Podcast Introduction

Today, we are going to read from the book of Joshua. Chapters 1 through 5. Before I read the chapters, I’ll give you brief introduction to the book of Joshua, and after the reading, I’ll share  some of my thoughts on those chapters. I’m calling today’s show "A New Leader."

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Keyur Nandaniya on Unsplash

Comments on Joshua

Sometimes people will say, God can't save me. He can't forgive me. I've lived a terrible life. Or God could never use me. You don't know what I've done. In chapter two, we read of the spies that Joshua sent into the town of Jericho, and these spies stayed at the house of a prostitute by the name of Rehab. We read how she hid them and saved their lives and made a deal with them that they would save her life.

There's a long story about that, of course. Well, here's the rest of her story. Rahab married Salman, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. Her son was Boaz, who we'll read about later, the husband of Ruth, who we will also read about later. Joseph, the legal father of Jesus is her direct descendant. That's right.

In Jesus' genealogy is a prostitute. And true, Jesus is not Joseph's biological son. But it would be understandable if God chose not to use a family line for Jesus' stepfather that included a prostitute. Right? Well, here's the lesson for us all. Rehab's sinful life was forgiven because of her faith in God.

And when God forgives, that sin is as if it never existed. And besides that, what family doesn't include those who have sinned? There isn't one, is there? As Paul says in Romans, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No one is without sin. It's what we do with God that determines whether that sin defines us.

I learned several years ago from a, uh, a great aunt of mine that my family line, I am descended from a murderer. Yeah, so, you know, I, I don't know anything about that man's life other than, uh, he committed this murder somewhere in Arkansas and, uh, then ran away, moved from that area and changed his name. And that's why all of a sudden in my family line, we go from one last family name to another.

So you never know. No family line for sure is without sin. And knowing that, it seems silly to me that some Bible commentators in the past have tried to say that Rahab was an inkeeper, not a prostitute. She had them into her house because, well she was an inkeeper, it was her job. These commentators thought it was shameful that a prostitute would be in the lineage of Jesus.

But when you read it in the original language, there's no mistaking it. Rahab was a prostitute. And as we read through the Bible this year, you'll see that God does not pull punches in describing real life and real sin. That Rahab was a prostitute is lightweight compared to some of the things we'll read.

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 1-2 GW, Ch. 3-4 GNT, Ch. 5 NIV

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The Team

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