Faith and Perseverance #2

There’s another thing about the story of Rahab that’s encouraging to me. Rahab gathered her family, told them about the way of salvation and then somehow kept them all there in the safety of her home—or in the safety of the faith since being in her house with red cord displayed was the way they were going to be saved. She had to deal with feeding them and finding places for them to sleep. She had to deal with the inevitable squabbles of family cooped up together. She had to quell their doubts, especially when the Israeli army spent six days marching around outside the city walls only to go silently back to their camp.

How many times did she have to explain why it was important to stay in the house, to drill into their heads that it was dangerous to leave? How many times did she have to explain that God was with the Israeli army although they probably appeared totally ineffectual? Sure, hiding the spies was a courageous act of faith—but continuing to convey her faith to her family in close quarters, persevering day after day, now that was really something amazing.

Thinking about Rahab gives me heart to continue to tell the story of my faith to my kids, to explain to my teenager once again that “it’s dangerous out there,” that there is one way of salvation even though the actions of God’s people may look odd or ineffective right now.

Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. Then they burned the whole city and everything in it.... But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the Israelites to this day. Joshua 6:22-25

Faith and Perseverance

I’m reading Joshua right now and I find myself wondering about Rahab’s family. Rahab was the woman who helped the Israelite spies when they came to check out Jericho. She hid them from the king and then helped them escape the city in exchange for a promise that Joshua would save her family when the Israelites came to destroy Jericho. The spies promised her salvation on the condition that she hang a scarlet cord from the window of her home so the army would know which one was hers. All who were waiting in her home would be saved. Anyone who went out into the street took his life in his own hands.

As soon as the spies left, Rahab tied the cord in her window. She probably also went out and told her parents, brothers and sisters about the coming destruction and the promised salvation. She urged them to seek refuge in her home.

And then what? And then they all sat around waiting I guess. It was at least a week and probably much more before the Israelites were even heard from again. (The spies hid for three days before returning to the camp and then the Israelites crossed the Jordon, camped in the vicinity for three days, circumcised themselves and waited to heal, all before marching on Jericho).

What did Rahab’s family think during this time? It probably went something like this: We’ve been duped. There is no danger. Or even if there is danger, what good will sitting in the house do? We’re missing so much going on out there in the town. What about my business? I’ve got to get back to it before it runs into the ground. I’ve got to plow, plant, harvest, winnow, store, etc or I won’t have anything to eat. I’ve got to spin and sew or I won’t have anything to wear. And what about my friends? What fun am I missing?

Finally the Israelites appeared, but they spent six days merely marching around the city once per day blowing trumpets. What did Rahab’s family think then? Now I KNOW we’ve been duped. Look at all the silly motions they’re going through. It’s all meaningless.

Did some of the family leave they house? Did they lose focus on why they were waiting (their ultimate salvation from death) and begin to fight with each other about trivial things? Did they doubt Rahab’s sanity, thinking she must have gotten the salvation plan wrong. I mean, afterall, how can this little cord save anyone? Did they begin to invent their own versions of how and where they could survive? Did they start thinking about ways they could save themselves?

Does any of this sound disturbingly familiar? We’re all waiting right now. At some point, we became convinced of hell and the ultimate destruction of this world. We learned there is a way of salvation. But now we wait and things like death and destruction seem far off and even a little crazy. What seems more real are concerns about what to eat and what to wear and how to spend our time and that annoying person sitting next to us as we wait.

Take heart. Keep focused on the unseen realities. Rahab’s family was eventually saved from destruction and so will we be if we remain faithful.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the faith we profess, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23