DawnMc13

The seven day march around the city first gave the enemy a sense of their impending doom. This also demonstrated to God Israels obedience to Him, following His orders even though they didn't understand them. Seven also means completeness. The ark represented the throne of the Almighty God. That God was their Commander. That He was with them. The timing of the shout may have coincided with an earthquake thus making it a miracle.

When Joshua asked Him whose side He was on, He replied that He was the Commander - therefore the question needed to be, "Whose side are you on?" We humble ourselves before God because of God's Sovereignty. We, especially in America - find it hard to submit because we have been taught to be strong, independent and self-reliant. Which comes naturally to us as sinners anyway.

The significance of the Commander of God's Armies being with us is that the power to defeat the enemy is available to us(believers). We need not fear. Although God supplies the power-we have to actively engage in the battle knowing that His power is with us.

Although Rehab had been a prostitute, God was able to use her by changing her heart - opening her eyes to truth. This faith was credited to her as righteousness - just as Abraham. The act of prostitution is sin. A prostitute is a person who sins and is in need of redemption. Jesus saw the person, not just the sin, and desired for them to be saved. God hates sin but loves sinners and wants them to be saved.

By Rehab making the choice to hide the spies it shows that she has sided with them. Her reason given is that she has heard about the actions of their God and has determined the their God was more powerful than the gods of Jerico. She reorders her life because of this belief and takes great risks personally in hiding the spies. We need this same faith - that reorders our lives against the culture around us that serves other gods. This is a saving faith.

The spies were sent out to probe Jerico and the surrounding area - the lay of the land, the placement of the roads, the size and might of the army and the cities fortification. The prostitutes house offered secrecy and overnight lodging. It's access was on the outer wall for easy escape. It was a strategic location. i do believe God sent them there for His divine purpose, as Rahab is often mentioned for her faith and is part of the lineage of Jesus.

Rehab is not commended for her lie. She is commended for welcoming the spies, for giving the spies lodging and for directing them to go off in a different direction. Although I can understand her pure motive in lying, I can not say that breaking God's law is ever justified. The lie needs repentance and forgiveness. *We don't know what would have happened if she had not lied but I am sure that God's will would have been accomplished anyway. I also believe that if we would choose not to lie ( thus obey God) and suffer severe temporal consequences because of our obedience that we would be under God's grace and need not fear.

We cannot be in God's presence with sin. In heaven, all sin has been cleansed, there is no evil, we are now in our sanctified state where we can now be in God's presence. We will be united with God, in the absence of sin and all of sin's consequences. We will be with all of God's children as family...perfect family!!!

We cannot be a light if our light darkens. The more we compromise the more our light fades. We are to be a reflection of a hope the world desperately needs.