After the death of Moses, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses aide. "Moses, my servant is dead. You, Joshua, and all the people must get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am giving you." And God gave a full explanation as to what the land would be. Then He continued, "No one will be able to stand up 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. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."
So Joshua gave orders to those who were his officers and told them to tell the people, "Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord God is giving you for your own." And he reminded those few who had claimed the land east of the Jordan, long before, that they must now cross the Jordan, also, and fight the good fight before they can return to their own lands. They replied that they would, "Only let us all be strong and courageous."
But, Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies ahead of the army."Go, and look over the land, especially Jericho." The spies did as they were told , entering the house of a prostitute named Rahab, where they stayed. But the King of Jericho thought the Israelites were there to spy out the land and sent to message to Rahab, "Send out the spies!" But Rahab had hidden them under the flax on the roof, and as soon as the king's men left, she went to the roof. "We have heard of your Lord who opened the Red Sea for you many years ago, so that all who live here are melting in fear of you. Our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed, for The Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you."
"Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land." So Rahab let hem down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. And she said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."
When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. Then the two men started back, fording the river and coming to Joshua, saying, "The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us."
Now, when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the arc of the covenant went ahead of them. The Jordan was in flood stage, yet when the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a distance away, at a town called Adam, while the water flowing down to the Sea of Salt was completely cut off. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground. About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war. God did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that we might always fear the Lord our God.
That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.
I am fascinated by how God works through unlikely people. He isn't looking for hero types! He even uses a woman of ill repute in the taking of Canaan! She is given a heroine's status and quite fairly. I'm so glad God gives us all equality in the workings of his holy plans!
Tomorrow? Jericho falls!
All for Him,
Jo IMN
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