Hey Bible Readers! I'm Tara-Leigh Cobble and I'm your host for The Bible Recap. [Music] We wrapped up the five books of the Law yesterday, and we've already hit one of the Wisdom books when we read Job. Today we step into the first of the History books. As we read through these, remember that their goal isn't so much to reveal history as it is to reveal God. So keep looking for Him. Yesterday, Moses died after forty years of leading the Israelites through the wilderness. This was probably around 1400 BC - which is roughly 2500 years after we first met Adam and Eve. Before Moses dies, he passes the torch to his assistant, Joshua, the man God appointed to lead the people into the Promised Land. Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim, which was the smallest non-Levite tribe at this point, so it's a pretty big deal that he gets this role. Both God and the Israelites tell Joshua to "be strong and courageous". He hears that four times in chapter 1 alone - three times from God and once from the people. He heard it from above and he heard it from below, from his Leader and from his followers. It's already a big deal when God repeats Himself, but when everyone around you is also telling you the same thing, you know it's something you need to hear. As they prepare to head into Canaan, Joshua reminds the 2.5 Transjordan tribes - Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh - that they still have to cross the Jordan and fight for the land like all the other tribes. Then they can move back east and live in the pasturelands they requested from God back in Numbers 32. They agreed to do all Joshua commands them, "just like they did with Moses" - which honestly doesn't sound like a great promise. These people are pretty forgetful if they really thought they obeyed Moses, but whatever. Joshua sends two spies into the Promised Land. Remember - he was a spy once, a|ong with eleven others, and he probably knew what kind of man made a good spy versus what kind would come back terrified and unbelieving. He sends the spies to Jericho, a city that's just across the border and the Jordan River, because it would be a logical first step into taking the Promised Land. First thing the spies encounter when they get to Jericho are the city walls. The wall was probably a double wall, and it was common for poor people, like Rahab the prostitute, to build their homes in the narrow space between the two walls. The spies had two primary goals on this trip: stay safe, and get a good view of the city's layout. What better place to accomplish both of those things than on a rooftop on the edge of the city. You'll find lots of people who think the spies are staying at Rahab's house for reasons that are not so honorable, but to me it seems more locationally strategic than anything. Plus, the text doesn't give us any reason to think they have ill intentions, and from what we've seen of the Bible so far, it does not hesitate to tell us the ugly truths. Other historical texts suggest that Rahab also ran a hotel of sorts, so that could be the reason they stayed there. Plus, what we see about Rahab is that even though she's a Canaanite prostitute she seems to fear Yahweh. She says the fear of the Israelites has fallen on her people, which is the fulfillment of something God promised in Exodus 15 and 23. She seems to have a real faith in the God of Israel and knows what He's capable of. She's heard stories of something God did hundreds of miles away, forty years earlier, and this was all before the internet. I know word travels, but that's crazy to me. Think about it this way: if you live in America, can you tell me off the top of your head anything that happened in Canada forty years ago? Probably not. But Rahab has heard about how God led them across the Red Sea on dry land - which is a story they often seem to forget themselves. Rahab is praised twice in the New Testament - in Hebrews and in James - for the way she lived out her faith. Not only that, she's included in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, which is kind of a big deal. Rahab's understanding and fear of Yahweh leads her to do something that you may struggle with if you're a rule keeper at all costs. She lies to the king's men and says the spies aren't at her house - meanwhile she's hiding them on the roof. Does this remind you of anything we've seen before? It made me think of what we read in Exodus 1:15-21, where the Egyptian midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, refused to kill the Hebrew babies and possibly lied to Pharaoh about it, and God blessed them. Rahab lied to the kIng's men and sent the spies to hide in the hills. The spies make a deal with her for saving their lives. They say when they come to take Jericho, she and her family should throw a red rope out her window, so they could easily identify her home, and make sure to spare her and her family. Remember this moment, because we're going to encounter a lot of wartime language in Joshua where God tells the Israelites to destroy all the people in the land of Canaan, and it's going to be important for us to remember that this is not genocide or ethnic cleansing that God is calling for - this has nothing to do with their ethnicity and everything to do with the fact that they were idolaters who did things like child sacrifice and God was bringing judgment on their sins But He was always willing to spare the repentant. Anytime someone repented - even a prostitute - they were kept alive and welcome to live among the Israelites. God isn't calling for the wholesale slaughter of the Canaanites - there are obvious exceptions that we'll see in the text, and Rahab and her family are among them. I also want to point out one thing about these two spies - they believe God's promise. That's another reason why I think they were honorable in their actions toward Rahab. In 2:14, they told Rahab, "When the LORD gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you." Not only do they believe God is going to bless them as He said, but they're already planning on paying that blessing forward. So the spies go back to Joshua and give him the good news and Joshua rallies everyone to cross into the Promised Land. Finally! Okay, here we go. They put the Ark of the Covenant way out front - like, half a mile ahead, carried by the Levite priests - then they all follow behind. And guess what happens? They hit a river But no big deal - this has happened to their parents and they've heard stories about how God came through. I mean, even the Canaanite prostitutes have heard that story! Last time they had to cross a body of water, God stopped the water before they entered. But this time, the water doesn't stop until they step into it, Walking with God requires increasing amounts of obedience and trust. In 3:17, just as they're crossing over, God calls Israel a "nation" for the first time. This has been promised since way back in Genesis 12:2. Up until this point they were just a "people", but now they're a "nation". And God has fulfilled that promise to them. God tells them to set up twelves stones - one for each tribe - because even the Transjordan tribes came to help take the land like they promised. These stones would serve as a reminder for them and for their children so that they won't forget what God did here. Not only that, but in 4:24, God says all of this is, "so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty that you may fear the LORD your God forever." The miracle of God's provision for Israel was an invitation to all people groups to know and fear Him. And speaking of provision, if you remember anything about the Hebrew calendar, you may have noticed what day they set foot in the Promised Land - it's the day of preparation for the Passover. That means they've got some big stuff coming up in the days ahead. So stay tuned! What was your GOD SHOT today? I noticed something that kept showing up in chapter 1 when God was telling Joshua to be strong and courageous. It does take strength and courage to be obedient, but every time God commanded that, He preceded it or followed it with the promise that he would be with Joshua. It's a reminder that strength and courage aren't just things we muster on our own. It's not just some mental pep rally or some mindset we meditate our way into. True strength and courage is established by being mindful of God's presence in our lives. He never asks us to do things on our own. His nearness is what equips us to obey. And He never asks us to be our own strength or provision. He provides all that He requires of us. He's where the strength is and He's where the courage is and He's where the joy is! I'm so glad you're here! If you want to help others find their way to these videos, the best way to do that is to "like", subscribe, and comment on YouTube. I love to read through your comments to remind myself that they're actual people out there watching. You are out there, and you are seeing more of God each day. Your comments not only encourage me, but they position you as someone who helps others decide if they want to take the time to watch or not. It sounds simple, but you're actually helping strangers around the world connect with God. So drop us a comment if you've got a minute to spare, Give us a thumbs up. We might even feature something you've said on a social media post! [Music]