Rahab

The following program is a first person narrative using authors'license to tell stories drawn from the Bible and the books of Ellen White. Welcome to Family Storytime with Karlie Fraser. Join us as we step back in time to hear about Rahab. Fear had etched itself onto the faces of the Watchmen and they stood there frozen, sentinels, not wanting to look, but unable to tear their gaze away from the multitude marching in silence below them. Nothing made any sense. While warriors led the army, they were followed by seven priests carrying trumpets of all things. Soon after them came more priests, this time carrying a golden box with a strange glow surrounding it. Closing in behind were warriors from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, marching proudly beneath their standards. It wasn't the presence of the army surrounding the city that alarmed the Watchmen. They were confident in the strength of their fortress. Their defenses were solid and had withstood many a previous attack. It was the sheer silence and repetition of this new enemy that caused the seed of doubt to germinate in their minds. For six days the Israelites had silently marched out from under the trees surrounding their campground by the Jordan River. Without a word they had made their way towards Jericho and upon reaching its borders they began the slow but sure circuit around the solid double walls. And every day the Watchmen surveyed the scene and reported to their superiors of the mysterious events. No soldier spoke a word as the sound of their footsteps echoed through the valley and over the walls into the alleyways of Jericho. Trumpet blasts from the priests gave tribute to the faith of the soldiers in a strength above and beyond their own, while priests within Jericho trembled in confusion. However, as interesting as it was to observe the Watchmen, and as fearsome as the Israelite warriors were with their silent tread and regally clad priests, it wasn't them who stole my attention. Instead, my focus was on a small group of people huddled together in a house built into the outer city wall itself. And it was there that I stood by the door, invisible to the human eye, but a very real presence in the room, intent on the protection of one human being. Rahab of oh, I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself first. My name is Raisa, but my angel friends call me Ray. I'm a guardian angel and I was charged with the protection of Rahab throughout her lifetime. While her life was filled with many adventures, this is one week in particular that I remember well. It actually started a few days before when Ray had received a knock on her door that changed her whole world in a moment. She had been upstairs working through flax on the roof when she heard the knock. As a prostitute, Rahab was used to receiving visitors during all hours of the day and night. But when she opened the door this time, she knew instantly that this visit was different. Standing before her, she saw two Israelite spies. They had done well to disguise themselves, but she could read men, and when they spoke, their accent betrayed them. I could see her processing the situation and asking herself, who are these men? Why are they here? What must they think of me? Rahab was well familiar with Ashtaroth, the goddess of the moon, and the kind of degrading worship that took place within the walls of Jericho. Having grown up surrounded by those who lived for what life could give them in the moment without any concern for those around them, she had begun to long for a different life, a life filled with meaning and purpose. I remember silently leading her to conversations in the marketplace where she would overhear stories filtering through about this Israelite god and how he was different if they were to be believed. This was a god who didn't need to be placated and fed through a variety of offerings, but rather who fed his people daily with food thrown from the sky. This was a god who, when his people were trapped with the Egyptian army behind them, and mountains either side, opened up a way through the Red Sea itself, paving the way to their future of freedom. And this was a god who marched with his people, defeating the two Amorite kings, Sihon and OG, east of the Jordan River. I had watched as Rahab listened to the stories and began to process the possibilities that lay before her. Like any human being, Rahab longed to be accepted and loved for who she was, not for what others thought of what she did. Could it be that this Israelite god, who seemed so different from the gods of her childhood, might actually care about someone from outside his chosen people? But then, what about them? Would they, his chosen people, even accept her? I longed to become visible and sit down with Rahab to explain that, yes, that's exactly what God is like. That he did care about her and that he had created her, knew her and loved her fully. That no matter what others thought of her, she was precious in his sight. I would have loved to explain that the reason the Israelite nation existed was because God wanted to show what life was like when you lived his way and to show how he could work miracles in the life of anyone who believed in Him. But Rahab had heard the stories and the opportunity was hers to take. She had to make her own decision. No one else could do it for her. And now that decision stood on her doorstep. Two Israelite soldiers, two enemy spies, but also two future pathways. Would she turn them over to the authorities, committing herself to her people and their fate? Or would she accept these foreigners protecting them in her own house and thereby stepping out into the unknown of her future, trusting in their God to welcome her, too. They had come to her for protection, but in standing there, they were also asking much more. You have heard about our God. Do you believe in Him too? You have heard how he has protected us. Do you trust Him to protect you? You have heard how he has given us this promised land. Would you like to join our family as well? Rahab paused for a moment as no one said a word. Then, reaching forward, she pulled the spies into her house and led them up to the roof. Suspecting she would be found out, she hid them under the flax that lay there. Sure enough, the king's men came searching. But Rahab informed them that the men had left at dusk, and she didn't know where they'd gone. It was well into the night before Rahab climbed the stairs, taking her future into her own hands. The spies scrambled to brush the flax off their heads and shoulders as they sat up. At her arrival, the moonlight barely lit up Rahab'silhouette as she knelt there on the rooftop. I couldn't have been more proud of her as she recounted the stories she had heard of God and the miracles he had performed for the Israelite nation. Then she said the words I will never forget. The Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. I could just imagine the look on our father's face when Rahab uttered those words in faith. Here she was, a canaanite and yet a daughter of the King of the universe, acknowledging his existence and allying herself with his people. Being the switched on woman that she was, she also ensured the spies promise before they left, that due to her kindness to them, both her and her family would be saved from Jericho's impending destruction. So there I was, leaning against the splintered doorway of Rahab's house as the sun began to rise on day seven. Looking around the room, I saw the different levels of faith play themselves out on the faces of her family. Her mother fluttered around, offering refreshments to each member of the family in an effort to distract her mind from the present circumstances. Her father stood by the window, checking and rechecking that the scarlet rope the spies had requested as a sign was still securely and prominently displayed outside. Two of her sisters sat close together, one consoling, the other her brother, leant against the wall, throwing into the air and catching a miniature figurine of a soldier borrowed from the nearby table and a game long since abandoned. Each member of the family had assessed their lives, chosen their strategy and made their move, their presence in Rahab's house demonstrating their faith in the God of the Israelites. With the light of the dawn came the sound of a marching throng. I stood up, fully knowing this was the time we had all been waiting for. Rather than making one lap of the city and departing like they previously had this time the army continued their circuits again and again. After the 7th lap around Jericho the entire army paused and everyone in our room held their breath. The silence was shattered by the sound of trumpets followed immediately by a mighty roar from the invading army. Rahab's family grabbed hold of the walls and furniture around them as they searched for stability while the Earth shook beneath them. Beyond their human eyesight, legions of Heaven's army led by the Son of God himself grabbed hold of the giant battlements and threw them to the ground. Angel warriors levelled the walls and tore down the tower that had long stood in proud defiance of the Almighty. I remained at my post by the door until the two Israelite soldiers picked their way through the rubble to collect Rahab and her family guiding them to the Israelite camp and to safety. It is with great joy that I can tell you rahab, the Canaanite prostitute found real love with the Israelite people. She married and had a son, Boaz. He grew up and married Ruth, a Moabite. And they had a son by the name of Obed who became the grandfather of King David, an ancestor of Jesus Christ, our heavenly commander and Lord in human form. Throughout the history of this planet I have witnessed God the Father leading and guiding humanity into a deeper understanding of his love for you. I have also witnessed situations of incredible pain and suffering. We guardians are here on Earth working side by side with you to protect you and guide you. And it breaks our hearts when you choose to reject God's love and help. Rahab was surrounded by an army and she made her decision. There were many others in Jericho who also believed that the God of the Israelites was the true God. However, they chose not to act on their convictions. And I have seen many situations throughout human history where this was the case. Even though Rahab chose to become part of God's family and risked everything she was still unfairly treated by some of God's people, even today. God's people don't always love the way that he would like them to. Sometimes there may be no enemy army, but you can still feel like there is. Have you ever felt completely boxed in by a situation you have no control over where you don't know where to turn or who to go to for help? Have you ever felt judged and therefore treated unfairly because of someone else's perception of you? I am here to let you know that there is a God who created you and loves you more than you will ever understand. And even when life feels hopeless and you can't see a way out, you are never, ever alone. You can always call out to God. And even if you don't see him, I promise he is right there with you, and he will never leave you. All you need to do is ask. You have many years ahead of you, and some of you may not be too familiar with the trials of life, yet others may already have an understanding of God's love and can testify of his work in your life. If this is the case, may I plead with you to share what you have and welcome those around you into his family with your actions and not just your words. The invitation is for all of humanity. Heaven's immense resources are being used to reach out to every person who has ever lived to let you know that God loves you so much he gave his son Jesus so that he can live with you forever. This is your chance to be part of that mission. So I have two questions for you. Do you like rahab? Choose to believe God's family is big enough for you to be a part of it. And do you, like the spies, choose to welcome those who come into the family with actions and not just words. Will you pray with me? Dear Father, thank you so much that you see us even when it feels like nobody else is there for us. God, you are always there and you love us so much. Thank you that you are just waiting to welcome us into your family, and that, just like Rahab, all we need to do is accept and believe that you created us and that you sent Jesus to save us and that you love us so much. And I pray that as we live each day, that through Your Holy Spirit, you will be able to love through us and help us to love those around us and welcome them into your family as well. Thank you so much, Father. We love you and we can't wait to see you. Amen. Thank you, Karlie, for another encouraging story where we can hear about Rahab and how faith can play such an important role in transforming and changing lives, even those that we may consider are of little worth. Here is Jesse and Christopher with today's Bible study. Wow, what an amazing story about God's love and acceptance towards all people. Thank you so much, Karlie. You know, when I think about it, the story of Rahab is the same story as all of us. Really? I don't ever remember someone marching around my house with trumpets and robe priests before. I think I'd remember something as unusual as that. Yeah, well, maybe not that part of Rahab's story. But just like Rahab, all of us are looking for a place to belong. We all want to be a part of a family, to feel accepted by a group of people who love and accept us for who we are. That sense of belonging is just something all of us have as humans. It's a part of who we ah, so that part of Rahab's story that makes a bit more sense. In fact, I can actually really relate to Rahab's desire for belonging. I remember in high school, I didn't really have one group of friends for quite some time. Instead, every lunchtime I would go to a different group and see if I fit in. So what type of groups did you have at your school? Which groups did you eventually fit into? Well, just like every school does. Mine had a group of popular kids and cool kids. And the popular kids, they would always sit out on the basketball court, but they didn't really ever play basketball. They were too cool to play basketball, but hanging out at the basketball court was still cool. Now when I sat down with them, they were actually very nice to me, but we were just a little bit too different to be friends all of the time. Well, that's good to hear, they treated you nicely. But what about the other groups? Well, there were also the sporty kids, and they hung out at a different basketball court and they actually played basketball. But I've always been a bit better at soccer, so I didn't hang out with them very much. Well, I know you like music and movies, so did you feel like you belonged more with the music and drama click? Well, it's true that I do like both of those things, but those groups really loved music and movies more than I ever did. So while they were very nice to me, I sometimes felt lost in their conversations just because I didn't know what they were talking about. Well, if you didn't click with any of those different groups, maybe you clicked with the other people who didn't quite fit into a group. Well, that would be an easy solution, but unfortunately, not belonging to a group isn't quite enough to start a friendship on, let alone a sustainable one. True. So which groups did you end up belonging to? Well, it may seem strange, but I felt I belonged the most with a group of friends who weren't actually Christians. I found that they treated me very warmly, they made me feel welcome, and we actually had the most in common in our interests, our sense of humor and type of conversation. So after flying around my school like a social butterfly, I finally found a place that I could call my family. That's great to hear. You finally found a place to belong. You know, when I think about it, rahab probably found it difficult to find a place she belonged in Jericho because of her own low status in society. But despite everyone's judgments about her, god still wanted her to belong in his family. It's interesting that God has always wanted as many people as possible to enter into his family. In fact, when God made his covenant with the nation of Israel, the purpose of it was so that Israel would be able to bring other nations into God's family. Let's turn to Genesis, chapter twelve to discover God's plan for his covenant people. Beginning in verse one, it says now the Lord said to abram get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who curse you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Notice that God calls Abraham out of his country and out of his family so that Abraham can belong to a new country and the promised land. And in a new family. God even calls Abraham away from his Father so that he can have a new heavenly Father. Notice also that when God brings Abraham into his family, he tells him that Abraham will bless other people as well. Abraham and his family were given the responsibility of bringing other people into the family of God. And God promises that eventually all people from all families will be blessed. Perhaps the first time we see people from other nations joining God's family is when the Israelites are leaving Egypt. We're told that some of the Egyptians actually chose to leave with them and God was more than happy to have them join his family. The second time we see God bringing an outsider into his family is the story of Rahab, which we just heard today. Not only was she a foreigner, but she was also an outcast among her own people. Yeah, talk about not belonging. That must have been so hard, feeling like an outsider even within your own country. We learnt today that she desperately wanted a new family and that God was there willing to accept her into his family with open arms. It reminds me of another woman in the Bible who was also a foreigner, but was accepted into God's family as well. Ruth had just lost her husband and so she decided to live with her mother in law, Naomi. And this is what she said to comfort her mother in law where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Interesting that Ruth finds herself in a new land with a new family and with a new mother, and God is willing to accept this woman from a strange land into his family. But the most fascinating part of all of this is that these women are mentioned again later in the Bible. Both Rahab and Ruth are mentioned in Jesus's family tree, found in Matthew chapter one. That's a bit unusual because in ancient times only the men were named in the family trees. Yet Matthew not only includes these women, but these women are both foreigners. They weren't even born in Israel and yet they were all related to Jesus Christ the Messiah. And much like his heritage, Jesus'ministry is filled with encounters with people from all different nations, backgrounds, and walks of life. We see Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman, jesus heals the servant of a Roman centurion, and Jesus even spends time with those who were born in Israel but were outcasts among their own people. And Jesus tells his followers to continue the same ministry that he performed on earth. Let's all turn together to Matthew 28 and verse 19, where Jesus gives his final command to his disciples right before he leaves for heaven. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. You see, when Jesus died on the cross, he made a new covenant. And this covenant wasn't with just one group of people. This covenant was for all people of every nation, tribe and tongue. That's a lot of people, more than are at my typical family reunion, it's true. But that's what God wants for as many people to feel like they belong in his family. Listen to what Paul says in Galatians three, verse 28 there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Maybe you feel like you don't belong. Maybe you don't have a group that you can call your family. But God wants everyone from every part of the world to be a part of his family. No matter what we have done or how other people view us, god wants us and his family. In the same way that the Israelite spies knocked on Rahab's door, god is knocking on the door of your heart and is inviting you to be a part of his family. You have been listening to Family Story Time, a production of Three ABN, Australia. Radio.