Category: Old Testament

Re:Verse passage – Joshua 2:1-21 (day six)

God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. ²⁸ God chose things despised by the world,^[h] things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 1 Corinthians 1:27-28

Rahab made it clear that everyone had heard the same stories about the God of the Israelites she had. That means Jericho’s wisest and most powerful had also received the same news, and yet only Rahab initiated her faith by saving two Israelite scouts.

Paul’s words to the Corinthian church could not have been more true than in Jericho. With every opportunity to repent and initiate new faith, the wise and powerful of Jericho instead chose to stand their ground.

Rahab’s story is a story of God’s kindness to all, an invitation to repentance,  especially to the despised and powerless of the world.

Re:Verse passage – Joshua 2:1-21 (day five)  “spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.”  It’s a fascinating account of God’s activity in establishing and providing for the Israelites. His strength and power on display as they prepare to conquer Jericho. Death and destruction will soon come. Yet in the midst of providing a land for His people, an opportunity to see another facet of God’s nature- redemption. Rahab is found faithful and acts in kindness to the spies (and to the Lord). God gives her and her family redemption. Saves them from destruction. Watch what God does- changes her reputation (identity), changes her future, gives her hope, uses her in a prominent role His redemptive plan. That’s the nature of salvation. That’s the grace and kindness of the Lord. It was shown to and through Rahab. It is being shown to and through believers today. Same God- redeeming, reconciling, and restoring human hearts for His glory and our good!!

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Re:Verse passage – Joshua 2:1-21 (day four)

It is strange enough that women are listed at all in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. But these five women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary) have something else in common – they all have some form of sexual scandal in their history. Rahab herself was an outsider to the people of Israel. That in addition to her profession gave her two reasons to be killed by these men. Yet God found her faithful, and used her to bring about triumph for Israel, and eventually the Messiah himself. Rahab’s story, and Jesus’ family tree, make it clear – God’s plan includes all people.

Rahab saw the majesty and power of God, even with limited knowledge of him, and her faith caused her to act. Later, in the epistle from James, he uses Rahab as an example of faith lived out, “In 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? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:25-26). 

May our faith always lead us to action, following the example of God’s unexpected servant Rahab.

Re:Verse passage – Joshua 2:1-21 (day three)

“It was told the king of Jericho, saying, ‘Behold, men from the sons of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.’”

These two spies didn’t do much spying. What happened? Were they novices at reconnaissance? Were they overconfident? Did they intend to indulge in revelry prior to fulfilling their mission? Is that why they ended up at Rahab’s place? Whether they intended to avail themselves of Rahab’s services or not, the jig was up soon enough. Someone figured them out, and the manhunt commenced. The mission never took off, and now they were hemmed in, out of ideas. There is one savvy, resourceful presence in this account – Rahab. This ancestor of Christ ended up as the stealthy, unflappable agent Israel needed. Everyone but God would see only this woman’s outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Re:Verse passage – Joshua 2:1-21 (day two)  For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the ^[d]Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt vs. 10a

Rahab must have been overwhelmed by the presence of these men in her house. She and her people had heard the stories of the work of God on behalf of the people of Israel. She recounted to them several stories of the Lord’s miraculous deliverance. Keep in mind that the parting of the Red Sea had been over 40 years earlier. The truth of the Lord cannot be hidden, and our job is to be present and to affirm the truth of who the he is in this world and in our lives. If we would take more time to share of God’s provision in our lives, we might be amazed at how those around us want to know more.

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 50:15-20 (day seven)  

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. Gen 50:20

I am sure that Satan rejoiced the moment that Joseph was thrown into the pit. I’m sure he laughed thinking he had won this battle, but the story wasn’t finished yet. God meant it for good. We have seen this in our own lives. There are those “God, what are doing?” moments where we are unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It seems as if God has abandoned us and neglected our prayers. It seems like Satan won. Sometimes it takes hours, sometimes it takes years, but there is usually a point where you look back and you see that it was God working all along. He was leading you through the valley of the shadow death so that you might come out on the other side stronger and that there was no other way to explain it than He was in control.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Rom 8:28

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 50:15-20(day six)

¹⁹ But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? Genesis 50:19

Notice Joseph’s reason for forgiveness. He did not dismiss their betrayal and cruelty. He did not say, “let bygones be bygones,” or “don’t worry about it.” A confession and ask for forgiveness does not mean the sin magically disappears. Joseph could forgive because he placed justice in God’s hands.

Forgiveness never happens in a vacuum; sin is always due justice. What’s true for Joseph is true for us, we forgive not by forgetting about the offense but by entrusting justice to God. This makes the basis of Joseph’s forgiveness and ours the same: Jesus.

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 50:15-20(day five) “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

Did you notice the use the of same word to describe the actions of the brothers and the actions of God? (Meant)
The brothers intended and planned for their actions against Joseph. And from the beginning of time, God intended and planned for their actions to bring Him glory and them good.  There was no surprise or reaction from God. This was His planned intention all along. God didn’t react and “use” their actions (if somehow He was caught off guard or surprised). He meant. Now another example…
Read Isaiah 53. The sin and evil of Herod, Pilate, many others was not random. It was proactively intended by them and by God.

“There is no gospel, there is no salvation, if God cannot, in perfect holiness, govern the acts of sinful men.” – John Piper

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 50:15-20 (day four)

I’ve always thought of Joseph as one of the most earnest characters in the Bible. He is sincere in his walk with the Lord, and you can count on him to say exactly what he means (with varying degrees of tact). He is serious and purposeful as he goes about the Lord’s business.

His brothers, on the other hand, are manipulative and jealous. They’ll lie and cheat to get what they want. Because of them, Joseph’s life was riddled with bitter trials. But for every trial, God turned that situation around into a blessing for Joseph. Because Joseph remained faithful to God and walked in obedience, he saw the restorative power of God’s hand. When Joseph looked back on his life, he saw the blessings and faithfulness of God, rather than the trials and unfairness of his family.

When the time came, Joseph was able to forgive his family. God had shown him his restorative power his entire life, so how could he not choose restoration now? This kind of grace is only possible when we walk closely with the Lord, the One who promises to restore the years the locusts have eaten.