By: Obed Pineda
There is a phenomenon that frequently transpires when a person is looking through the annals of history and is reading about the downfall of mighty civilizations upon the realization that it could have been prevented. Typically, the common reaction to this kind of information is one of shock and bewilderment. The question of “how” invades the individual’s thoughts, amazed by the truth that what could have been avoided by simply heeding the warning, was not. The mind is perplexed in astonishment by wondering why would a once prestigious society ignore the warning shot across the bow? The implication of this form of thinking would be inadvisable to disregard. During the Master’s tenure in this world, the Jews of His time had similar thoughts about their forefathers, to which Christ responded, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets” (Matthew 23:29-31). There is no denying that when the instinctual response is one of surprise at their negligence, the insinuation is that I would not have made that same mistake because I would have proceeded with caution (like the Lord pointed out to the scribes and Pharisees). It is undeniable that conclusions such as this are an arrogant assumption that overlooks the current condition of mankind today. Lamentably, man has not really changed in terms of being obedient to the Divine command by hearkening to His loving call to repent and turn away from wickedness (cf. Isaiah 1:16-20). It is curious how little society has changed from one generation to the next despite having the historical records as a cautionary tale. The Bible exhorts us to look to the past and consider it our “shot across the bow” since “all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1st Corinthians 10:11). It is dangerous to believe that what happened to them, cannot happen to me. Consider what the apostle Paul instructed the Church in Galatia: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). The inspired apostle reveals that a trait that verifies if one is spiritual or not is how that person reacts to the fall of a companion. The gentle spirit that the spiritual Christian must possess when helping a fallen comrade originates from a humble heart. When the attitude is one of looking down on the individual who has been snared by their lustful desires, said person is not being spiritual since they are ignoring that they, too, have been forgiven of past trespasses (cf. Matthew 18:21-35). The humble in spirit have a greater chance to turn the sinner away from his sins because they approach them with understanding. This compassion that flows forth from this loving demeanor also provides wisdom through the constant reminder that no one is invincible against temptation. Additionally, it keeps the toxic spirit of self-righteousness away because the spiritual man remembers to “first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5). There is great worth in taking in these types of lessons and applying them to oneself. One of the greatest benefits of doing so is that it leads an individual to salvation, away from God’s wrath. Rahab explained to Joshua’s spies that her decision in hiding them from the king of Jericho was because she was certain 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. 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” (Joshua 2:9-10). Remember that the events that Rahab alludes to had taken place several decades prior to Israel arriving Jericho in order to conquer it (cf. Deuteronomy 29:1-8). Regardless of those events taking place forty years in her past, the impact of what Jehovah God had done to the adversaries of Israel was fixed firmly in her mind’s eye. She had taken the lessons from these events and made sure to never forget them because she was positive that no matter how much time had gone by, the LORD would grant the land to the children of Israel. Rahab chose to heed the warning found in their archives and instead of fortifying her defenses to do battle against God, she meekly handed herself over to Him by obeying His instructions (given through Israel’s spies), thus securing salvation for herself and her family (cf. Joshua 2:14-21, 6:17, 22-25). Rahab’s sapience and humility granted her the boldness to deny herself by giving up her luxurious lifestyle she undoubtedly enjoyed in Jericho. Rahab understood that the Almighty’s will cannot be denied and that resisting Him is futile. She, too, trusted that He is a righteous and merciful God who would willingly grant her and her family deliverance from Jericho’s demise. Verily, the inspired James confirms that “Rahab the harlot [was] justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way” (James 2:25, addition OP). She believed the reports that came out of Egypt and did not shake her head in disbelief at Pharaoh for his obstinacy. On the contrary, Rahab took this message as a shot across the bow prompting her to take the proper steps necessary to guarantee salvation. She did not scoff at Pharaoh’s rejection of God’s commandment nor did she presume that she would have not repeated his dreadful mistake. Rahab wisely surmised that the kingdom of Jericho would soon find itself in a similar situation, where they would be given a choice to either submit or defy the God of Israel. Because Rahab believed what she had heard about the God of Israel, and did not dismiss it as an old wives’ tale, she was able to plan and prepare accordingly, thus obtaining God’s redemption. It is fascinating when we compare her reaction to the report, to Israel’s reaction during the prophet Isaiah’s time as he pondered, “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed” (Isaiah 53:1, cf. Romans 10:14-17). Today, it is wise for us to emulate the harlot’s example in heeding the Divine call to repent and turn away from our sins lest we, too, find ourselves eternally lost.