1 00:00:38,001 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: Hey friends, it's Kelly from Life Audio. We just launched 2 00:00:41,501 --> 00:00:45,181 Speaker 1: something new. It's called The Good Word, our free weekly 3 00:00:45,241 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: newsletter built for people who want to go a little 4 00:00:48,161 --> 00:00:54,011 Speaker 1: deeper in their faith. Think devotionals, guided prayers, curated podcast recommendations, 5 00:00:54,191 --> 00:00:57,311 Speaker 1: and a little community all in one place. No ads, 6 00:00:57,651 --> 00:00:58,651 Speaker 1: just good content. 7 00:00:58,871 --> 00:01:00,091 Speaker 2: This one means a lot to us. 8 00:01:00,491 --> 00:01:03,271 Speaker 1: We built The Good Word based on the audience survey 9 00:01:03,491 --> 00:01:05,671 Speaker 1: so many of you filled out a few months back. 10 00:01:05,991 --> 00:01:08,571 Speaker 1: You told us what you wanted and we listened. So 11 00:01:08,611 --> 00:01:11,551 Speaker 1: thank you truly for helping us shape this. Head to 12 00:01:11,571 --> 00:01:14,150 Speaker 1: the link in the show notes and join our community today. 13 00:01:14,471 --> 00:01:15,421 Speaker 1: We'd love to have you. 14 00:01:27,101 --> 00:01:30,420 Speaker 2: Hello, and thank you for listening to Your Daily Bible Verse, 15 00:01:30,761 --> 00:01:34,431 Speaker 2: the podcast that examines one verse each day to learn 16 00:01:34,471 --> 00:01:38,071 Speaker 2: more about God and His will for us. I'm your host, 17 00:01:38,390 --> 00:01:42,221 Speaker 2: Jessica VanRoekel. And after this short word from our sponsor, 18 00:01:42,721 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 2: we'll continue our series titled, Trusting God One Step at 19 00:01:47,041 --> 00:01:54,441 Speaker 2: a Time, with a discussion on verse Joshua 2, 1. 20 00:02:03,511 --> 00:02:08,231 Speaker 2: Today's Bible verses, Joshua, chapter 2, verse 1. And Joshua, 21 00:02:08,391 --> 00:02:11,571 Speaker 2: the son of Nun, sent two men secretly from Shittah, 22 00:02:11,891 --> 00:02:17,051 Speaker 2: as spies, saying, Go, view the land, especially Jericho. And 23 00:02:17,111 --> 00:02:20,970 Speaker 2: they went. You know, I love a good story where 24 00:02:20,990 --> 00:02:24,991 Speaker 2: I'm swept away by the plot and character development. And 25 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,901 Speaker 2: every great story has a hero, but sometimes the most 26 00:02:28,981 --> 00:02:33,861 Speaker 2: surprising hero is the one we least expect. We expect 27 00:02:33,941 --> 00:02:37,941 Speaker 2: firefighters to rush into danger. We expect a soldier to 28 00:02:38,001 --> 00:02:43,791 Speaker 2: display extraordinary courage. We expect a pastor to demonstrate faith 29 00:02:43,911 --> 00:02:47,611 Speaker 2: forged by fire. But we don't expect it from someone 30 00:02:47,770 --> 00:02:52,011 Speaker 2: everyone else seems to have written off. Yet, over and over, 31 00:02:52,231 --> 00:02:56,191 Speaker 2: history proves us wrong. The grumpy neighbor becomes the first 32 00:02:56,531 --> 00:03:00,661 Speaker 2: to help after a disaster. Or the recovering addict becomes 33 00:03:00,740 --> 00:03:05,731 Speaker 2: the dependable mentor. Or, The overlooked employee becomes the leader 34 00:03:05,951 --> 00:03:13,421 Speaker 2: everyone follows. God uses unexpected heroes. Joshua chapter 2 introduces 35 00:03:13,541 --> 00:03:17,020 Speaker 2: us to one of the Bible's unlikely heroes who showed 36 00:03:17,141 --> 00:03:21,740 Speaker 2: courageous faith. The spies met Rahab, a woman of ill repute, 37 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,521 Speaker 2: who proceeded to save them from the city's guards. Her 38 00:03:25,641 --> 00:03:30,681 Speaker 2: story reminds us that God's plans aren't executed by perfect people. 39 00:03:31,421 --> 00:03:35,361 Speaker 2: but by people willing to trust him. Shittah was a 40 00:03:35,411 --> 00:03:38,511 Speaker 2: place east of the Jordan River where Joshua and the 41 00:03:38,631 --> 00:03:43,571 Speaker 2: Israelites camped before heading into Canaan to conquer their promised land. 42 00:03:44,451 --> 00:03:48,371 Speaker 2: Joshua sent the spies secretly to investigate their upcoming mission. 43 00:03:49,111 --> 00:03:53,371 Speaker 2: His choice to do this demonstrated faith and preparation. God's 44 00:03:53,511 --> 00:03:58,981 Speaker 2: promise of success did not lull Joshua into inaction. The 45 00:03:59,101 --> 00:04:02,831 Speaker 2: city of Jericho was under strict guard because they had 46 00:04:02,951 --> 00:04:07,831 Speaker 2: heard about Israel's military successes. So the spies entered the 47 00:04:07,871 --> 00:04:11,491 Speaker 2: gates and went to Rahab's place. The Bible is clear 48 00:04:11,611 --> 00:04:15,611 Speaker 2: about her profession. Where some Bible scholars attempt to minimize 49 00:04:15,651 --> 00:04:18,971 Speaker 2: her profession to that of an innkeeper, the term used 50 00:04:19,051 --> 00:04:21,791 Speaker 2: to describe her clearly defines her as a woman of 51 00:04:21,890 --> 00:04:26,041 Speaker 2: ill repute. While visiting a place like this may have 52 00:04:26,061 --> 00:04:28,991 Speaker 2: been an awkward choice for the spies, It was a 53 00:04:29,091 --> 00:04:32,831 Speaker 2: great place to hide and remain anonymous so that they 54 00:04:32,890 --> 00:04:37,511 Speaker 2: could gather information. We know that Rahab may have been 55 00:04:37,551 --> 00:04:42,211 Speaker 2: from an ungodly background, but she understood and accepted Israel's 56 00:04:42,251 --> 00:04:45,911 Speaker 2: God as the true God of heaven and earth. She 57 00:04:45,971 --> 00:04:49,530 Speaker 2: turned away from Canaan's false gods and put her faith 58 00:04:49,611 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 2: in Israel's God. Her faith prompted her to take measures 59 00:04:53,541 --> 00:04:57,221 Speaker 2: to save the Israelite spies from Jericho's guards who came 60 00:04:57,261 --> 00:05:01,781 Speaker 2: looking for them. God had a plan to bring these 61 00:05:01,861 --> 00:05:06,941 Speaker 2: two spies and Rahab together. The Bible reports Rahab's profession 62 00:05:07,061 --> 00:05:10,161 Speaker 2: and a lie, but it doesn't really praise or excuse it. 63 00:05:11,081 --> 00:05:14,741 Speaker 2: Rahab's declaration was proof of her faith, and while she 64 00:05:14,831 --> 00:05:17,991 Speaker 2: was a woman of ill repute and a liar, she 65 00:05:18,071 --> 00:05:23,031 Speaker 2: was saved because of God's mercy. She wanted to leave 66 00:05:23,091 --> 00:05:27,791 Speaker 2: her sin-filled life and culture to go with God's people. 67 00:05:29,001 --> 00:05:31,981 Speaker 2: The spies agreed to save her and her family, and 68 00:05:32,001 --> 00:05:35,431 Speaker 2: the agreement was symbolized by the scarlet cord hanging in 69 00:05:35,471 --> 00:05:39,171 Speaker 2: her window. That cord would be the signal to the 70 00:05:39,311 --> 00:05:43,771 Speaker 2: army to spare her and those with her. Some commentators 71 00:05:43,831 --> 00:05:46,991 Speaker 2: see the scarlet cord as a symbol of Jesus' blood 72 00:05:47,091 --> 00:05:51,591 Speaker 2: shed for humanity. Joshua was the savior for Rahab and 73 00:05:51,651 --> 00:05:55,431 Speaker 2: the judge for the rest of Jericho. Jesus is the 74 00:05:55,511 --> 00:05:58,570 Speaker 2: savior for those who trust in him, and the judge 75 00:05:58,630 --> 00:06:02,711 Speaker 2: for those who reject him. While the spies' secret journey 76 00:06:02,951 --> 00:06:07,741 Speaker 2: into Jericho didn't help the nation really regarding any military strategy, 77 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:12,661 Speaker 2: it did encourage their faith. Rahab, an unlikely hero, saved 78 00:06:12,701 --> 00:06:16,220 Speaker 2: the spies. I've learned that God will go to great 79 00:06:16,261 --> 00:06:21,131 Speaker 2: lengths to save someone who seems impossible to save. Because 80 00:06:21,231 --> 00:06:24,691 Speaker 2: Rahab shows us that anyone who fears God and does 81 00:06:24,731 --> 00:06:28,061 Speaker 2: what is right and acceptable to him can be saved 82 00:06:28,361 --> 00:06:32,421 Speaker 2: and received by him. Later, in the New Testament, we 83 00:06:32,461 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 2: learn how Rahab truly assimilated into the Hebrew culture and 84 00:06:36,341 --> 00:06:40,491 Speaker 2: became part of Jesus' lineage. She is remembered for her 85 00:06:40,651 --> 00:06:45,570 Speaker 2: faith in God, not for what she once was. Courageous 86 00:06:45,651 --> 00:06:49,551 Speaker 2: faith can come from the most unlikely person because God 87 00:06:49,651 --> 00:06:53,630 Speaker 2: can save and use anyone who turns from his or 88 00:06:53,690 --> 00:06:58,221 Speaker 2: her former life and entrusts themselves to him. It is 89 00:06:58,301 --> 00:07:02,731 Speaker 2: God who provides reconciliation for us from past sins and 90 00:07:02,791 --> 00:07:07,710 Speaker 2: failures through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He wants 91 00:07:07,811 --> 00:07:11,811 Speaker 2: to use you in his greater story of redemption. Today, 92 00:07:12,091 --> 00:07:16,151 Speaker 2: ask God where you can show courageous faith. Let's pray. 93 00:07:16,871 --> 00:07:20,051 Speaker 2: Heavenly Father, thank you so much that you don't really 94 00:07:20,091 --> 00:07:23,431 Speaker 2: disqualify anyone who comes to you with a sincere heart. 95 00:07:23,971 --> 00:07:28,011 Speaker 2: So Lord, we come to you today. asking for courageous 96 00:07:28,091 --> 00:07:30,411 Speaker 2: faith so that we can stand firm for you, so 97 00:07:30,431 --> 00:07:33,551 Speaker 2: that we can turn from the pieces in our lives 98 00:07:33,651 --> 00:07:37,531 Speaker 2: that prevent us from following you with our whole hearts. God, 99 00:07:37,611 --> 00:07:40,411 Speaker 2: I pray that we would look to you, Lord, that 100 00:07:40,461 --> 00:07:44,521 Speaker 2: we wouldn't disqualify ourselves because of the sin in our past, 101 00:07:44,561 --> 00:07:48,181 Speaker 2: but Lord, we would come to you and receive your 102 00:07:48,241 --> 00:07:53,291 Speaker 2: mercy so that we can stand in courageous faith. Thank 103 00:07:53,331 --> 00:07:55,231 Speaker 2: you for what you've done in our lives and what 104 00:07:55,251 --> 00:07:58,281 Speaker 2: you will continue to do through us. In Jesus' name 105 00:07:58,321 --> 00:07:58,741 Speaker 2: we pray. 106 00:07:58,761 --> 00:07:59,441 Speaker 1: Amen.