Spies and Prostitute - Joshua 2

The operation is underway. The operatives - two spies from the Israelites' camp. This will give them information needed to conquer the land.



One may think... "Wait a minute. Doesn't this move sound familiar? Four decades ago in Numbers 13, Moses sent 12 spies to Canaan, and only (a much-younger) Joshua & Caleb came back with a favourable Minority Report?" And we all know that the Israelites believed the majority report of the 10 unbelieving spies, and alas, everyone had to wander the desert till the entire generation died. In a span of 40 years.

We must understand, that in Numbers 13, the Israelites' motivation for the spying trip was based on their lack of belief. Compare it with Deut 1:21-23. Acting on unbelief yielded disastrous results.



This time is different. In Joshua 2, the spies were sent out as part of a military strategy which was common in its day. We see a totally different attitude here. And the difference was belief. Faith in God does not just wait for the promise to be plopped on one's lap. Man's responsibility and God's sovereignty work in tandem to achieve God's purposes.



Chapter 2

Observations



V2 - v7 - the spies on assignment lodged at the house of Rahab, a prostitute. It was probably the epicenter of news and happenings, where they could gather much "from the ground". However, their presence did not go unnoticed. The King of Jericho sniffed them out, and ordered Rahab to cough them out. Rahab, in a surprising move, not only protected the enemy spies, but helped them escape and sent her King's men on a wild goose chase in the opposite direction! One may wonder what had possessed her to do that. After all, isn't she a harlot... with a dubious moral persuasion?



v8 explains it. Rahab said, "I know the the LORD...." Rahab referred to Yahweh, which indicated that she had come to faith in the living God (v 11). God had graciously opened the heart of a pagan prostitute to accept Him as Lord. And besides, Rahab and all of the people in her land are melting in fear because they heard of what Yahweh had done in the desert 40 years ago - parting the Red Sea, providing manna, pillar of fire by night and cloud by day, etc etc!





When God deals with believers, our lives are on display to an unbelieving world; so that they too can see the workings of the living God and come to faith in Him.



Lest we wonder why God would choose to include a prostitute in such an important role in history, let's not forget that we are all harlots - according to Hosea. We just sell ourselves to different masters.




Then it gets better. Rahab lies in order to save the spies in V4. So now, is lying an acceptable course of action to fulfill God's plan? For a greater good? To prevent a greater evil?




The Bible clearly condemns lying (Ex 20:16, Jer 9:4-9, Zech 8:16, Eph 4:25). This is told by God Himself, who cannot lie (Num 23:19). But Rahab had been praised for her actions (Josh 6:22-25, Heb 11:31, James 2:25).
And her actions made her an ancestor to the Lord Jesus (Matt 1:5)



Either her lie was:

1. not a sin
2. a sin that was excusable
3. a sin that was not excusable.



#1 will say that sometimes, "the loving thing" is all that matters, ie, a "little lie" told in the name of love is no sin. In fact, it is the right thing to do.




#2 says that the lie is excusable because of a greater value - the lives of the spies were at stake. Those who hold this view believes that some sins are worse than others, and sometimes a person has to choose among them. In Rahab's case, the necessity of saving the lives of the spies has a higher value than truth.




#3 says... a lie is a lie. Rahab's action was wrong. Rahab has sinned no matter how noble her intentions were. However, her sin is understandable because she lacked knowledge of Yahweh. She did wrong but she did not know any better.






Thoughts



We must be careful to make a distinction between Rahab's faith and the way she expressed it. The Bible praises Rahab for her faith, not because of her lying. Her actions would have been more noble had she protected the spies in some other fashion, but as it was, she did the best she could. She believed in God and strove to honour Him and His people. That is what draws her praise. (Nelson's NKJV)



...

A New Beginning - Joshua 1

What is it about?

People have problems with the book of Joshua. Can't blame them, though. With accounts like shouting till the walls of Jericho fell; the sun standing still for almost one day; the river Jordan halted during overflow season... you would think these things should just be kept in their 'proper' places - in myths and fables.


Thus, some have developed a tendency to treat the Bible as a book of good morals, you know, the contents may not necessarily be all true... but useful as a book to base good practices on. Kinda like Aesop's fables. The dog with the bone was metaphorically reflecting mankind's greed and insatiable hunger for what is perceived to be greener on the other side of the pasture.


But we are not going to get away so easily. 2 Tim 3:16 says that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness...." Which means, if you are going to accept the Bible as true, then it is all true. Likewise the opposite.



No compartmentalising, friends. Anyways, back to Joshua.



It has been a while. Forty years or so, since Moses had led Israel out of Egypt. Even longer then, had God's promises been made to Abraham (Gen 12). Since then, Israel's family had grown from a pre-Egypt band of 70-odd people, to a couple of million in post-Egypt; had a few hiccups and spent a long 400-year hiatus in slavery. But God's plan and promises are still moving along.



We had journeyed with the Israelites in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy - the Pentateuch or first five books of the Bible (the Jewish holy book, Torah bears similarity). And now, in Joshua, Israel is finally perched on the verge of the fulfillment of God's promise made so very long ago. Many generations had lived and died since then. But that has not stopped God's promise from fulfillment. God sees in millennias, whereas humans see in years. We need to tweak our perspective to God's. That is why the heros of faith in Hebrews 11 are lauded. Their belief outlived them.



You would be forgiven for thinking that Joshua is the 6th book of the Pentateuch. It follows in immediate succession the (mis)adventures of Israel from the last event in Deuteronomy. This is where God called Joshua to lead and invade in the conquest of possessing the enemy's land. But more than that, this has issues that touch our lives and faith today.

Joshua marks new beginnings for God's people, and many believers today need a new beginning.

Observations

Chapter 1



The book begins by God informing Joshua, Moses' aide, that the latter is dead. The past is gone. Along with that, came God's charge to Joshua as the new leader. V2 - 5 God reassures Joshua of his promises. The thing to note however, is that God said, "as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you." This must have meant a lot to Joshua, who had personally witnessed the LORD's dealings directly with Moses, and was wowed and awed. God graciously encouraged His servant and reminded him of obedience. The same thing is still true today - true success in life cannot occur apart from knowing and doing the will of God.





The words "be strong and of good courage" appear four times in this chapter. Walking by faith and not by sight needs the potent combo of strength and courage. After all that's been said and done... there is only one way to go - obedience and trust in God, even in the face of impossibility.



Thoughts

I wonder if we need a new beginning today, in our lives, careers, finances, relationships? If so, the way is still the same - via obedience, faith and trust in the Lord through Jesus Christ, our Joshua.



..

Unforgettable Concert

Grace, myself, Crystal and Ivy - at the concert

So there I was, waiting outside the KLCC (Convention Centre) entrance, straining my eyes to make sure I don't miss the royal car when it arrives. Never mind that it was raining cats and dogs, and the sheets of rain pelting at the headlights made it impossible to read the car number plates.

I was all dolled up and on my toes. Ready to spring into action when the Tengku Puteri (Princess) and her husband step out of their car.

My job for the evening was to escort their majesties for the evening at the royal charity concert, which was held alongside the birthday of the Sultan of Selangor.

Other than making sure the Tengku Puteri (Sultan's sister), Tengku Zatasha (Sultan's daughter) AND their spouses were seated correctly according to protocol, I had to memorise their routes inside the building, and the timing at which they would arrive. On top of that, they had separate seating arrangements in the VIP holding room, banquet halls and concert hall. *sweat* However, trying to memorise their names takes the cake. I don't think I had to cram in so much info in such limited time since studying law in college.

That was the ugh part.

The yay part was that the Princess and her husband (who happens to be the younger brother of the previous Agung -King)were among the friendliest and chattiest people I have met. They initiated conversation about the weather, concert crowds and of course.... Malaysian traffic!

Nice people.

So, as I was waiting on them, I had a thought.

It takes so much planning, detail and attention just to get ready to greet the royal family of a state in Malaysia. And truly so, we should accord them the highest honour as rulers of the land. What then, should our attitude be when we get ready to meet the King of kings?

My friend says "God doesn't have protocols for us." While that is true, I think we have generally lost the sense of awe, reverence and anticipation. We had - not that it is entirely bad - become too familiar with the God of the Universe.

Another friend commented that I wear crocs to church (being too casual). What he did not realise was, I would have worn crocs to the royal concert too, if not for the vehement protests of those around me.

What now? Do we dress up for church?

I do not have a fixed conclusion on this matter. This is part of a continuing search to know the character of God, of which I feel, where relationship matters most. In the words of St Augustine... "Love God and do as you please."



All this happened at the "Unforgettable" Konsert Amal DiRaja with Sean Ghazi, Estee and Eugene Pok with the KL Festival Symphony Orchestra in Kuala Lumpur, on 15th Nov 2009.