Lessons From A Prostitute [four]

When we begin to read through Joshua chapter two...a question should jump to the forefront of our thoughts...
...if these “hand picked” spies were such upstanding moral examples...then why in the world were they visiting a prostitute...huh?...huh?
Let's look at the following story...my interpretation...to see if it explains this question...
The story places you in the shoes of the two spies...it is good for us to practice this when we read the Bible...trying to crawl into the skin of the Bible character you are reading about...trying to understand the times they were living in...
Let's go back in time...back thousands of years...over into the middle east...to the very borders of the Promised Land...
As you approach the city...you lift a silent prayer to the God who controls all things...praying for safety. The cities walls are massive...looming before you. A gigantic monument of security and protection for all within its arms. As the gate gets closer you observe soldiers interspersed around the sole entry and exit of the city...watching as merchants and citizens pass in and out of the city. You were chosen as a spy because you had shown yourself to be a member of the “special forces” in the armies ranks, you were an excellent fighter, a quick thinker, and most of all you kept your head when things got rough. As you scrutinize the clothing of the other passers by, you decide that you and your companion’s disguises are more than passable...you will blend in quite well...and you better had...your life is at stake. These are war times and the enemy will show absolutely no mercy to spies who are caught trying to enter the city walls. Soon you are amongst the crowd of people, flowing into the city. The soldiers are looking at everyone, here is where all your training comes in, too little or too much eye contact means disaster...one has to appear casual...even though you are the farthest thing from it. As you pass inside the walls you notice that the soldiers are counting heads, those coming in and those going out...they were keeping a close eye on things, they were always expecting attacks, always on yellow alert.
For the next couple hours you wander around the market place, checking out strategic points to attack all around you. As time goes on you notice more and more that you are being “noticed”...the citizens of the city are looking at you far too long to be normal. Lips are far too close to ears...whispering and subtle finger pointing. The people are on war alert, they are habitually suspicious, they notice you noticing them. You and your companion need to get out of the public eye...get to an “out of the way” nook or cranny where unwanted eyes wouldn’t be stuck on the strangers. Where could you go? The public Inn was far too...well...public...all sorts of unwanted types could enter there...especially soldiers. You needed a place of secrecy...a dwelling place of shadows, a place where people went to...when they didn’t want others to see what they were doing. You needed to find a place where it wouldn’t look conspicuous for “strangers” to be entering in. A place where the “resident” very likely didn’t have many close friends, wasn’t looked highly upon by decent citizens...and yet...someone who would know many of the secrets of the city...because many of her visitors would have been men of the city...from various occupations in life. Suddenly it comes to you, and you head to a back street to talk to an informant. After talking with a couple “seedy” looking characters you discover that there is a prostitute who has an apartment on the outer city wall, top floor, hidden away from all the hustle and bustle of the ground floor city life. As you head towards the prostitutes home, wondering exactly how you are going to hide your true identity, and your true agenda...what you don’t realize is that God is orchestrating everything...you are not just going to the harlots home to hide out and learn secrets, you are going to be used as a vessel of salvation...a messenger/spy.

Lessons From A Prostitute [Four]

As we begin to read Joshua chapter two we must keep in mind that the new leader/general of Israel was himself once chosen to be a spy.

...he knew what the character of a faithful spy looked like...from the inside [his own heart and thoughts] and from the outside [as he observed Caleb's life]...

...but he also had plenty of examples of the characteristics of a unfaithful spy...as the other ten spies rebelled against the Lord.

Joshua would want to choose men who were of "Navy Seal" quality...the cream of the crop...men who loved God and wanted to trust the Lord and do His will...

...men of honor...
...men of integrity...

...and of course...men of moral uprightness!

Lessons From A Prostitute [Three]

Before we actually get into the 2nd chapter of Joshua and the story of Rahab and the Israelite spies who come to her, we must first have a quick history lesson.

A quick...condensed...history lesson...

Forty years earlier the Lord God Almighty showed His people that He was the great giant slayer!

God's people had been in slavery for 430 years...unable to deliver themselves...so God raised up a deliverer...Moses.

As God's spokesman Moses went before Egypt's king and demanded that he release Israel from bondage...
...the king laughed...he was a proud and puny man...who deceived himself into thinking he was somewhat divine...

The king of Egypt stepped into the octagon with the Almighty...not a bright idea.

God brought ten plagues on Egypt...ten plagues that totally destroyed the nation and the false gods that the nation worshipped.

God destroyed the superpower...God slayed the giant.

Then the Lord brings His people to the border of the Promised Land...the land that He promised to give to Abraham over 4 centuries earlier...

God tells His people that He has already gone ahead and spied out the land...things look good...God is going to go before them and battle for them...

...only one problem...unbelief.

The people tell Moses that they want to send in spies to "check things out".

Didn't God already do this? Yes...but Iguess God's word wasn't good enough...

12 spies go in...they all see the same thing...a land of abundant wealth and plenty...and...
...gulp...
...Giants...
...how in the world could they over come...giants!
...they had quickly forgotten what their God did to bring them up to the Promised Land...God already showed them that He took care of giants...

Well...the 12 spies come back and tell their interpretation of things...10 of the spies are faithless...all they see are giants...the giants are so great that all the other good stuff is dwarfed in their shadow.

...but...two of the spies...Caleb and Joshua...they encourage God's people to go in and take the good land...yes they saw giants...but the giants were dwarfed in the shadow of their God...

...the giant slayer...

Unfortunately...Israel wanted to listen to the voice of unbelief...they wanted to follow the words of the 10 spies who thought that man was greater than God...

To discipline His people...God sent them back into the wilderness...for 40 years...to wander and ponder their bad decision...

This brings us up to speed...read Joshua 1 and 2 so you can be ready for our next lesson.

Lesson's From A Prostitute [Two]

The lesson for today?

Rahab was a prostitute...a harlot...

That is the lesson?

Yep.

You see there are some Christians [those who fall under category 1 of my last post] who say that the word "harlot" in the Hebrew could maybe be interpreted "inn keeper".

Is the word interpreted that way in other places?

Well...no...but it makes it a much nicer, more sanitized story if we have God working through a kind, industrious, and even hospitable woman...instead of the first option...God working through a woman who sells her body for $$.

Some people want to shake their heads at God...hasn't He read His book of virtues?

It would be a much nicer read if He only worked through nice, middle classed, law abiding folk like us...right? [we better re-check our family tree...I smell some self righteousness creeping in]

But God doesn't answer to us...He is the standard of goodness...so we must put our editor pens away for another day.

The reason why some Christian's have a problem with Rahab being a prostitute is because her name is mentioned in Jesus family tree...oh the shame of it all!

Like Peter, we need to put away our swords...Jesus doesn't need our protection...as God of the universe He does just fine on His own.

Remember category 3 of our last talk? God is the only sinless One in the Bible.

Jesus, God in the flesh, is the only sinless man in the Bible [yes, I am talking about humanity after Genesis 3].

All of Jesus' family tree was made up of sinners...of varying degrees...and out of all that sinful humanity God brought His sinless Son into the world...in order to save sinful humanity...

...great isn't He?

One pastor said it so well...he said that "God draws straight lines with crooked sticks" [by the way...we are the crooked sticks part of the quote].

God can do what we can't even imagine...He speaks worlds into existence...He raises the dead...and He causes a virgin to conceive and give birth to His Son.

Mary was a virtuous, godly young woman...but she was still a sinner...and out of her womb God brought forth the Saviour of the world.

Next time we will look at another "so called" problem...with Rahab being a prostitute.

Happy Birthday Ashley

Today is my second oldest childs birthday...Ashley turns eleven today...God has blessed our home with her abundant energy and great sense of humor.

Happy Birthday Ashely...we love you!

Lessons From A Prostitute [Lesson 1]

When a person reads the Bible eventually they will reach the book called "Hebrews"...and near the end of the book of Hebrews they will come to a chapter that is the equivalent to the "hall of fame" that we spoke of in the last entry.

As you go through the Hebrew's Hall of Fame...you notice that it is a hall of fame that is noting people for their great acts of faith.

And sure enough...as you get near the end of the chapter [11] you notice that it mentions a prostitute named Rahab...not in a bad way...but in a very good way!

For us to better understand who Rahab is, we will need to go back into history...back into the ancient history book of the Old Testament...back into the book called Joshua...to get a clearer picture of who this woman really was...and what she really did.

We will do that next time...but before we do I need to say a couple things first...

1. Some Christian's try to be more holy than God...

...they work very hard trying to clean up the mess that they think that God left laying around...
...God gives us His inspired word...every bit of it is from His mouth...there is no mess...no clutter...no "unwanted" or "unneeded" stuff that God thoughtlessly forgot to hang up.

If you don't believe me...just pick up a children's bible story book from a mainstream evangelical publishing house...

All the stories have been neutered...all the "bad" stuff has been removed...hmmm....if it was so "bad" I wonder why God didn't remove it in the first place?

And I wonder why He commanded His people to pass these "words" down to their children...?

Let's stop being God's editors...God did not ask for our help...so let's not give it...all right?

2. Chapter 11 of Hebrews tells of people doing great and mighty acts...all of these great and mighty acts flowed from a faith they had...a faith in the Triune God of the Bible...

We are told by this God that "faith" isn't something that we work up from the depths of our inner self...but instead it is a gift that He gives to whomever He pleases.

So the Faith Hall of Fame really is pointing us to the greatness of the God, in whom all these people were trusting in...because all their great acts were actually God working in and for them.

3. God is the only non-sinner in the Bible...in human history for that matter. God in His mercy "saves" sinners...and then in His mercy He uses sinners to do great and mighty acts, in His name...so everyone in the Bible...from the prostitute to the king are only sinners to varying degrees...

...again...everyone except God...this includes the God/man, the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

...and God uses these sinners to build His kingdom...a kingdom that shall never end...

Next time we will look at Rahab.

Lessons From A Prostitute

Imagine walking through a hall of fame...not just a "sports" hall of fame, or "entertainments" hall of fame...but through the "World" hall of fame...

...you walk by all the exhibits...amazed at their deeds...

...you read the information given at each new story...and stand in awe...at how these people did what they did...

...and then...you find yourself in front of the next exhibit.

...you blink...rub the sleepy dust out of your eyes...

...They must have made a mistake...

...in front of you is NOT a king, NOT a war general, NOT a great religious leader, NOT a great city builder, NOT a great Musician...

...you are really confused...because when you entered the building the sign said that these were the important people of the world...not as the "world" defined importance...

...but as God defines "importance"...

...before you stands a prostitute.

How could a prostitute be great? What great acts could she have done?

What lessons could the world learn from her?

This is what we are going to look into...next time.

Going Against The Flow

My wife and I took the kids to the river yesterday...it was a scorcher...33 degrees...we needed to get beside...and in...some cool water...the Wapiti river is our best bet.



The kids love going to the river...they play in the sand [mud] on the banks and then wash off in the cold water of the river...it is a fun time.



Yesterday as I came up to our beach towel...Bonita informed me that a young man swam across the river while I had walked up stream to float down to where we were camped on the river bank. She then went on to inform me that he had been over on the other side for around 20 minutes just sitting there.



My mind started thinking...



...I'm not THAT old...if that young whipper snapper can do it...then so can I!



I inform my wife that I am going to give it a go...she smiles gently...and waves me on.



Now if you want to slowly swim across the river...just letting the current take you a quarter of a mile down stream before you get to the other side...then crossing the river is really fairly easy.



But if you fight the current...trying to swim, literally, across the river...then it takes a lot more energy out of you.



I pounded across the river...it only took me around five minutes...give or take a minute.



When I got to the other side...I was tired...looking back across...seeing the water move with its unceasing current...sort of gave your gut a tug...



...now I knew why the young guy was sitting over here so long...



Immediately upon me hitting the far bank...the young man [Dave] moved towards me...he was further down the bank than me.



We greeted one another, he informed me that the swim had really tired him out...and I agreed.



We talked a few minutes and then I told him I was going to go for it...and took a few deep breaths...and dove in off the bank...swimming for all I was worth...fighting against the current and feeling my shoulder muscles tire quickly as I did so.



...as I neared home bank I looked up to get my bearings...I noticed everyone standing up and shouting...Dave was yelling for help and I hadn't heard him.



...he was drowning...and I was exhausted from the swim...what should I do?



In my moment of hesitation...Dave pulled it together enough to head back to the far bank...stranded by his own exhaustion and fear.

What would I have done...if he hadn't pulled it together?

My arms, shoulders and lungs were fatigued...would trying to go back across the river end up in two deaths instead of one?

If it was one of my own children...or my wife...there would be no question as to what I would have done...but this guy was a total stranger...

...what if he was more then a stranger?

...what if he was a man who murdered people close to me...how much less would be the odds of me trying to go back for him?

This only makes me marvel at the love, grace and mercy of my Lord Jesus Christ...

...He came for me in the river of death and destruction...knowing very well that there was only one way that I was going to make it out alive...and that was by Him suffering and dying in my place...

...and He did this when I hated Him...when I fought against everything He stood for...when I was His mortal enemy...

...anyone who thinks religion is for whimps really needs to take a good long look at Jesus...the bravest person who ever walked this earth...the God/man.

Wait Loss Program

I can remember back to the first time I competed for a body building contest...21 years ago...half my life ago...





...over a period of 6 months...I went from my 'Sherman Tank' weight of 265 pounds...down to 210 pounds...

...that's 55 pounds for those who are bad at subtraction.





...because I was with myself every minute of every day I should have been the one who was able to see the biggest changes...but alas...growth in any direction is very undetectable...because is it is so gradual.





Sure I saw changes...slowly I began to see definition where before it had been absent...
... I discovered that I had a six pack hidden under the area where my keg used to be...
...but it didn't suddenly chisel itself into my mid-area...slowly...gradually...





But the real change was noticed by people who hadn't seen me in months...to them... they noticed huge changes...





I can still remember sitting in the audience of the body building contest...waiting for my turn to go up on stage...I was sitting with a few buddies...suddenly another friend I used to work out with was standing by our seats, looking past me, to a buddy beside me...and they started chatting...





...my friend who was standing was totally ignoring my existence...so finally I said, "hey Darryl", and when I did so his eyes grew wide with astonishment...he wasn't talking to me because he hadn't recognized me with all my lost weight.





It had been months since he had seen me...and the changes were so huge that he didn't even know who I was...until I actually told him.

With all this said...I believe that we need to be very careful about what we might deem as "small choices" or "insignificant decisions" in our lives.

A married couple may decide to start doing more and more...[small choices] activities a part from one another...until finally...years later...much gradual...small growth...equals...

...a couple of strangers with no common interests...because the last of their common interest just moved out of the house to go to University or to get a job.

A man might decide that he is going to throw himself into his work...just for a bit [small choice]...and the years fly by...he never throws himself out of his work because with his increased paycheck comes the increased spending...and life goes by...his relationship with his wife and kids becomes more and more distant...

...twenty years later does he even remember what he used to be like...

May we all be careful of the small choices in life...added with years of growth...they can amount to much good...or much sadness.