Rahab

I love Rahab. At this time in history, women were meaningless. Their only role was to bear children – and outside of that they were nothing. But here, a women – a prostitute none the less – is used to facilitate the fall of Jericho. In this story we witness the Israelites staking out the territory – finding refuge at Rahab’s house. Upon lying to the soldiers, she guides them to a safe route. Because of this, Rahab and her family are saved. So what sets Rahab apart? God clearly stated time and time again that the Israelites are to leave no survivors, but Rahab and her relatives are saved. I cannot help but wonder why. In Joshua 2:9-13 Rahab expresses fear of God. She knew the power of God – she heard the stories of deliverance – and she would rather betray her people than not choose to fear the God of the Israelites. Up until this point, the Israelites are the only ones to express a fear of God. Although she lied and made money through prostitution, she knew the power of their God. Even though she was not an Israelite, her faith saved her. Later, in Matthew 1:5 Rahab is mentioned in the lineage of Jesus as the mother of Boaz. Not only is Boaz part of the lineage of Jesus, but he was related to Ruth. This prostitute, a woman with no rights, not only saved the Israelites but gave birth to Boaz who was part of the link in Jesus heritage. All of this occurred because she feared God. Rahab did not do anything special to become this important women, all she did was have faith.
Do you fear God so much that you would take the stand Rahab did?
God seems to always use those no one else notices. A prostitute – murderers – adulterers and so forth, what does this mean for us?
Without the one stand made by Rahab, the entire Israelite history and lineage of Jesus would be different. Have you ever been called to make that type of decision? What was the outcome?

Balaam- Troubled Hero?

I have heard and enjoyed the story of Balaam and his donkey, but I have not before thought very deeply about the kind of man Balaam was.  So I asked myself,

What can I learn about Balaam from scripture?

·         God meets with him. (Numbers 22:9)

·         He is not an Israelite. (Numbers 22:5)

·         He displays humility:

Numbers 22:

³⁴ Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”

Numbers 23:

³ Perhaps the LORD will come to meet with me.

·         He has knowledge of offerings. (Numbers 23) 

·         He understands Israel is a special nation. (Numbers 23:9-10)

·         He advised the Midianite women to turn the Israelites away from God through sexual immorality. (Numbers 25; 31:9,15-16)

·         He practices divination and sorcery.  (Numbers 22:7; 24:1)

Now, I count it strange that God would meet with this kind of man.  Yes, he has some positive qualities, but toward Israel, his chosen people, I have seen some rather harsh consequences:  a man stoned for breaking the Sabbath (as instructed by God), whole families swallowed up by the earth for Korah’s rebellion, two of Aaron’s sons killed by fire for offering unauthorized fire to the Lord.  So I wonder, why would God work through Balaam? 

In a way I am touched, that while God is following his chosen people through the written word, there are evidences of God’s presence in other lands.  Melchizedek, and Jonah in Nineveh come to mind.  I can not so easily determine who God will work through, and for what purposes. 

While we are instructed to judge by the fruit of what we see, I think it is a useless venture to spend exhaustive amounts of time trying to determine if someone is “really saved”, or if God is “really working through them” and why he would do so, when we see bad fruit.  I spent time wondering, Why Balaam?  Until I realized I was getting nowhere.  I had theories about his humility, yes.  But ultimately there were things I just could not reconcile.  So instead, I thought it more worthwhile to focus on what I admired about him.  This does not mean I understand his failures, or why God seemed to bestow grace on him and not others.  Perhaps it all comes back to God’s holiness and sovereignty. 

So here are the amazing words I would like to become a part of who I am: 

1.  Balaam finds it inconceivable to denounce (condemn, accuse, criticize) those God has not.  Why is it so easy for me to criticize others?  Lord, give me the self control to refrain from criticizing those you have not criticized. 

Numbers 23:

8 How can I curse
   those whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce
   those whom the LORD has not denounced?

2.  Balaam finds it obvious that he would speak what the Lord instructed.  Lord, grant me boldness to speak the words you have given me.

¹² He answered, “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

3.  Balaam says he cannot do ANYTHING on his own, GOOD OR BAD beyond the command of the Lord.  Wow.  How many times do I participate in “good” activities without first consulting God. 

Numbers 24:

¹³ ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD…

4.  Balaam displays humility when confronted.  (See Numbers 22 listed above.)  Often my human reaction is justification.  He follows a simple pattern:  Admitting his sin, Explaining his ignorance (without defensiveness it seems to me), and offering act in the opposite manner.  He didn’t just apologize, he thought of something he could do, and waited for God’s opinion on his solution.  (God had a different plan- good thing he asked!) 

Thank you God for these words I plan on committing to memory, so they can become a part of how I make decisions, how I speak and how I live.   

His Holiness= Good Sleep

Numbers seems to echo a common refrain.  God is holy.  We are not.  God is sovereign.  We are not.  How I miss the casual relationship of Adam, Eve and God walking in the cool of the day.  But then sin severed the relationship.  Death, pain, and frustrating labor (both kinds) entered the picture.  Paradise was sealed with a flaming sword. 

So now we are left to sort out the mess in Numbers.  The Israelites must perform countless rituals and observe religious Sabbaths that remind them that God is holy, and they are not.  They forget, and death ensues- in the form of plagues or fire (as in the case of Aaron’s sons.)  I do not enjoy this relationship, but I do want to learn from it.  I want to thank Jesus from my core for making a way for me to walk in the cool of the day with Him.  I want to shout praises to God for sending his Holy Spirit in such a way that we can walk through fire and not get burned (Isaiah 43:2).  How unthinkable- that Aaron’s sons were killed for offering unauthorized fire- and yet I can have the fire of the Lord burning inside of me?  Reading the Old Testament at times makes me cringe, but a new sense of appreciation sweeps over me- a greater insight into the privilege I should not take lightly.  Lord- let me continuously tend my lamp. 

And yet, how do I maintain the proper respect for God, now that I am privileged to such an intimate relationship?  When Moses and Aaron struck the rock instead of speaking as directed, we are told they did not honor God as holy (Numbers 27:14).  The consequence for their sin was not entering the Promised Land- seems a little severe.  Moses dedicated his life to leading a grumbling group of ex-slaves who wanted to return to their bondage.  In frustration he hits a rock.  Aaron spent his entire life performing rituals to cleanse himself and the Israelites from sin.  The Levites even had to surround the temple just so the Israelites could live!!!  Not to mention the added emotional strain of Aaron and Moses just losing and burying their sister (chap 20).  Where is the margin of error?  Wow.  Recognizing and honoring God’s holiness has to be a REALLY BIG DEAL.            

Why were people with diseases told to leave the camp?  Why were you unclean after your period, after touching or being in the presence of someone or something that died?  Isn’t it unloving to kick people out for not maintaining a standard of perfection that at times seems arbitrary and gender biased? 

Yes, I think there are probably some medical benefits to some of the isolation.  But I think the bigger answer is found in who God is.  He is holy and death has no part of him.  Adam sinned, bringing death and disease.  The people were not always the problem- but sin and death have no part in who God is.  And praise His Name that he had a plan through Jesus to restore us- heal our diseases, give us life and live with him in paradise once again.      

Yet, I have a struggle.  How can I show respect and honor his holiness while building such an intimate relationship with God?  The saying goes- familiarity breeds contempt.  I am not good at respecting those I love.  I don’t state this flippantly or callously.  It hurts to say that.  In fact I hate it about myself.  Yet, I believe God offers me a secret here and I am yearning to take a hold of it.  I believe God will show me this secret of relating properly to him in His perfection while I learn to respect my husband, who is fallible.  Thank you God, for this impossible journey made possible through you. 

Questions for Reflection:

How specifically can we honor God’s holiness?

Has/Is a failure to honor God’s holiness keeping you wandering in a desert of repeated situations?  Has/Is this failure keeping you from entering into his promises for you?

On the flip side: How has honoring God’s holiness and believing in his sovereignty allowed you to enter the Promise Land and rest in Him?

Hebrew 3:7-11 (Quoting from Psalms 95: 7-11)

So, as the Holy Spirit says:

   “Today, if you hear his voice,
 ⁸ do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
   during the time of testing in the wilderness, ⁹ where your ancestors tested and tried me,
   though for forty years they saw what I did. ¹⁰ That is why I was angry with that generation;
   I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
   and they have not known my ways.’ ¹¹ So I declared on oath in my anger,
   ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

Hebrew 4:3

“Now we who have believed enter that rest…”