讀經: 約書亞記二章1至14節 1當下,嫩的兒子約書亞從什亭暗暗打發兩個人作探子,吩咐說:你們去窺探那地和耶利哥。於是二人去了,來到一個妓女名叫喇合的家裡,就在那裡躺臥。 2有人告訴耶利哥王說:今夜有以色列人來到這裡窺探此地。 3耶利哥王打發人去見喇合說:那來到你這裡、進了你家的人要交出來,因為他們來窺探全地。 4女人將二人隱藏,就回答說:那人果然到我這裡來;他們是那裡來的我卻不知道。 5天黑、要關城門的時候,他們出去了,往那裡去我卻不知道。你們快快的去追趕,就必追上。 6(先是女人領二人上了房頂,將他們藏在那裡所擺的麻中。) 7那些人就往約但河的渡口追趕他們去了。追趕他們的人一出去,城門就關了。 8二人還沒有躺臥,女人就上房頂,到他們那裡, 9對他們說:我知道耶和華已經把這地賜給你們,並且因你們的緣故我們都驚慌了。這地的一切居民在你們面前心都消化了; 10因為我們聽見你們出埃及的時候,耶和華怎樣在你們前面使紅海的水乾了,並且你們怎樣待約但河東的兩個亞摩利王西宏和噩,將他們盡行毀滅。 11我們一聽見這些事,心就消化了。因你們的緣故,並無一人有膽氣。耶和華─你們的神本是上天下地的神。 12現在我既是恩待你們,求你們指著耶和華向我起誓,也要恩待我父家,並給我一個實在的證據, 13要救活我的父母、弟兄、姊妹,和一切屬他們的,拯救我們性命不死。 14二人對他說:你若不洩漏我們這件事,我們情願替你們死。耶和華將這地賜給我們的時候,我們必以慈愛誠實待你。 |
Bible Reading: Joshua 2: 1-14 1 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. 2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country." 3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country." 4 Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them." 6 (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) 7 Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate. 8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: "I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death." 14 So the men answered her, "Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you." |
Here is common sense at work. Joshua needed all the information he could get about Jericho and the land, even though God had told him that the land was going to belong to him and his people. It is the same for us today. When looking to God for guidance, don't sit round doing nothing. If a certain course of action seems to be God's will, find out all you can about it. Then look to the Lord for the next step you should take. Be open to his leading, but make sure you investigate every possibility while waiting for his further word. Then God must have moved the heart of Joshua to send out spies because of Rahab. It seems very clear that Rahab believed in the God of Israel before the spies came to her home. Read James 2:25 and put that alongside verses 9-11 in this chapter. God will always honour even the smallest amount of faith and will seek to cultivate it to help it grow. The story of Carnelius in Acts 10 is another illustration of this. As soon as God starts to work, however, Satan also begins his work of hindering. Probably the king of Jericho had not noticed Rahab before. But when the men sent by Joshua arrived, he immediately reacted. It is always the same. Satan doesn't care about a soul until God's messenger touches that life. Salesman or others can come and go, but let a servant of God go to that door or speak to that person and Satan immediately tries to snatch away the seed. What is the answer? We need to protect that seed with prayer. God is more anxious than we are that his Word might find a place in hearts. He will be glad to hear our prayer and to answer in his own time and way. A THOUGHT: 'Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.' |
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