Backpacking Through Joshua Week 2

This week, the backpacking trail went through the land of Jericho, specifically to Rahab's , a prostitute, home.

There were a couple of questions assigned to answer based on the reading of Joshua 2.

--Have you ever been influenced in either a positive or negative way concerning your relationship with Jesus? How does this influence your behavior now?

--How much responsibility do you think Christians have to live a particular way?

As I read through Joshua 2, I wasn't really thinking about the chapter along these lines, though I will try to answer the questions later!

What struck me most about this chapter was that Rahab seemed to believe in the God of the Israelites before the men had gotten there. And, apparently, no one led her to this belief. Verses 8-11:

“Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you , for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.”

My favorite part? She (and others, too) heard and their hearts melted. I don't know if that means someone told them just in passing. “Hey, did you hear about the Red Sea? It was parted for the Israelites.” Perhaps someone told her and shared more about the God of the Israelites.

For me, it doesn't matter. What matters is that God melted (love that!) her heart simply by hearing about His miracle. Her heart was softened toward God and the men of God that came into her home.

The Israelites walked across the Red Sea on dry land between walls of water. But it wasn't long before they were complaining, seemingly always wanting to see more of God's provision, guidance, and care. Very often I am like that. Maybe we all are. Maybe that is the beauty of God. He calls, softens, teaches, softens again, disciplines, and teaches. It's a circle that almost any parent can relate to. It's a circle that sinful humans are caught up in like fish swimming in a tank.

Another part of the chapter that I loved was the scarlet cord. I love that so much of the Old Testament has references to Christ. The scarlet cord reminds me of the tremendous sacrifice that Christ gave—that He gave so that we would be saved from our sin. Just as the scarlet cord saved Rahab and her family. They were covered by that cord—it was a symbol that they were set apart, part of a different group from the one in which they lived.

As for the questions...

I have been influenced concerning my relationship with Christ. Christians have influence over each other to some degree. This is why it is so important to a) know Scripture and b) to be very careful about the kind of teaching/authority you place yourself under. Much Christian teaching isn't actually very Scriptural. I guess the older I get, the more I realize just how important it is to view everything in light of Scripture. This view makes even the “ordinary” take on a whole new meaning!

Christians do have a responsibility to live according to the Bible. However, it is very important to realize that any good works that we do or have are because of the enabling of God. We are sinful not “basically good” people.

It is also the work of God to soften others' hearts toward Him. It is a tragedy to expect non Christians to behave as though they were Christians. I mean, really, why would they?! Perhaps the most loving thing we as believers can do is to stop expecting those in our world to act as believers. That doesn't mean not befriending them, it simply means accepting them where they are. Maybe to do that, though, we have to admit to ourselves that our cleanliness and good works aren't really ours. Maybe it means admitting to ourselves that we don't have it all together, that we are really a mess, and that all our good works really are filthy rags.

But, then that's where it gets really good. Because then that's when the scarlet cord shines the brightest—when we lose ourselves, are dependent on God, and so very thankful that He softens hearts and sometimes even gives us the chance to be a part of it.