15 On the seventh day, they got up early, at sunrise, and went around the city in the same way seven times. That was the only day they encircled the city seven times. 16 The seventh time, when the cohanim blew on their shofars, Y’hoshua said to the people, “Shout! because Adonai has given you the city! 17 But the city and everything in it is to be set aside for Adonai and therefore to be destroyed completely; only Rachav the prostitute is to be spared, she and everyone with her in her house, because she hid the messengers we sent. 18 So you, keep clear of everything reserved for destruction. If you bring a curse on yourselves by taking anything set aside to be destroyed, you will bring a curse on the whole camp of Isra’el and cause great distress there. 19 All the silver and gold, and all the brass and iron utensils are to be separated out for Adonai and added to the treasury of Adonai.”
20 So the people shouted, with the shofars blowing. When the people heard the sound of the shofars, the people let out a great shout; and the wall fell down flat; so that the people went up into the city, each one straight ahead of him; and they captured the city. 21 They completely destroyed everything in the city with the sword — men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.
22 Y’hoshua said to the two men who had reconnoitered the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out with all that she has, as you swore to her.” 23 The young men, the spies, went in and brought out Rachav with her father, mother, brothers and all she had; they brought out all her relatives and put them safely outside the camp of Isra’el.
24 Then they burned the city to ashes with everything in it, except for the silver, the gold and the brass and iron utensils, which they put in the treasury of the house of Adonai. 25 But Y’hoshua spared Rachav the prostitute, her father’s household and everything she had; and she has continued living with Isra’el from then until now; because she hid the messengers Y’hoshua had sent to reconnoiter Yericho.
(Complete Jewish Bible).Imagine the emotions felt by Rahab and her family as they were brought out of Jericho. Thankful that their lives had been spared, but also terrified at the sight of their home and everything they had ever known being utterly destroyed. The promise with the spies was to spare them from death, nothing more. What would they do now? They had their lives but no livelihood. Rahab would soon discover, however, that the God of Israel not only saves, but also restores.
To save humanity from death is not the full picture of God’s salvation. God did not rescue Rahab and her family from death so they could wander aimlessly through life, struggling to survive after the destruction of their past life. God rescued Rahab from death so that she may be restored to life within the community of God’s people. The compelling message of holiness is that salvation does not end when we have been rescued from death. God’s salvation carries us forward into new life where we can experience the fullness of what God intended. All are welcome to experience this fullness as the people of God.
Hymn for Today: "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" by Frederick W. Faber.
1. There's a wideness in God's mercy,
like the wideness of the sea.
There's a kindness in God's justice,
which is more than liberty.
There is no place where earth's sorrows
are more felt than up in heaven.
There is no place where earth's failings
have such kindly judgment given.
2. For the love of God is broader
than the measures of the mind.
And the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
If our love were but more faithful,
we would gladly trust God's Word,
and our lives reflect thanksgiving
for the goodness of our Lord.
Thought for Today: “I have said these things to you so that, united with me, you may have shalom. In the world, you have tsuris. But be brave! I have conquered the world!” (John 16:33)(Complete Jewish Bible).
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in the Solomon Islands.
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