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.