Moving Israel to the Jordan River took 40 years.

• Egypt = place of slavery where God rescued Israel
• Wilderness = wandering and missing God’s best
• Promised land = new beginning, inheritance

What’s your water’s edge?  Physical?  Relational?  Professional?  Spiritual?

Last week: changing our perspective on faith.  We looked at Joshua.  What do you do when you don’t feel strong and courageous?

It’s hard:

• …to get out of a wrong relationship
• …to do right when everyone around is doing wrong (and winning)
• …to eat right after gorging through the holidays
• …to work out when sleeping in feels better
• …to put Jesus first when my ways are more important
• …to live for Him when all I can see is the mistakes I have made
• …to stay married when you feelings are about your happiness
• …to follow God into His promises when it involves risk, change, conflict, or war!

When looking at what God called Israel to do when they enter the Promised Land is hard to process.  Numbers 33:50-52, Deuteronomy 7:1-2

Is it right?

Is it fair?

Is this just?

This week: Deepening our understanding of faith

WHAT DOES THE SCARLET CORD REVEALS ABOUT FAITH?  Joshua 2:1-24

• It’s not about race; it’s about grace

Race = What was your family like?  How were you raised?  What were the sins of your parents?

Grace = getting what you do not deserve.  Not getting what we do deserve.

“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life is Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:23

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

Is it fair when God finally decides to bring earthly consequences.

Israel is going to be an instrument of his judgment. 

Listen to Rahab’s confession.  “You are God of heaven and God of earth…”

• It’s not about destruction of a city; it’s about salvation of the world

Rahab turned from her ways to trust in the God of heaven and earth.

“If you do not believe, you will die in your sins” John 8:24

“All who call upon the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

She could have held onto her life in Jericho, instead she held the cord.

1.) Faith expressed in obedience = cord over the door

2.) Faith expressed in action = helping the spies  (Read James 2:24-26)

• It’s not about past mistakes; it’s about future legacy

 ”God cannot bless sin, but He can forgive it!”

Rahab was a prostitute in a pagan city worshipping a pagan god.

….but what will she be known for in the future?

Rahab was rescued from the destruction of Jericho that day then…

• She was included in the family of Israel
• She married Salmon
• She had a son named Boaz
• Boaz married Ruth
• Ruth gave birth to Obed
• Obed was the father of Jesse who was the father of David
• In Matthew 1:5 (the part we skip because it involves who begat who?), we discover that Rahab (once a prostitute) was now included in the geneaology of Jesus.
• “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” Hebrews 11:31
• Rahab, through grace, was included in a greater story!

COVERED

• Before they left Egypt, they marked their door frames with blood to be passed over.
• In the desert on the day of atonement, they sacrificed one lamb, and prayed sins over the scapegoat by putting a red cord around his head and sent the scapegoat away.
• Rahab put a red cord in her window.
• When John saw Jesus at the Jordan river he exclaimed, “Look the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
• Jesus shed his red blood on the cross so they it would cover people to take away sin.

“What can wash away our sins?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

What will you hold?

Will you ignore this chance to trust Jesus?

This past Friday January 7, Pam and I made the decision to put Belle to sleep.  It was a tough week watching our dog of 15 1/2 years physically struggle to walk.  She could not get up on her feet for three straight days, and we realized the end was here.  Even in that truth, this was the hardest decision we have been forced to make.  At one level, I wanted to sterilize the decision with the fact that she was “just a dog”, and she lived for over 15 years.  I believe we could just rest in the memories, and simply move on, but when Pam told me in tears it was time to make the call the finality begun to sit in.  As soon as I hung up for the phone from making the final appointment the moment took on a new weight. 

The emotions hit like a ton of bricks.  This dog was our precious Belle.  She had shared most of 0ur married life.  She had outlived our kids at this point.  We adopted her while struggling with infertility.  Each one of our girls have never known a day without Belle.  She slept in our bed the first 8years of her life.  I jogged with her in those younger years.  She helped make a house a home with all her messes, her noises, and her presence.  At times she drove me crazy, but mostly she warmed our hearts.  She loved us always, no matter what!

That Friday, our girls came home at 4:00pm, and we sat them down to break the news.  It broke everyone open in the room including me.  We wanted to include them in the decision, and give them a chance to say goodbye.  I will confess I minimized the moment until surveyed the room of tears from my wife, and each girl.  We all have been affected in a deep and unique way from the life and spirit of our dog.  That hour seemed to be the longest hour ever.  Our appointment was at 5:00pm.

We then all loaded up to head to the vet together.  I wanted to let them say goodbye one last time before we went in.  In one last tearful farewell each girl had a moment to caress Belle’s fur and talk to her.  I went in to write my final check, and then took Belle from Pam so she could take the girls away.  I decided to stay outside until they were ready for our appointment.  I was sitting outside on a wooden bench with the warmth of her body laying against me in 30 degree weather and it was already dark.  It was rather poetic to have this final moment with Belle.  I started to have these flashes of past moments with her beginning with my earliest one at Pet’sMart in Irving, Texas the day we adopted her.  Here I am 15 1/2 years later holding her for the last time across my lap.  Belle had been a constant in our lives.  She had been there during our infertility, each daughter’s birth, moving, changing jobs, and all other parts of life.  How many times did my care and responsibility for her reciprocate with her constance place in our life, our family, and our story.  She brought me and my family warmth all these years. 

When they finally called me in, Pam arrived shortly after.  The Vet was extremely gentle with us and Belle.  He walked us through the process while petting our dog as if it were his own.  Pam and I were trembling in our tears while Belle became more and more relaxed.  Pam continued to talk to Belle until she took her final breath.  At 6:00pm, she was gone.  I hoping like I joked a few weeks earlier, she ran to the light.  Nothing would bless my heart more than to know we would see her again when enter heaven one day. 

If not, I sure am grateful that God allowed us do life this past 15 1/2 years with her a part of our story.  She brought us closer together as a family, and she taught us much about love, life, and even death.