SEEING RED: LIFE LESSONS FROM RAHAB

 [From Joshua chapters 2 and 6].

This is what you must do. When we invade your land, tie THIS RED CORD to the window... – Jos 2:18 (GNB).

Rahab, the story of how a Canaanite woman moved from the Red-light district of the debauched city of Jericho to becoming an ancestor of Jesus the Messiah, has inspired, fascinated and disturbed many for thousands of years.

It's INSPIRING because of its heart-warming core; FASCINATING because of its intrigues and gratifying end; but even more than these, DISTURBING because of its raw, unvarnished depiction of a woman who would eventually be an ancestress of the promised MESSIAH.

There are Jews who still disagree that Rahab was actually a prostitute; and even one theologian wrote that it is “extremely incredible” that she would have become who she was if she had been a harlot. However, people who speak like this betray a limited knowledge of the saving power of God’s love.

Rahab shows us that, as far as God’s grace is concerned, there is no limit to how high you can go, or how low you can come from.

The Church, right from its earliest days, has been populated with transformations like hers. When Paul was listing the calibre of people that got converted into the Corinthian church, he mentioned fornicators, idolaters, homosexuals, thieves, drunkards, slanderers, and swindlers! (1Co 6:9-11).

Satan has deceived many into believing that they're beyond redemption because their sins are either just too great or just too many. To those people, Rahab is a shining example of what can happen if you let God’s unconditional mercy take over your life.

Even Believers, too, fall into this trap when they believe God can never FULLY forgive them for certain sins they committed. They believe that God may accept them into Heaven, but because of their failures, He’s given up on them and will no longer bless them or fulfil His promises.

Beloved, if Rahab could press through in spite of her failings to achieve what many Hebrew women could only dream of, how much more you living in the New Covenant under the Blood of Jesus.

Stand up today and receive God’s unmerited forgiveness. God will still do great things THROUGH and FOR you because of the sacrifice of His Son Jesus.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN