24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered abuse suffered for the Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger; for he persevered as though he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.
Hebrews 11:24-31
Enter our first heroine, Rahab the prostitute. Our writer of Hebrews summarizes the flight of the Hebrews from Egypt by sharing a list of choices made even as Cain and Abel did at the beginning of the chapter. Moses chose to stand with the Hebrew nation of his birth and not the Egyptian nation of his adoption. He fled as a murderer but God did not abandon him but sent him back. “Passover” is not an unknown ritual now but in Moses’ time the first Passover was an act of obedience to an unseen God in faith that their first-born sons would be spared by the angel of death. Pharaoh did not believe and his son died. The Israelites walked through the Red Sea and were saved. The Egyptian soldiers were drowned. Rahab the prostitute, who lived in Jericho, hid Joshua’s spies from her king. Rahab’s family was spared when “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho.” Jericho fell.
Rahab, like Moses, had a choice. She was watching history and the events taking place around her. She realized that an unseen deity was forging the way for the Israelites, who were standing on her country’s border. God was stronger. When the opportunity arose, she hid the spies and aligned herself with the Israelites. Moses reflected on his life after the murder of the Egyptian. Rahab reflected on her life and the choices she was making as she observed life around her.
God speaks in many ways. For some of us it is through Scripture or music. Others find insight through prayer or fellowship. Again we see that the choices we make about the opportunities to befriend a visitor, might be a decisive event. May we be looking for God to speak into our lives through the events of our lives today as we anticipate Thanksgiving tomorrow. Blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 