Identity

"Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, 'Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.' So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night." Joshua 2:1

With one exception, every time Rahab is mentioned in the Bible she is identified as “Rahab the harlot or prostitute.” Old Testament and New, her profession is clearly linked to her.

The Bible links others to their profession as well. For instance, Simon the tanner, Matthew the Publican, and Caiaphas the High Priest. 

Some were known for their politics, like Simon the Zealot, while others were noted by a physical ailment or characteristic. Simon the Leper was identified by a defiling, incurable disease, while James the Less earned his name either by being very small or very young.

How about you? Is there an identity link--a name--you are trying to live down…or live up to? Has the world pigeonholed you in a place or reputation you don’t want?

Rahab’s way of life was not honorable. Her neighbors were accustomed to strangers coming and going at odd hours. Her house was the one place in the city where the spies had a hope of lodging without calling attention to themselves.

But God had other plans. Someone spotted them and alerted the king who sent a message demanding their surrender. When questioned about the spies, Rahab responded with a half-truth and sent the king's soldiers on a wild goose chase.

Hmmm. She’s a prostitute and a liar. We don’t know if a code of ethics existed in her culture. However, she wasn't Jewish and she wasn't under the Law. Yet something in her was seeking salvation.

The people of Jericho were frightened of the Jews because of what God had done for them. They knew He had delivered His chosen people from Egypt by parting the Red Sea approximately forty years earlier. They had heard of Israel’s subsequent victories as they wandered in the wilderness.

“For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. Now swear to me by the LORD that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.” Joshua 2:11-13

She asked for salvation based on her faith that God is the supreme God and He had given the Israelites the land.  God gave her what she asked for…and so much more.

God healed Simon the Leper and Jesus became a guest in his home. Jesus called Matthew the Publican (aka 'hated tax collector') to be one of his twelve disciples and he wrote the first New Testament Gospel.

In the book of Matthew, we learn there were three women mentioned in the lineage of Jesus. The first was Tamar, who played a prostitute in order to have her father-in-law, Judah, obey a commandment of the LORD. The second is this Rahab, who married Salmon and gave birth to Boaz. The third is Ruth, a Moabite—a people forbidden to be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. Ruth married Boaz and gave birth to Obed, the grandfather of King David. Three women marked by sin, yet God sees them worthy to be in the human lineage of his Son, Jesus Christ. Oh, and please note—Matthew is the only one who states simply, “Rahab”, as her name.

The mercy of God looks at us and sees us through the gracious sacrifice of Jesus—totally righteous. No matter our earthly name or reputation, He has a new name in mind for each one of us.

I’ve pondered what I’d like my earthly identity to be…humble…righteous…wise…generous…victorious, certainly not doubter…discouraged…self-focused or failure. Left to my own choosing, I think I would choose “Marilyn the forgiven.” I’ll know for sure when I get to heaven.

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.”  Revelation 2:17

by Marilyn Allison

On The Threshold of Promise

"The LORD now said to Moses, 'Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.' So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran."  
Numbers 13:1-3

"Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land...'See what the land is like, and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. See what kind of land they live in. Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls, or are they unprotected like open camps? Is the soil fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Do your best to bring back samples of the crops you see."  
Numbers 13:17-20

So they went up and explored the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran..."We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country--a land flowing with milk and honey...But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!"  
Numbers 13:21; 25-28; 31

After four hundred years in Egypt, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had diminished from honored guests to hated slaves. In their misery, they cried out to God for deliverance.

"Then the LORD told him (Moses), 'I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey--the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live."
Exodus 3:7-8

The direct route from Egypt to the boundary of the Promised Land was a journey of approximately two weeks. However, God deliberately took them on a series of detours while he built up their ability to defend themselves. Four hundred years of oppression may have produced brawlers in their downtime, but now disciplined warriors were needed to protect the nation as they traversed unfamiliar, hostile territory.  

Thus, Israel's family came to the stepping over point, the threshold to the land God had promised. Did they joyfully accept the promise and make plans to cross the Jordan? No. They needed to know with their own eyes and minds that God had told them the truth. Before they proceeded they had to know what they were facing. They wanted proof of God's word. Step one in falling short of entering into a trust relationship with God.

As the account unfolded, two of the twelve spies had a more faithful story to tell.

"Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to all the people of Israel, 'The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the LORD is pleased with us, He will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the LORD, and don't be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don't be afraid of them!"
Numbers 14:6-9

You probably remember what came next. God was fed up with the people He chose to call His own. He was ready to destroy them. Moses interceded for his brethren. God then decreed the doubters would not be allowed to enter the land He promised.

"But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the LORD's glory, not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it."
Numbers 14:21-23

Forty years later the nation was once again on the threshold of entering God's promise. With the death of Moses Joshua was commanded to lead the nation across the Jordan River. It was time for the spring harvest and snowmelt from the mountains had turned the tranquil water into a raging torrent. Obedience would not be easy. It would take faith and courage.  

Before Joshua would lead them to face this seemingly impossible obstacle, the LORD instructed him three times to be strong and courageous, that God would be with him and never leave or abandon him. (Joshua 1:6-7, 9)

Our whole lives are a journey out of the world (Egypt) and through the wilderness into the promised land of rest. The Word of God entreats the question--Where are we on that path?

Are we still struggling to let go of the world, desiring "leeks and vegetables" instead of the manna of God's provision?

Are we poised on the bank of the Jordan and looking to the promises of God, but fearful to step into the raging obstacle before us--needing proof that God will keep His Word?

Have we embraced the faith necessary to trust God's promise and dip our toes into the violent tide?

God would say to us the same thing He said to Joshua...

"This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

Come on in. The water's fine.

by Marilyn Allison

Live Fearlessly

"This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

This morning the Women's Spring Bible Study begins at CCEA. "Living Fearlessly In The Land Of Promise." Three times (verses 6, 7 and 9) in the first Chapter of Joshua God commands him not to fear. Then, at the end of the chapter, the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh admonish Joshua to be strong and courageous.

Why would God repeat that command so many times? Joshua had the promise, as Moses before him:

"I promise you what I promised Moses; 'Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you--from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hitites.' No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you."  Joshua 1:3-5

Joshua was about to lead the children of Israel into the land God had promised them. He promised them. God is faithful. He keeps His promises.

It wasn't going to be easy. They were heading into a land filled with suspicious people. In many cases the land itself was hostile to their settlement. It would have to be worked in order to sustain them. They would need to be on guard against the world. They would need to trust God to keep His word.

What has God called you to? What is your land of promise? He has given you a path to walk and His words remain the same. "Be strong and courageous...do not be afraid or discouraged."

When we are afraid--when we are discouraged, what is missing? 

"...Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey eveything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do."  Joshua 1:7-8

Don't misunderstand me. These people were under the Law of the original covenant. We who belong to Jesus are under the new covenant of Grace. If we follow Jesus' commandments to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul and love others as ourselves, we will fulfill the commands of the first covenant. We can't love God with all that is within us and truly love others as we love ourselves and then covet what they have, gossip and slander their reputations, and all the fleshly attitudes Jesus tells us to put aside.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."  Ephesians 4:31-32

Just as Joshua was instructed to study the Book of Instruction so he would prosper and succeed in all that he did, we need to study and meditate on God's written word. His words are life to us. His Word reveals His character to us. They reveal His commands for holy living. They reveal His desires for us. And, as we study them, God's Holy Spirit becomes stronger in us. He not only shows us the truth, but He gives us the ability to walk away from the desires of our flesh nature and put on the righteous nature of Jesus. He gives us the power to follow after truth.

May the Word of God become more important to us this year. And may we each find that, as we draw near to our loving Father, all fear and discouragement disappears.

by Marilyn Allison

Colors of Love

"For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

I've been looking around my house at the decorations lovingly placed in their customary places at this time of year. I notice everything is done in reds, whites, green, silver and gold. That got me to thinking about what those colors mean to me.

Red: the color of our sin. Also, the blood our Savior shed for us.

"Come now, and let us reason together,' saith the LORD, 'though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow..."  
Isaiah 1:18

White: the color of our hearts cleansed from sin by the blood of our Savior. Also, the color of the robe of righteousness with which He will present us without flaw before our Father.

"I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness."  Isaiah 61:10a

Green: Hope in the newness of life, the blessed hope we have in Jesus Christ.

"And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousnesss, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed."  
Titus 2:12-13

Silver and Gold: metals that become precious when they go through the refiner's fire.

"And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."
Malachi 3:3

And purification speaks about our faith that is refined and strengthened through trials.

"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."  
1 Peter 1:6-7

Soon we celebrate the advent of Christ entering this world through the body of a baby. Immanuel--God with us, never to leave us again. As we look around at the beautiful colors that immediately make us think of Christmas, let us remember His birth had a purpose. His death and resurrection accomplished that purpose.

"For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."  
1 Peter 1:18-19

May we each be blessed this Holy Season with a deeper appreciation of what God has done for us.

by Marilyn Allison

Uplifting Diversion - Book Review

Christian author, Michelle Griep, has written the beginning book of a new yearly Christmas series called "Once Upon A Dickens Christmas." Her first book, Twelve Days at Bleakly Manor, is a good read and only 182 pages. It is set in the Victorian Era--1850--a time that appeals to so many of us.

Seven guests receive a mysterious invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home, Bleakly Manor. Whichever guest is still remaining at the end of twelve days will receive what is promised them in the invitation. Each guest is struggling in some manner in life and this makes for an interesting, sometimes quirky, interaction of the characters. The book is one of mystery, romance, danger, and second chances. 

The two main characters in the book are Clara Chapman and Ben Lane who were to have been married nine months earlier. On their wedding day, Clara was left at the altar to endure the shame and whispered comments of the guests. One week later, Clara's family wealth and business were stolen and she now believes Ben is responsible.

Ben, who had been on his way to the church and looking forward to his wedding day, never arrived. Their love was stolen from each of them, but why? These past nine months Clara has been living in poverty with her aunt, who took her in, and Ben was imprisoned unjustly. Each of them arrives at the manor unaware the other has also received an invitation and a promise.

Every day at the manor brings new challenges and dangers to the guests. There is no master of the house, yet nothing happens at the manor that is not well thought out and planned--a mystery for the guests that only leaves them with questions and mixed responses. Ben and Clara's faith shines through as it guides their behavior, their actions, and their words. At one point of the story, Ben responds to Clara's questions with the statement:

"Sometimes all we have are questions. But there's really only one that matters. Is God in control or is He not?"

Isn't that a question for each one of us this day? Do we have faith that God is in control even when life doesn't make sense...when it brings suffering and pain...when it doesn't seem right or fair?

If you are ready for a break in the midst of your Christmas shopping, wrapping, baking, and cleaning, this book is worth the reading. I think it is one you would choose to read even a second time.

by Pat Tingwall