Heroic Rahab
Begin in silence…
Close your eyes and sit quietly for a few moments before beginning today’s session. Open your hands as a symbol of releasing any worry or care so you can focus on today’s reading.
Set the scene…
Today we venture into the Old Testament book of Joshua. The Lord has just chosen Joshua to lead the Israelites after the death of Moses. As they prepare to cross the Jordan River in pursuit of the promised land, God gives them a promise in Joshua 1:3–6. Listen to it below.
“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.”
Here is where we meet Rahab, a Canaanite woman from the nearby city of Jericho, who becomes the unlikely candidate to remind the Israelites of God’s promise.