It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This is not a tale of two cities, but a true account of two people: Rahab and Achan.
Rahab was a female prostitute who spread her legs out for money. She was dirty and no man loved her. She grew up in Jericho, a Canaanite city, and so had no direct access to God. But she knew of God's power through hearing of accounts of what God did to Egypt through the ten plagues and the splitting of the Red Sea. She even knew that God promised to give the whole Promised Land to Israel.
Achan, outwardly, was not a sinner. He was an upstanding family man with sons and daugthers. He grew up among the people of Israel and had direct access to God through Moses. Daily, he experienced God's grace through the miraculous provision of bread from heaven. Daily, he saw manifestations of God in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. He saw, first hand, God's awesome power in the destruction of the nations east of the Jordan, the splitting of the Jordan river, and the fall of Jericho's walls.
Rahab feared God. When the Israeli spies came to check out Jericho, she protected them and hid them from the soldiers in the city. Because of that, the spies swore to protect her and her entire family. Eventually, when the rest of Israel came to attack and conquer the city, every man, woman, and child were devoted to destruction. But Rahab and everyone from her household were spared because she feared God and protected the spites.
Achan did not fear God. He was there with the Israeli army in the conquest of Jericho. But he coveted a nice jacket and some money that did not belong to him. He took those things and hid them. Because he did that, thirty-six men died in Israel's next military campaign against the city of Ai. Those men lost their lives because God did not go with Israel to fight Ai. God did not go with the nation of Israel because one man, Achan, from the nation had sinned. Once Joshua discovered Achan's sin, Achan, and his whole household, including sons, daughters, and farm animals, were brought outside the camp to be stoned and burned alive.
So Rahab, the prostitute, who lied to the soldiers in her city, saved her and her entire household because she had faith to fear God. But Achan, the upstanding family man, who did not lie but told Joshua the truth, destroyed himself and his entire household because he did not have faith to fear God.
Who are you? Or better yet, who am I?
I pray that I may be a God fearer. I would rather be one who only hears of God's power but believes, than one who sees God's power with his own eyes but has no faith.
May God grant us faith to fear him!
Rahab was a female prostitute who spread her legs out for money. She was dirty and no man loved her. She grew up in Jericho, a Canaanite city, and so had no direct access to God. But she knew of God's power through hearing of accounts of what God did to Egypt through the ten plagues and the splitting of the Red Sea. She even knew that God promised to give the whole Promised Land to Israel.
Achan, outwardly, was not a sinner. He was an upstanding family man with sons and daugthers. He grew up among the people of Israel and had direct access to God through Moses. Daily, he experienced God's grace through the miraculous provision of bread from heaven. Daily, he saw manifestations of God in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. He saw, first hand, God's awesome power in the destruction of the nations east of the Jordan, the splitting of the Jordan river, and the fall of Jericho's walls.
Rahab feared God. When the Israeli spies came to check out Jericho, she protected them and hid them from the soldiers in the city. Because of that, the spies swore to protect her and her entire family. Eventually, when the rest of Israel came to attack and conquer the city, every man, woman, and child were devoted to destruction. But Rahab and everyone from her household were spared because she feared God and protected the spites.
Achan did not fear God. He was there with the Israeli army in the conquest of Jericho. But he coveted a nice jacket and some money that did not belong to him. He took those things and hid them. Because he did that, thirty-six men died in Israel's next military campaign against the city of Ai. Those men lost their lives because God did not go with Israel to fight Ai. God did not go with the nation of Israel because one man, Achan, from the nation had sinned. Once Joshua discovered Achan's sin, Achan, and his whole household, including sons, daughters, and farm animals, were brought outside the camp to be stoned and burned alive.
So Rahab, the prostitute, who lied to the soldiers in her city, saved her and her entire household because she had faith to fear God. But Achan, the upstanding family man, who did not lie but told Joshua the truth, destroyed himself and his entire household because he did not have faith to fear God.
Who are you? Or better yet, who am I?
I pray that I may be a God fearer. I would rather be one who only hears of God's power but believes, than one who sees God's power with his own eyes but has no faith.
May God grant us faith to fear him!
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