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Theme: Loving my Neighbor - God Calls His People.
- The words in Joshua 2:11 were spoken by Rahab, a Canaanite woman from Jericho. The walls of Jericho were so thick and strong that Rahab’s house was actually inside the walls. And yet, she was afraid. She didn’t fit in with the people of Jericho, and she certainly did not fit in with the Israelites. What would happen to her when God fought for his people? Like Rahab, have you ever felt like an outsider?
- The Canaanites had their own gods and did not believe in the God of the Israelites, yet Rahab had heard the stories of everything that God had done for his people. Because of the stories, she believed that God was real. As you listen to this story, think about the stories that you could tell about the good things God has done.
After you listen
Memory Verse
When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
Quiz
Reflect
God had been working in Rahab’s heart before the spies even arrived. Forty years before, God had freed the Israelites from Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and given them miraculous victories over other, seemingly stronger kingdoms. The stories had spread across the wilderness, and Rahab believed that God could do everything he promised. Rahab showed her faith by obeying the spies’ instructions to keep her family with her in a house with a red cord outside. God rewarded Rahab for their obedience. When the walls of Jericho miraculously fell, Rahab and her family were safe.
Rahab did not feel worthy to join the people of Israel after the city was destroyed. She was a sinner and was one of Israel’s enemies. But God welcomed her, and she became so important to God’s story that she is listed as an ancestor of Jesus!
Want to dig deeper and learn more about unlikely people who God welcomed into his story? Check out the book of Ruth, Matthew 8:5-13, and John 4:1-40.
Challenge
God worked in Rahab’s heart through the stories she had heard. How has God worked in your life and in the lives of people you know? Challenge yourself to share a story of God’s goodness and faithfulness with someone this week. Be sure to give God the credit for the blessings he has given.
