointed Joshua to lead in his place.
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  Speaker 2: Near the camp on the mountain, Moses overlooked the land
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  Speaker 2: flowing with milk and honey and breathed his last, knowing
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  Speaker 2: that the sheep of Israel were safe under the care
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  Speaker 2: of a new shepherd. In this story, we learn about
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  Speaker 2: God's steadfast reminder to Joshua to be brave and courageous,
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  Speaker 2: and how bravery comes in all shapes and sizes. Rahab,
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  Speaker 2: a prostitute woman from Jericho, shows the courage of God
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  Speaker 2: in a different way, as inspired by the book of Joshua.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of The Bible
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  Speaker 3: in a Year. In our previous episode, we heard how
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  Speaker 3: God showed kindness to Moses in his final days on earth.
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  Speaker 3: Though his anger had kept him out of the promised land,
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  Speaker 3: God allowed Moses to see that place God was giving
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  Speaker 3: his people, a view of the fulfilled promise. Moses reminded
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  Speaker 3: the people of all God's laws and that if they
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  Speaker 3: obeyed him, they would be blessed. Before he died, Moses
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  Speaker 3: commissioned Joshua, the man that God himself had chosen to
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  Speaker 3: lead Israel into their new home. Today we'll hear how
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  Speaker 3: God reminds Joshua to be brave. and trust that he
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  Speaker 3: would work through Joshua and be with him just as
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  Speaker 3: he was with Moses. We'll also see how courage leads
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  Speaker 3: a prostitute named Rahab to help God's people as they
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  Speaker 3: come in to take Jericho. Let's listen now to today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: The sun had set on the era of Moses. His leadership, humility,
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  Speaker 2: and devotion to God would be heralded for thousands of generations.
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  Speaker 2: Now a new era had come. And it was time
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  Speaker 2: for God to lead his people out of the wilderness
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  Speaker 2: and into the land flowing with milk and honey. God
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  Speaker 2: came to Joshua as he once did to Moses. In
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  Speaker 2: the silence, God spoke softly, saying, Moses is dead. Now arise, Joshua.
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  Speaker 2: Go over the Jordan River into the land I have
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  Speaker 2: given you and my people. Joshua smiled and laid it
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  Speaker 2: at the words he was hearing. Yet a subtle doubt
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  Speaker 2: nested in the back of his mind. He could not
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  Speaker 2: shake a feeling of insecurity. Am I truly able to
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  Speaker 2: lead these people like Moses did? He thought to himself. God,
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  Speaker 2: knowing Joshua's heart, continued to speak, saying, No one shall
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  Speaker 2: be able to stand against you, just as I was
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  Speaker 2: with Moses, so I will be with you. I will
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  Speaker 2: never leave you. Be strong and courageous. and you will
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  Speaker 2: lead the people into victory. Keep my commands close to
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  Speaker 2: your heart, and do not be afraid, for I am
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  Speaker 2: with you. Three times God repeated these words to Joshua,
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  Speaker 2: encouraging him to be strong and courageous. Joshua closed his
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  Speaker 2: eyes and took a deep breath. He rolled his shoulders
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  Speaker 2: back and assumed a large posture. Then he arose to
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  Speaker 2: go lead his people. Prepare yourselves, JOSHUA SHOUTED TO HIS MEN.
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  Speaker 2: HE MARCHED THROUGH CAMP TO ALL THE OFFICERS OF ISRAEL, SAYING,
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  Speaker 2: PASS THROUGH CAMP AND COMMAND PEOPLE TO PACK THEIR BELONGINGS,
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  Speaker 2: FOR IN THREE DAYS WE WILL PASS THROUGH THE JORDAN
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  Speaker 2: AND TAKE THE LAND THAT IS OURS. SO JOSHUA AND
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  Speaker 2: ALL HIS MEN HELPED THE FAMILIES OF ISRAEL PREPARE FOR
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  Speaker 2: THEIR FINAL ADVENTURE. A GALVANIZING SPIRIT OF UNITY WAS AMONG
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  Speaker 2: THE PEOPLE. and Joshua had the trust and admiration of Israel. However,
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  Speaker 2: Joshua was not naive to the dangers that awaited Israel.
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  Speaker 2: He remembered the vastness of the Canaanite armies and their strength.
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  Speaker 2: They were not like God's people. These cultures could be
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  Speaker 2: brutal and sadistic, taking women and children as prostitutes and slaves.
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  Speaker 2: He must be careful, and God must be with him.
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  Speaker 2: The first land they had to conquer was Jericho, a
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  Speaker 2: city with great walls and fortification. So Joshua sent two
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  Speaker 2: spies to scope out the land and its inhabitants. As
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  Speaker 2: Joshua once did with eleven others, these spies remained hidden
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  Speaker 2: within the city and measured its level of strength. The
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  Speaker 2: two spies swept the land for threats and weaknesses. They
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  Speaker 2: remained anonymous and hidden, finding lodging in the house of
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  Speaker 2: a prostitute named Rahab. There they hid, in between shifts
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  Speaker 2: of going out and spying. Soon, word of the two
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  Speaker 2: spies came to the king of Jericho. Suspicious and angry,
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  Speaker 2: the king sent men to Rahab's house to find the spies,
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  Speaker 2: for he had been told they were lodging there. Knocks
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  Speaker 2: could be heard from the front of Rahab's house. The
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  Speaker 2: spies and Rahab looked at one another, panicked. The king
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  Speaker 2: had found them. The spies drew their swords and prepared
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  Speaker 2: for a fight, but Rahab took both of them and
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  Speaker 2: hid them safely. Rahab straightened her clothes, put on a
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  Speaker 2: sensuous smile, and slowly approached the door. Guards were at
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  Speaker 2: her door. Rahab, about to greet them as customers, was
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  Speaker 2: interrupted by one of the guards, saying, Bring out the
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  Speaker 2: men who have been staying here, for they are Israelite spies.
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  Speaker 2: Rahab feigned surprise and concern. With her profession, she had
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  Speaker 2: become quite good at faking expressions. She let the men
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  Speaker 2: come inside and said, Ah, yes, two men were here,
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  Speaker 2: but I had no idea where they were from. When
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  Speaker 2: the gates of the city were about to be closed,
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  Speaker 2: they left quickly. You must go find them before they
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  Speaker 2: kill us. Rahab played the part of a woman in distress,
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  Speaker 2: needing the big, strong men to save her, all the
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  Speaker 2: while making sure nobody looked up towards the flax of
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  Speaker 2: the roof where she had hid the spies. The men
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  Speaker 2: wasted no time and pursued the men past the gates
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  Speaker 2: and towards the Jordan River. With great vigor, the men
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  Speaker 2: rode in pursuit of the spies that weren't even there.
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  Speaker 2: Rahab shut the door and breathed a sigh of relief.
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  Speaker 2: She climbed up to the roof where she had hidden
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  Speaker 2: the spies. They would stay there for the night, before
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  Speaker 2: leaving early in the morning. Rahab crouched down to where
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  Speaker 2: they were. Her eyes were filled with tears, but there
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  Speaker 2: was a look of resolve on her face. I know
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  Speaker 2: the Lord has given this land to you, Rahab said.
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  Speaker 2: Everybody here is afraid of you. We have all heard
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  Speaker 2: how God saved you from the Egyptians and the Amorites.
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  Speaker 2: If your God would part the Red Seas for you,
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  Speaker 2: There is no telling what he might do to us.
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  Speaker 2: As soon as we heard you were coming, our hearts melted.
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  Speaker 2: Please spare me and my family when you come, since
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  Speaker 2: I have helped you. Please help my mother, father, and siblings.
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  Speaker 2: The two spies smiled. They had no idea how afraid
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  Speaker 2: the people were of them. It was a good report,
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  Speaker 2: and they were excited to bring it back to Joshua.
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  Speaker 2: They took special note of Rahab and said to her,
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  Speaker 2: Of course. Our lives are in your debt. If you
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  Speaker 2: tell nobody of us, we will be faithful to you. Then,
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  Speaker 2: while it was still dark, Rahab lowered the men down
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  Speaker 2: by a rope through her window. for her home was
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  Speaker 2: a part of the city wall. The two men thanked
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  Speaker 2: Rahab and said, When we come to the land, tie
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  Speaker 2: this scarlet cord to your window, and anyone who passes
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  Speaker 2: through will not harm you. And so Rahab did it.
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  Speaker 2: The scarlet rope was tied around her window as a
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  Speaker 2: symbol of mercy. Just as the scarlet blood was painted
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  Speaker 2: on the doorsteps of the Israelites years ago, God would
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  Speaker 2: do more than just spare Rahab and her family. Little
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  Speaker 2: did she know that the scarlet thread would represent far
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  Speaker 2: more than mercy from Israel. Later on, she would marry
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  Speaker 2: a handsome prince from Judah, and through her lineage, a
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  Speaker 2: thousand generations across the entire world would be shown the
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  Speaker 2: mercy and blessings of God. The men departed and ventured
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  Speaker 2: into the hills and hid there for three days. The
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  Speaker 2: soldiers of Jericho scoured the outskirts of the land, barely
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  Speaker 2: missing the spies. A few close calls later, the men
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  Speaker 2: were able to return. Hungry, dehydrated, and more happy than
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  Speaker 2: they had ever been, the spies ran back to their camp.
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  Speaker 2: Joshua was helping a family pack their things when he
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  Speaker 2: heard shouts from the distance. He looked towards the horizon
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  Speaker 2: and saw two figures waving in the distance. Their silhouettes
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  Speaker 2: jumped up and down. Joshua squinted and could finally see
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  Speaker 2: that it was his spies returning. All the people looked
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  Speaker 2: as the two men ran back. Then Joshua heard the
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  Speaker 2: words they had been shouting. The Lord has given us
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  Speaker 2: this land and they shall melt away because of us.
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  Speaker 3: We begin today's story with a new leader, Joshua, feeling
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  Speaker 3: the weight of his position. Moses had led God's people
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  Speaker 3: for many years with strength and humility, and Joshua knew
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  Speaker 3: that he had some big sandals to fill. Not only that,
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  Speaker 3: but after 40 years of wandering in the desert, God
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  Speaker 3: was telling Joshua it was now time to cross the
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  Speaker 3: Jordan and actually enter the promised land. So God spoke
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  Speaker 3: to Joshua three times, echoing the words Moses had charged
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  Speaker 3: Joshua with, Be strong, be courageous. God reassured Joshua that
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  Speaker 3: he would go with him, just as he had been
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  Speaker 3: with Moses before him. But this was much, much more
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  Speaker 3: than a pep talk. These were marching orders. Listen to
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  Speaker 3: what God says when he repeats the charge the third
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  Speaker 3: time in Joshua 1.9. Have I not commanded you? Be
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  Speaker 3: strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not
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  Speaker 3: be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you
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  Speaker 3: wherever you go. I can't help but think of the
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  Speaker 3: words that Jesus gave to his disciples before he ascended
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  Speaker 3: into heaven. He was giving them the task of taking
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  Speaker 3: the message of the good news to the world. And
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  Speaker 3: just as God told Joshua that he would be with
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  Speaker 3: him wherever he went, Christ promised his spirit to go
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  Speaker 3: with us, within us always, that he would always be
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  Speaker 3: with us. Joshua believed God would do exactly what he
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  Speaker 3: said he would do. And this time, unlike the generation
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  Speaker 3: before him, the people did as well. They were confident
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  Speaker 3: that God would deliver the land into their hands. It
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  Speaker 3: was time to cross the Jordan. But note that Joshua
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  Speaker 3: sent spies in advance, just as Moses had done 40
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  Speaker 3: years before. You see, confidence does not mean carelessness. The
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  Speaker 3: threat of other nations was real, and Joshua needed to
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  Speaker 3: know what was ahead for the people. So two spies
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  Speaker 3: entered the first city that they would have to take,
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  Speaker 3: the city of Jericho. And it's here that we meet Rahab,
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  Speaker 3: a prostitute. She gave safe lodging to the spies because
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  Speaker 3: she had heard the incredible things that God had done
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  Speaker 3: since they had been rescued out of Egypt. God's great
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  Speaker 3: name had gone before these men, and she, by faith,
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  Speaker 3: opened the door for them. The king sent soldiers to
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  Speaker 3: capture the spies, and he had heard that they were
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  Speaker 3: staying with Rahab. So she lied to protect the men.
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  Speaker 3: She sent the soldiers in search of the men who
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  Speaker 3: she said had gone to the city gates. You see,
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  Speaker 3: like the midwives in Egypt who lied to Pharaoh's guards
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  Speaker 3: to protect Hebrew babies, Rahab feared God more than men
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  Speaker 3: and put her own life on the line to protect
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  Speaker 3: those who were sent by God. Rahab then lowered the
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  Speaker 3: men through her window to safety so they could return
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  Speaker 3: to give Joshua the good news. God has indeed given
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  Speaker 3: us the land. Rahab's faith and faithfulness would be rewarded.
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  Speaker 3: Before leaving, The men told her to tie a scarlet
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  Speaker 3: rope to her window so that when they returned to
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  Speaker 3: take the city, her life would be spared. That red
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  Speaker 3: cord represents a scarlet thread of redemption, the story of
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  Speaker 3: Jesus that runs throughout the Bible, and that by his
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  Speaker 3: blood we are redeemed. Rahab herself would become an ancestor
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  Speaker 3: to the Savior who would come and bring the whole
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  Speaker 3: world to himself. Dear God, thank you that you brought
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  Speaker 3: rescue and grace and peace to all of us through
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  Speaker 3: your son, Jesus. Thank you, God, that just as Joshua
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  Speaker 3: and the people could trust you to make good on
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  Speaker 3: your promises, we also know that we can be faithful
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  Speaker 3: and true and strong and courageous. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
• 15:28
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• 15:32
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• 15:35
  Speaker 3: someone you love, because by sharing this podcast, you can
• 15:39
  Speaker 3: make a big difference in someone's life in Jesus' name.
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: And if you want more resources on how to tap
• 15:45
  Speaker 3: into God's life, God's power, God's strength for successful Christian living,
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  Speaker 3: be sure to visit jackgram.org. God bless you.