Surprise

As a kid, I loved the story of Jericho because we got to yell in church. Usually, we would build a wall with those cardboard bricks and march around it, pretending to be Israelites. If you were really lucky, you were selected to act as the wrath of God and knock down the wall!

We may remember this story with nostalgia, but I don't think we really think much about how crazy it was. God gave Israel quite the battle plan. There wasn't supposed to be any fighting at all. After the people marched around the city and shouted a great shout, the walls would come a'tumblin down. The Israelites were instructed to destroy everything. Read Joshua 6:17:

"And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent."

This verse reminds us of another character in the story. There's a woman named Rahab, a prostitute who lives in Jericho. If you've got time, go back and read Rahab's story in Joshua 2. When Israel sent spies in to the city of Jericho to check things out, Rahab hid them in her house. Though she wasn't an Israelite, she had heard of all their God had done and believed that He was the one true God. Because of Rahab's faith, God saved her when the rest of her city was destroyed.

One detail from Joshua 2:15 is that Rahab's house was built into the city walls. This sounds like a bit of a problem when the battle plan was for the city walls to crumble. How was Rahab saved?

In Joshua 6:22-23, we read this:

"But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her."

After the walls were destroyed, Rahab's house was still standing! God preserved her home so that her life would be saved.

Here's what I think is interesting: we know that Rahab really believed that God would save her because she had filled her house with people. Rahab didn't just take precautions to save herself, she packed her house full of people so that they're lives could be spared as well.

Think about that: Rahab's family was saved, but not because of anything they had done. They were only saved because they were connected to Rahab. They didn’t stick their neck out for the Israelite spies back in Joshua 2; Rahab did. These people were saved, not because of anything they did, but because of what Rahab had done.

That is the story of our salvation! We are not saved and made right because of anything we have done, but because of what Jesus has done. By the one act of righteousness by Jesus, we are made clean. We are saved, not because of ourselves, but only if we connect ourselves to Jesus.

People often talk about the surprising nature of Rahab's salvation. Her life is spared in miraculous fashion. Why would God save someone like her– a prostitute? We must realize that our salvation is just as surprising as Rahab's. We don't deserve it either. What are we doing with our surprising salvation? Rahab filled her house with people. Who is in yours?

As we realize the surprising nature of our Salvation, may that motivate us to fill our houses– to share what Jesus has done in our hearts.

Pray this with me today:
God, use me as an example of what You can do when You change someone’s heart. AMEN.