Rahab: Woman of Hope!  (Read Joshua 2:1-19)

In my last Blog, we saw that Rahab was saved from death and destruction because she believed in Jehovah the living God. Today, let’s look at how she was saved.

Rahab lived on top of the city wall surrounding Jericho. She helped the two spies to escape by letting down a scarlet rope from her window down to the ground. The two spies scurried down this rope and away to safety.

Before the spies left she agreed a covenant with them that she and her family would be spared and kept alive when Israel invaded Jericho. Rahab also asked them for a token of the covenant. A token is a sign to both parties which reminds them of the covenant they have entered into and the responsibilities they have in keeping the covenant.

The sign both parties agreed on was the scarlet rope used by the spies to escape.

Josh 2:18 When we come into the land, you must leave this ‘scarlet rope‘ hanging from the window through which you let us down. (TLB)

The word rope in the above scripture in Hebrew means, ‘Hope or an expectation of good things to come’.

Rahab’s hope and expectation of good that she and her family would be saved by Joshua and the Israelite army were placed in the sign of this scarlet rope.

Sure enough, when Israel invaded Jericho, Joshua told the Israelites to kill everyone in the city apart from Rahab and her family.

Josh 6:25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day.  (KJV)

The scarlet rope is a picture of the blood of Christ and  is a sign to us that we have been  cleansed from all sin.

Joshua is a picture of Jesus Christ who has saved us from death and given us eternal life.

When we put the two things together, the Holy Spirit is showing us that our hope today is always to be placed in Christ our heavenly Joshua, and in the scarlet cord of His blood. He alone is our hope of future glory, He Himself has become our anchor of hope who is firmly embedded in the presence of God.

Col 1:27 Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Heb 6:18-20 We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God  where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us.  (THE MESSAGE)

Therefore, no matter what happens to us in life, as we place our trust in Christ, the oxygen of hope rises in our hearts and gives us the strength for daily life. Also we can have a sure expectation of good things to come, that God will meet our every need and bring us His security.

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Ps 42:5 Why am I so sad? Why am I so troubled? I will put my hope in God, and once again I will praise him, my savior and my God. (GNT)

RAHAB – WOMAN OF HOPE  (Read: Joshua 2:1-19)

In this story, God has commanded Israel to invade the city of Jericho and kill all it’s inhabitants, men, women, children and livestock. The sins they committed had reached a tipping point, and God as the Lord of the land (Landlord) exercised His right to evict them. (Gen 15:16, Jos 24:8. Amorites is a collective name for the Canaanites)

But there was a woman called Rahab (a prostitute) who gave sanctuary to two men who had been sent by Joshua to spy out the land, and she alone out of the whole population of Jericho, believed in the Lord God of Israel.

Heb 11:31 By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with the unbelievers.  (Douay-Rheims)

Here was a woman who lived in the midst of a people who practiced abhorrent sin. She herself was a prostitute, but because she believed, God saved her.

No matter our background or how deeply mired in sin, it takes one thing to be saved: ONLY BELIEVE!

You may be reading this Blog today, and your life is a mess. You don’t know where to turn or how to break free from your mess.

God says to you today, believe in my Son Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

Rom 10:13  For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (NKJV)

Call upon the name of Jesus and simply ask Him to come into your heart and life and save you, and He will. He is true to His Word.

Now you’ve become a Christian, develop your relationship with God through praying and reading the Bible. Ask God to guide you to an Evangelical Christian Church.

You need people of like mind around you to nurture you in your new found faith.

Meditation Point: No matter how messed up our life, if we will call on the name of the Lord, He will, He will save us.

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Mary: Women of Destiny

Not Left To Her Own Devises

In our last Blog we saw that Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel and impregnated with divine seed. In 9 months she would give birth to the Son of God. A great responsibility and calling now rested on Mary. She couldn’t share her story with anyone. No one would understand. No one had any experience of such a thing.

Did God abandon Mary to her own devices, was she left alone to fend for herself. No! God told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was also going through a similar miracle and would give birth to John the Baptist, and was already 6 months pregnant.

Luke 1:36 And listen! Your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is now the sixth month with her who was called barren.  (AMP)

Elizabeth was way ahead of Mary and could encourage her and give her hope in what she was going through.

As soon as Mary walked through the door and greeted her, Elizabeth responded: Lk 1:42-45.  “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear, and blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” (NIV)

Can you see how Elizabeth is strengthening Mary for the task ahead.

What seed of revelation has God birthed in your spirit. What work has He called you to do. Be assured, He will not leave you alone to fend for yourself. He will bring someone alongside you to encourage you and speak hope into your life.

“But I don’t have anyone to fulfill that roll in my life?”  Then pray and ask God to send such a person.

Non of us can make it alone. That’s why we should all be a member of a local Church and surround ourselves with people who can help us.

John and Mary

God repeated the same provision for Mary when her Son was hanging on the cross and about to leave her all alone. The Scripture says: Jn 19:26-27. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (NIV)

Jesus provided for His mother’s future by asking John to take her into his home and look after her.

Are you worried about the future, who will look after you, will you have enough money to live on?

God has promised to provide for us at all times. He will not allow us to be cast onto the rubbish heap of life and left alone to fend for ourselves.

That’s why we need to arm ourselves with the promises of God, such as:

Ps 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.(NIV)

Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. (KJV)

Heb 13:5-6 For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (KJV)

Meditation Point: God has promised to provide for every one of His children. God never breaks His promises. He is not a man that He should lie.

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MARY – WOMAN OF DESTINY

Mary was in her teens (women married young in Hebrew culture) when she was engaged to marry Joseph, and today I would like us to look at some characteristics of her life.

The Ordinary Becomes Extra-Ordinary

Mary was an ordinary, nondescript, obscure woman who was chosen to give birth to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. In a moment of time she had gone from being ordinary to extra-ordinary.

When you and I received salvation, Christ was born in us. In a moment of time we went from being ordinary to extra-ordinary because now it is, “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27)

But we only become extra-ordinary if we see ourselves as so. Gideon had a visitation from God (Jud 6:12). God called Him, ‘A mighty warrior’. What was Gideon’s response. He couldn’t receive it because he couldn’t visualize himself that way.

It took God working in him to change his mindset to such a degree that when he finally led his men into battle, he told them to shout, “The sword of the Lord – AND OF GIDEON!” (Jud 7:18)

SUCCESS - ACHIEVEMENT

Ps 37:23 The steps of a good man/woman are ordered by the Lord. (NKJV)

Are you like Gideon today. Insecure, lacking identity, filled with doubt and unbelief. Invite the Father to work in your life and change the way you see yourself. He will do it for you because He loves you and wants the best for you.

You don’t have to fear how He will bring this about. You only need invite Him to do it and rest in Him. He will change your mindset so that you see yourself as God sees you.

Why is it so important to see ourselves as God sees us – it’s because the way we think determines the way we speak.

Negative mindset – negative confession. Positive mindset – positive confession.

Prov 23:7 For as a man thinks within himself, so is he.

When we see ourselves as a new creation, victorious, strong and having the favour of God – as we speak out who we are – we create a framework through which God can work and bring into being who we say we are.

A gradual change will take place and we’ll become the beautiful butterfly which is the new creation.

Meditation Point: Because Christ lives in me, I am an extra-ordinary person. I have been created for purpose and success.

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