Read: Joshua 2:1-15
She let them down by a rope through the window. (v. 15)
News feeds seem to populate with stories of the rich and powerful. It feels at times like the world revolves around them. In the reality of God’s kingdom, the world more often turns on the quiet and hopeful faith of ordinary people. “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor. 1:27).
At the time Joshua sent spies to Jericho, the city was a fortified urban center in Canaan, renowned for its walls. Both Rahab and its king feared Israel’s army camped across the Jordan: “all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you” (Josh. 2:9). But they responded in opposite ways. The king in power sought to uncover the spies. Rehab hid the men and lowered them to safety on a rope. As she did, she laid hold of God in faith. “The LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath” (v. 11).
What happened next? The fortified city soon lay in ruins with the king and all inside destroyed. History doesn’t even record the king’s name. Only the very ordinary woman named Rahab and her family survived. When she lowered the men that night, she had no idea where her story would go. She would marry a man named Salmon and become the great-great-grandmother of King David. She’s listed in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:5) and the legends of faith in Hebrews 11:31. This ordinary person trusted God and did the next faithful thing.
As you pray, ask God for ordinary faith to act.
Rev. Jon Opgenorth serves as president of Words of Hope. Previously, he served for 18 years as senior pastor at Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. In preparation for ministry, he received a BA in Religion from Northwestern College, and an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary.
