She had heard of the Israelites’ God… that He had given the land of the Canaanites to the people of Israel, that He had fought on Israel’s behalf, that He had parted the Red Sea so His people could pass through. She knew that God had been faithful to His people. And now Rahab has to make a tough decision: stay with her people in Jericho, or ask to join the Israelites.
If she stayed in Jericho, she would be protected by the Canaanite army in the upcoming battle and be surrounded by people she knew. She would be in a place she was familiar with. But if she decided to help the Israelite spies and the guards of Jericho found out about it, she could lose her life. Besides, she only had the promise from a few spies that she and her family would be saved when the Israelites attacked Jericho. What if the spies were lying? Talk about a leap of faith!
You can read Rahab’s story in Joshua, chapters 2 and 6. For now, consider what it would have been like to be in this position. What is the “risk” for you? How might others respond to your decision to follow Jesus? What might you lose?
- Spend some time in silence before continuing. Eliminate any distractions or noises.
- Think about the believers you know. What have they given up in order to follow Christ?
- Review Luke 9:57-62. What kinds of things get in the way of our following Him completely?
- Read Hebrews 11:29-31. What do these verses tell us about the faith of the Israelites and of Rahab?
- Do you want to see what a “new leap of faith” might look like? Consider reading Charles Sheldon’s book, In His Steps. This classic Christian novel allows us to see people count the cost of following Christ and fully surrender to Him.
