December 12
Joshua 2.1-13
1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 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.
12 “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”
If you go on the website of the CRCNA you can see the places where we have congregations in both the US and Canada. There are many markers on the places you would expect, but some in places one might find different. More than 20 in the Los Angeles area. But the ones that strike me are the 6 in Las Vegas. Mostly Korean. One English speaking. Places where we think of seeing the darker sides of society with movie empires in one and gambling in the other. Yet places where the church also resides and brings a message of hope.
When these spies go into Jericho they might expect to find people who are living in ways that violate God’s laws. And obviously they do. They stay in the home of a prostitute. It is never stated why they go to her. But the result is very important. The testimony of faith from a person that we don’t expect to offer faith. A prostitute in a pagan city states the faith that the God of Israel is the only real God in all the earth. Looking to find mercy from God and his people.
God does not limit his actions to the places we think are proper for faith to be revealed. There are quite a few stories in the Bible showing the presence of faith in the midst of nations that were against God and his people. Stories of faith where the roles even get reversed. Jonah is full of those reversals. Naaman coming to Israel for healing from leprosy. A Samaritan being the only leper returning to offer thanks. A Gentile stating faith as she was healed by Jesus. A Roman Centurion sending for Peter.
It should cease to surprise when God shows up in places we don’t expect. It should bring us to expecting to see God at work in each place we go. Wondering how we are going to see him bringing grace through a different person or in a different way today. The limit of our imaginations to how God will work and where he will show his grace are only our limits. People are being moved by the Spirit and we are invited to see and to join the work of God in the most amazing ways. God is working and bringing faith to his world. In us, through us, and even just near us and in spite of us. God is working.
Song – Good, Good Father
Prayer
Strengthen us, O God, in the power of your Spirit to bring good news to the poor and lift blind eyes to sight, to loose the chains that bind and claim your blessing for all people. Keep us faithful in your service until Christ comes in final victory and we shall feast with all your saints in the joy of your eternal realm. Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour are yours, almighty God, now and forever. Amen.