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

Transcript

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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed. For the Lord
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: thy God is with thee, whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1.9
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me to be
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: strong and courageous. These words will serve as my life's
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: reminder as I move through the life of Joshua. as
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: I face my first test and conquer my new territory.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: I will do so knowing that the God of this
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: universe is behind me, beside me, and in front of me.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Even though the mountain in front of me may seem
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: as fortified and large as Jericho, I know that you
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: have a plan, God, to cause the mountain to crumble
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: before me. All I need to do is stand steadfast
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: and reliant upon you, and my victory is inevitable. I
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: decree and declare that you are setting up Rahabs in
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: my life to help shield and protect me from the enemy.
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: Praise you, Lord, for you have gone before me to
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: speak on my behalf, even before I entered the room. Therefore,
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: the ground is ripe for the seeds of promise, and
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: I know that my harvest time has come. I will
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: let out a hallelujah because your word never fails. My
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: future is secured. My family is protected. And my promise
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: has been made sure in your unfailing love. In Jesus' name, amen.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by Bibleinayear.com.
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: Rahab and the Spies In our last story, we learned
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: about the passing of Moses. His past with anger had
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: kept him from leading the new generation into the promised land.
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: Before Moses' departure, God appointed Joshua to lead in his place.
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: Near the camp on the mountain, Moses overlooked the land
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: flowing with milk and honey and breathed his last, knowing
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: that the sheep of Israel were safe under the care
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: of a new shepherd. In this story, we learn about
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: God's steadfast reminder to Joshua to be brave and courageous,
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: and how bravery comes in all shapes and sizes. Rahab,
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: a prostitute woman from Jericho, shows the courage of God
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: in a different way, as inspired by the book of Joshua.
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of The Bible
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: in a Year. In our previous episode, we heard how
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: God showed kindness to Moses in his final days on earth.
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: Though his anger had kept him out of the promised land,
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: God allowed Moses to see that place God was giving
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: his people, a view of the fulfilled promise. Moses reminded
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: the people of all God's laws and that if they
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: obeyed him, they would be blessed. Before he died, Moses
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: commissioned Joshua, the man that God himself had chosen to
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: lead Israel into their new home. Today, we'll hear how
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: God reminds Joshua to be brave and trust that he
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: would work through Joshua and be with him just as
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: he was with Moses. We'll also see how courage leads
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: a prostitute named Rahab to help God's people as they
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: come in to take Jericho. Let's listen now to today's reading.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: The sun had set on the era of Moses. His leadership, humility,
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: and devotion to God would be heralded for thousands of generations.
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: Now a new era had come, and it was time
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: for God to lead his people out of the wilderness
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: and into the land flowing with milk and honey. God
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: came to Joshua as he once did to Moses. In
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: the silence, God spoke softly, saying, Moses is dead. Now arise, Joshua.
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: Go over the Jordan River into the land I have
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: given you and my people. Joshua smiled and laid it
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: at the words he was hearing. Yet a subtle doubt
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: nested in the back of his mind. He could not
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: shake a feeling of insecurity. Am I truly able to
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: lead these people like Moses did? He thought to himself. God,
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: knowing Joshua's heart, continued to speak, saying, No one shall
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: be able to stand against you, just as I was
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: with Moses, so I will be with you. I will
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: never leave you. Be strong and courageous, and you will
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: lead the people into victory. Keep my commands close to
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: your heart, and do not be afraid, for I am
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: with you. Three times God repeated these words to Joshua,
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: encouraging him to be strong and courageous. Joshua closed his
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: eyes and took a deep breath. He rolled his shoulders
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: back and assumed a large posture. Then he arose to
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: go lead his people. Prepare yourselves, Joshua shouted to his men.
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: He marched through camp to all the officers of Israel, saying,
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: Pass through camp and command people to pack their belongings,
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: for in three days we will pass through the Jordan
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: and take the land that is ours. So Joshua and
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: all his men helped the families of Israel prepare for
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: their final adventure. A galvanizing spirit of unity was among
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: the people, and Joshua had the trust and admiration of Israel. However,
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: Joshua was not naive to the dangers that awaited Israel.
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: He remembered the vastness of the Canaanite armies and their strength.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: They were not like God's people. These cultures could be
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: brutal and sadistic, taking women and children as prostitutes and slaves.
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: He must be careful, and God must be with him.
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: The first land they had to conquer was Jericho. a
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: city with great walls and fortification. So Joshua sent two
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: spies to scope out the land and its inhabitants. As
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: Joshua once did with eleven others, these spies remained hidden
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: within the city and measured its level of strength. The
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: two spies swept the land for threats and weaknesses. They
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: remained anonymous and hidden, finding lodging in the house of
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: a prostitute named Rahab. There they hid. in between shifts
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: of going out and spying. Soon, word of the two
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: spies came to the king of Jericho. Suspicious and angry,
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: the king sent men to Rahab's house to find the spies,
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: for he had been told they were lodging there. Knocks
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: could be heard from the front of Rahab's house. The
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: spies and Rahab looked at one another, panicked. The king
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: had found them. The spies drew their swords and prepared
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: for a fight. But Rahab took both of them and
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: hid them safely. Rahab straightened her clothes, put on a
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: sensuous smile, and slowly approached the door. Guards were at
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: her door. Rahab, about to greet them as customers, was
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: interrupted by one of the guards, saying, Rahab feigned surprise
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: and concern. With her profession, she had become quite good
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: at faking expressions. She let the men come inside and said, Ah, yes,
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: two men were here, but I had no idea where
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: they were from. When the gates of the city were
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: about to be closed, they left quickly. You must go
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: find them before they kill us. Rahab played the part
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: of a woman in distress, needing the big, strong men
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: to save her, all the while making sure nobody looked
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: up towards the flax of the roof where she had
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: hid the spies. The men wasted no time. and pursued
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: the men past the gates and towards the Jordan River.
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: With great vigor, the men rode in pursuit of the
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: spies that weren't even there. Rahab shut the door and
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: breathed a sigh of relief. She climbed up to the
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: roof where she had hidden the spies. They would stay
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: there for the night, before leaving early in the morning.
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: Rahab crouched down to where they were. Her eyes were
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: filled with tears, but there was a look of.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: Resolve on her face.
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: I know the Lord has given this land to you,
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: Rahab said. Everybody here is afraid of you. We have
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: all heard how God saved you from the Egyptians and
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: the Amorites. If your God would part the Red Seas
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: for you, there is no telling what he might do
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: to us. As soon as we heard you were coming,
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: our hearts melted. Please spare me and my family when
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: you come, since I have helped you. Please help my mother, father,
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: and siblings. The two spies smiled. They had no idea
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: how afraid the people were of them. It was a
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: good report, and they were excited to bring it back
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: to Joshua. They took special note of Rahab and said
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: to her, Of course. Our lives are in your debt.
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: If you tell nobody of us, we will be faithful
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: to you. Then, while it was still dark, Rahab lowered
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: the men down by a rope through her window, for
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: her home was a part of the city wall. the
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: two men thanked Rahab and said when we come to
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: the land tie this scarlet cord to your window and
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: anyone who passes through will not harm you and so
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: Rahab did it the scarlet rope was tied around her
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: window as a symbol of mercy just as the scarlet
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: blood was painted on the doorsteps of the Israelites years
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: ago God would do more than just spare Rahab and
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: her family. Little did she know that the scarlet thread
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: would represent far more than mercy from Israel. Later on
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: she would marry a handsome prince from Judah, and through
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: her lineage a thousand generations across the entire world would
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: be shown the mercy and blessings of God. The men
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: departed and ventured into the hills and hid there for
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: three days. The soldiers of Jericho scoured the outskirts of
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: the land barely missing the spies. A few close calls later,
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: the men were able to return. Hungry, dehydrated, and more
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: happy than they had ever been, the spies ran back
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: to their camp. Joshua was helping a family pack their
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: things when he heard shouts from the distance. He looked
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: towards the horizon and saw two figures waving in the distance.
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: Their silhouettes jumped up and down. Joshua squinted and could
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: finally see that it was his spies returning. All the
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: people looked as the two men ran back. Then Joshua
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: heard the words they had been shouting. The Lord has
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: given us this land, and they shall melt away because
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: of us.
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: We begin today's story with a new leader, Joshua, feeling
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: the weight of his position. Moses had led God's people
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: for many years with strength and humility, and Joshua knew
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: that he had some big sandals to fill. Not only that,
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: But after 40 years of wandering in the desert, God
• 11:53
  Speaker 3: was telling Joshua it was now time to cross the
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: Jordan and actually enter the promised land. So God spoke
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: to Joshua three times, echoing the words Moses had charged
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: Joshua with, be strong, be courageous. God reassured Joshua that
• 12:11
  Speaker 3: he would go with him, just as he had been
• 12:14
  Speaker 3: with Moses before him. But this was much, much more
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: than a pep talk. These were marching orders. Listen to
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: what God says when he repeats the charge the third
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: time in Joshua 1.9. Have I not commanded you? Be
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: strong and courageous. Do not be frightened and do not
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: be dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: wherever you go. I can't help but think of the
• 12:37
  Speaker 3: words that Jesus gave to his disciples before he ascended
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: into heaven. He was giving them the task of taking
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: the message of the good news to the world. And
• 12:47
  Speaker 3: just as God told Joshua that he would be with
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: him wherever he went Christ promised His Spirit to go
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: with us, within us always, that He would always be
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: with us. Joshua believed God would do exactly what He
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: said He would do. And this time, unlike the generation
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: before him, the people did as well. They were confident
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: that God would deliver the land into their hands. It
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: was time to cross the Jordan. But note that Joshua
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: sent spies in advance, just as Moses had done 40
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: years before. You see, confidence does not mean carelessness. The
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: threat of other nations was real and Joshua needed to
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: know what was ahead for the people. So two spies
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: entered the first city that they would have to take,
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: the city of Jericho. And it's here that we meet Rahab,
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: a prostitute. She gave safe lodging to the spies because
• 13:38
  Speaker 3: she had heard the incredible things that God had done
• 13:41
  Speaker 3: since they had been rescued out of Egypt. God's great
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: name had gone before these men and she, by faith,
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: opened the door for them. The king sent soldiers to
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: capture the spies, and he had heard that they were
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: staying with Rahab. So she lied to protect the men.
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: She sent the soldiers in search of the men who
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: she said had gone to the city gates. You see,
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: like the midwives in Egypt who lied to Pharaoh's guards
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: to protect Hebrew babies, Rahab feared God more than men
• 14:11
  Speaker 3: and put her own life on the line to protect
• 14:14
  Speaker 3: those who were sent by God. Rahab then lowered the
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: men through her window to safety. so they could return
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: to give Joshua the good news. God has indeed given
• 14:25
  Speaker 3: us the land. Rahab's faith and faithfulness would be rewarded.
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: Before leaving, the men told her to tie a scarlet
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: rope to her window so that when they returned to
• 14:35
  Speaker 3: take the city, her life would be spared. That red
• 14:39
  Speaker 3: cord represents a scarlet thread of redemption, the story of
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: Jesus that runs throughout the Bible, and that by his
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: blood we are redeemed. Rahab herself would become an ancestor
• 14:52
  Speaker 3: to the Savior who would come and bring the whole
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: world to Himself. Dear God, thank You that You brought
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: rescue and grace and peace to all of us through
• 15:02
  Speaker 3: Your Son, Jesus. Thank You, God, that just as Joshua
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: and the people could trust You to make good on
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: Your promises, we also know that we can be faithful
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: and true and strong and courageous. In Jesus' name, amen.
• 15:18
  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 15:22
  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
• 15:26
  Speaker 3: app and make prayer a priority in your life. If
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you know,
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: someone you love, because by sharing this podcast, you can
• 15:36
  Speaker 3: make a big difference in someone's life in Jesus name.
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: And if you want more resources on how to tap
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: into God's life, God's power, God's strength for successful Christian living,
• 15:48
  Speaker 3: be sure to visit jackgram.org. God bless you.
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative healthcare solution
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.