Rahab: From the Margins to prominence

 

MON EP Reflection 07/13/20 (Ps 25; Joshua 1: 1-18, 2: 1-14)

Psalm 25:3-4 says: “Show me your ways O lord, teach me your paths, lead me in your truth and teach me.” This is a prayer I wish we would pray everyday in the morning before beginning anything. In everything that happens, we always have an opportunity to learn from God. For e.g. with this pandemic at hand, we are learning how patient we are. Guilty as charged by the way. The 1^st Chapter of the book of Joshua holds a particular verse that I love. Josh 1:9 “I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Sounds like a good word to begin with in the morning, right? This was 3 days before crossing into the promised land. It was like D-Day! So, God said to Moses that He will be with him and that he will not fail him. Going into Chapter 2, God gave Joshua a secret mission. They had to spy Jericho City. It required a bit of tact. They needed to be smart about it before they attack. They needed to understand the behaviors of people.

Who would have thought that they would choose Rahab’s house? She was a prostitute. This is what I am thinking: I suppose during the day, everyone claimed not to know her, but at night? Things were different. It is possible that none cared about her or her family. Her profession is not viewed as honorable. She fends for herself most of the time and none can’t guarantee that she was well treated. Was she invested in her own people? Did she care about them? When the spies knock at her door, she welcomes them! I lived in Tanzania as a refugee. Christian believers were the only ones that welcomed us and did not go to report us to the immigration authorities. They knew our circumstances, even if your papers were in order, the officers always find something to nail you with and you end up paying some bribe to avoid problems. So, we hid in believers’ homes. As a foreigner, they thought we had no rights, no connections, so we were fair game! So I understand well Rahab’s welcoming of strangers! We may even think she had nothing to lose.

Listening to her story, I made these observations. [I warn you; these are my assumption]: Prostitutes deal with a variety of people and personalities. She had a deep sense of perception; she knew how to read people. She said: “I know that God has given you this land, our people fear you because of what your God did to save you from Egyptian slavery.” Again, very perceptive and also, she knows how to make deals! She made the gentlemen to promise her that she and her family would be safe.

Here is what I am learning: God will use anyone. Therefore, do not judge anyone. A whole city fell, and a prostitute’s family was saved. With the right attitude, God can surprise you, that’s why the Jesus prayer can be your best friend: “Lord Jesus, Son of God, Have mercy on me a sinner.” Rahab’s attitude towards strangers saved her, her sense of hospitality took another meaning: she was sincere about it. She understood what was at stake and made a decision to buy into God’s plan! She had confidence that this was the right way to choose. We love confident people, right? She was a confident woman.

Another learning: God used a woman. Not the first time. The fate of Jericho’s city was in her hands and none else there ever knew about it. When we are so consumed by our own situation, we may miss what’s really going on, that’s why believers always pray to discern God’s will. Pray Ps 25: Show me your ways O Lord, Teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me!

I am sure each day we are confronted with a myriad of decisions, some of which like in Rahab’s case, have potential to make our cities fall. The danger is that we may not know about it like citizens of Jericho. One evangelist recently prayed: “Lord, don’t allow us to return to normal if that means to keep resisting your will and not worship you.” Rahab’s new normal is that she totally embraced the God of Israel the moment she hid the spies. She was fully adopted into God’s people and became the great great great Grandmother of Jesus! What a Change: From the margins to prominence! GOD is GOOD!