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Jimmy Sanders
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Pastor Tim Lee: True Token
star it|leave a comment|April 06, 2009|120 reads
 
2:1And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. 2:2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. 2:3And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. 2:4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they [were]: 2:5 And it came to pass [about the time] of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. 2:6 But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. 2:7 And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate. 2:8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 2:9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 2:10For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that [were] on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 2:11 And as soon as we had heard [these things], our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he [is] God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. 2:12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: 2:13 And [that] ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. 2:14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. 2:15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house [was] upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. 2:16 And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way. 2:17 And the men said unto her, We [will be] blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. 2:18 Behold, [when] we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee. 2:19 And it shall be, [that] whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood [shall be] upon his head, and we [will be] guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood [shall be] on our head, if [any] hand be upon him.
Here's an interesting story that's hard as a believer to figure out, with human reasoning.Why would God use a harlot in protecting the two spies sent down to look at how to over throw Jericho? The story in Joshua is about two spies that went down to scope out Jericho. Sending spies was something that Moses had done after  the children of Israel  came out of Egypt to inhabit the promised land. Moses sent a dozen spies, who returned with the proof of it being a promised land with the fruit that was brought back. The only thing that came to the mind of ten witness was the land was possessed by giants. "10 feet tall and bullet proof" Satan ever presented himself to you "10 feet tall and bullet proof".The story tells, how that a woman of ill ( harlot )repute opened up her home to two spies, she was moved with a fear that Jericho like other cities would and had fallen to the children of Israel. Rahab sensed that there was a big difference in the god Jericho served and the God of Israel. In hiding these spies a deal was worked up with Rahab about the time to come, when Israel would over throw and take control of Jericho. Rahab put her life on the line in protecting these spies, cause word had got back to the King of Jericho that they were there and had been to see the harlot.Rahab hides them on the roof and sends away those that came looking for them with a lie, that they had just left. After the closing of the gate,  Rahab seals the deal by making the spies swear that they will show kindness to her father's house. Rahab ask for a true token, use to be men gave their word as a token of what they would do, and stood by it. I like the conversation of the spies as they were preparing to leave, our lives for yours. The spies spoke for Joshua in setting up the promises to be kept by the men of Israel, as they would completely destroy Jericho when the walls came down.Rahab upon agreeing to the spies terms, let them down from the wall of Jericho with a cord with instruction for them to hide away in the mountains for 3 days until the pursuers of Jericho would stop looking for them and they could return to the children of Israel.There's  instruction given before leaving that is binding to this token, that being that all would stay within the house and not leave out. Those that chose to leave would be placing their lives in danger, cause God wanted Jericho completely destroyed by fire. If harm came to those that followed the instructions, their blood would be upon those spies that made the promise of protection to Rahab and her family.Let us fast forward to Joshua Chapter 6.
6:22But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. 6:23And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.

We find a promise made was a promise kept, people that love and serve the Lord must be people of their word. The two spies were sent by Joshua to get all Rehab's family and possession out, before they utterly destroyed Jericho. The beauty is that the God, we serve has always honored his word. God wanted to completely wipe out Sodom and Gomorrah but Abraham reasoned that there might be righteous people there and would God destroy righteous people. Abraham was very convinced cause he ask God, if there was fifty would he destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God said, if there's ten righteous people, I will not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. It really came down to Lot probably being the only righteous person in the region. God was good to his Word, Lot and wife and two daughters were removed by the angels before the destruction by fire. Lot's wife heart was still in Sodom for she looked back after being told not to look back and became a pillar of salt. Lot's daughters took Sodom in their hearts, that they caused Lot to get drunk and had an incestuous relationship with their father. The story of Rahab the harlot is one of those, that you can see the hand of God in this  believing woman's life. She married and had children and they had children, God put this woman in the lineage of King David from which lineage came our Saviour Jesus . The Bible does have stories that end in, they lived happily ever after.  The true token was that God always keeps his promises. God hasn't changed, God will not change.

 
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