Rahab

When Joshua, along with the Israelites was going to take the city of Jericho they had some help from an unlikely source. Her name was Rahab, and she was a prostitute. Not exactly the first type of person who comes to mind when you think of those God would use to accomplish His mission. When you look at the story, Rahab was the right person to play a part in the defeat of Jericho.

Two men were sent out from the Israelites to spy out the land.

So they went and entered the house of a prostitute names Rahab and stayed there.  Joshua 2:1b

When you think about it, it makes sense that the men would go to a prostitute’s house as a safe place to hide out. Since Rahab was a prostitute it wouldn’t be an odd thing if men, whom she didn’t know, were going into her house. The king of Jericho quickly found out that spies were in his land, and he knew they had gone to Rahab’s house. Rather than give these spies up, Rahab chose to protect them. She hid them on the rooftop until the coast was clear for their escape. Rahab risked her own safety to protect these men because she knew that the land was to be theirs.

Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 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 Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.  Joshua 2:8-10

All the people of Jericho knew the reputation the Israelites had. The Israelites were conquering lands right and left, and they could be next. Rahab could have been faithful to her country, but she recognized the true God that was with the Israelites.

When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD you God is God in heaven above and on earth below.  Joshua 2:11

Rahab knew that the Israelites would be successful in conquering Jericho. She made the choice to turn from her ways and acknowledge their God, the true God.

Rahab took a risk in protecting the Israelite spies in order to protect not only herself, but also her family for the time when the Israelites would defeat the city. The spies agreed to this protection.

“Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land.” Joshua 2:14

They devised a plan to signify where she and her family would be so they could protect her. A scarlet cord was to be tied in the window that the men used to escape from. All of Rahab’s family was to be gathered in her home for protection. The acts of Rahab literally saved her whole family.

The day came when Joshua led the Israelites to Jericho to take over the city. It must have taken faith for Rahab to believe that she and her family would be saved because of an oath she had made with the spies.

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.  Hebrews 11:31

Because Rahab’s home was in the city wall, they would have seen the army marching around the city day after day. The faith that Rahab had must have been tested. When the walls of the city came down, her faith paid off for her and her family.

Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to ber. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. Joshua 6:22, 23

Rahab and her family were saved, but at the same time they lost everything they had and their homes. Everyone else in the city was killed. They would have been left with nothing, but their lives.

But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho – and she lives among the Israelites to this day.  Joshua 6:25

Rahab not only ended up living among the Israelites and serving their God, she married into the Israelites as well. Rahab married Salmon and became the mother of Boaz.

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose    mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.  Matthew 1:5, 6a

This is significant because it means Rahab is in the genealogy of Jesus. Rahab went from being a prostitute to being a significant person in Christian history. Rahab was remembered among the Jews for what she did. James says of her, “In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?” (James 2:25.) Now that is a transformation and redemption story.

For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.  Joshua 2:11b

One Pot of Yumminess - book review

I seem to have a slowly growing collection of cookbooks. One Pot, the newest book from The Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living, is one that I am happy to add to that collection. This is a cookbook that I don’t want to simply review and then pass on cause I will never use it, this one will (actually already has been) be used.

One Pot is composed of over 120 different recipes that are divided into categories by what they are cooked in. You have crock-pots, dutch ovens, skillets, baking pans, and more. Here in lies one drawback of the book, they don’t include any suggestions of how to switch up the cooking method for any of the recipes. Let’s say you want to take a crock pot meal and cook it in the oven instead because you don’t have a crock pot, there are no tips or instructions for how to do this. For people who have some experience cooking this may not be a problem, but for a beginner it could be a frustration. Now, there are lots of other helpful tips throughout the cookbook. Some are things like cooking tips, ways to simplify the process, and a guide on the type of cooking vessel at the beginning of each section.  

Most of the recipes in One Pot are pretty simple and easy to follow. Also, there is a picture of every recipe in the book. I love this! We eat with our eyes first you know. I like to be able to see what the end product is suppose to look like and I am more likely to try a recipe that I can see a picture of. The pictures are all beautifully done. I also have to mention that there is a wide variety of recipes that are included. Included are traditional American recipes and lots of International cuisine. Another note about the recipes is that they are designed to use just one pot, thus the name. Some may require a mixing bowl too, but who doesn’t love foods that require less dishes and less clean-up. I am a big fan of yummy recipes that don’t require using several dishes.

So far I have tried two of the recipes in the cookbook, the Skillet Chocolate-Chip Cookie

 (mine) 

 (their's)

 and the Chicken and Dumplings.

Both were fantastic! In fact, I may need to make the Chocolate-Chip Cookie again very soon. I plan to try out another recipe today, the Mexican-Style Lasagna.

I’m sure I will keep using One Pot for a long time to come.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Cookbook Giveaway!

Blogging for Books (which is who I receive free books to review from) and Read it Forward have partnered together to give away 5 copies of Sweet from the editors of Food Network Magazine. 

If you have every looked through a Food Network Magazine, you will know that it is full of delicious recipes. I'm sure this cookbook is no different. Not to mention it is fully devoted to sweet treats. Who doesn't love a little bit (or a lot) of sweetness in their life every now and then. To enter, follow the link here. Simple as that.  

Economics, Politics, and Religion, Oh My! Godonomics - book review

In Godonomics, Chad Hovind digs into what many would consider subjects that shouldn’t be combined: economics, politics, and religion. From a biblical perspective all of those things should go together. Hovind isn’t afraid to broach these topics. In this book he takes a look at several different economists and philosophers that have impact the economics of our country. Each section of the book is devoted to a look at a different person of economic influence. Hovind then reflects on the economic philosophy of each person, how they have had an impact on America’s economics, and what a biblical response to them would be. It isn’t until the last section of the Godonomics that he focuses solely on what God’s Word says about how to handle your own finances and what you can do to affect the American economy.

Godonomics is more of a look at economic philosophy than it is a guide to managing your finances according to the Bible. So, if you are looking for more of a Dave Ramsey esque book, this isn’t it. In fact, the only part of the book that is really a personal financial guide is the last section and the short discussion guide that has been included in the back. Throughout the books there are Biblical truths of finance that are brought up, mainly in opposition the philosophy of whoever is being discussed. Then there might be some more discussion of that Biblical truth for a bit, but that isn’t what the book is mainly comprised of. I thought that there would be more Scriptural references and more discussion of the biblical principles of finance. Godonomics includes those things, but not as much as it could have.  

If you are interested in economic, or want to take a look at America’s economics through a biblical perspective, then this would be a good read for that. Chad Hovind may be a pastor, but clearly he has done his research on this topic. That fact that this is something that is very important to him shows in the writing. Don’t let the fact that it is about economics and philosophy scare you away from reading it. I am generally not a reader of either of those subjects and I was able to follow along with the book just fine.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Front Door Paint Job

Summer has flown by and with it went all the time and plans that I had for summer projects. Finally, I managed to at least get the front door repainted. The door was in good shape, but I wasn't fond of the color. Just wanted something more fun and  wanted it to match the blue accent color I picked for the house. So, I went from this......  

to this......

 Now the door matches the flower pot tower. The paint color is from Walmart and it is called Deep Heliotrope. It looks like it is a bright royal blue when the sunlight is on it, but when it is in the shade it is more of a darker true blue. Sometimes it even looks a little purple. Much more fun than the dark green door. Along with the paint job for the door, I freshened up the house number and the porch light with a coat of spray-paint.

Really simple and quick project that just makes everything look a little more put together. Also, If you don't have money to change out what you have for what you want, this is a great way to make it work. Here are the simple steps that I took:

1. Remove whatever you can and lay it out on newspaper, cardboard, or something that you can spray paint on. I was able to take the house numbers off and the top part of the light fixture. 
2. Clean off the dirt and cobwebs. 
3. Tape off anything that you don't want painted. In my case, I taped off around the light fixture and then taped sheets of newspaper around it so that I wouldn't spray paint  the windows or siding. 
4. Give everything a coat or  two of spray paint. I used Krylon Fussion in a dark grey metal hammered finish. 
5. Let it dry completely and then put everything back together. 

This small project was pretty quick and I was able to do it while letting coats of paint dry on the door. Speaking of the door, here is how that was done. 

1. Clean the door. 
2. Fill any dents or cracks. I used an outdoor caulking to seal around the frame of the window because there were some cracks in it. 
   
3. Tape off everything that you don't want painted. The proper way to paint a door would be to remove it and all the hardware. I am too lazy for all that. So, I just taped off what I didn't want painted. 
4. You may want to lightly sand the door so that the paint adheres to it really well. (I didn't do this, we will see if that was a smart step to skip or not.)
5. Apply a layer of outdoor paint primer and let it dry completely.
6. Apply a coat or two of an outdoor paint. I used a flat finish paint cause that I what I had on hand, but a semi gloss finish is really nice and easier to clean. 
   
   When painting a door it is important to paint it correctly to avoid streaks or drips. Here is a graphic that I saw on Pinterest that was super helpful.
   

There you have it, a new fun blue door. So, simple that I even made dinner in between coats of paint. And there I am in the reflection of the storm door.  

Zelophehad's Daughters

Zelophehad was a man who had no sons, only daughters; five daughters to be exact, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. Zelophehad died and left no sons to inherit his land. For the Israelites receiving an inheritance was very important. The land and possessions of a person would be passed down from generation to generation in order for it to stay within the family and to be a part of the Israelites’ territory. In the way that things were done then, since Zelophehad had no sons to inherit his land that would mean that his daughters would be left with nothing. Zelophehad’s daughters set out to change this, but they did it all in the right way. They didn’t demand that they receive their father’s land. They showed respect for the law of the day, those in charge of upholding that law, and those that had the ability to change that law.

They approached the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, “Our father dies in the desert. …Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”   Numbers 27:1b, 2; 27:4

Zelophehad’s daughters sought to keep his name alive among the people. They knew that if they didn’t have property of their own then his lineage would cease.

Moses, being a righteous man of God, sought the LORD on what to do about their request. He heard from the LORD and responded to them with that direction.

And the LORD said to him, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and turn their father’s inheritance over to them….This is to be a legal requirement for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.  Numbers 27:6, 7, 11b

The story of Zelophehad’s daughters doesn’t end there. In the very last chapter of Numbers they are brought up again. This time some men bring to question the possibility of what would happen if the daughters marry outside of their tribe. If they did this then it would mean that their inheritance would be added to whatever tribe they would marry into. For the Israelites it was incredibly important that each tribe hold on to their tribal inheritance.

Moses again sought the LORD on what to do. Again he was given instruction to pass on to Zelophehad’s daughters.

“This is what the LORD commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within the tribal clan of their father.”  Numbers 36:6  

That is just what Zelophehad’s daughters did; they married within their father’s clan. They were obedient to what the LORD had told them to do.

Zelophehad’s daughters were bold to request a change in the way that an inheritance would be handled. And yet, they were humble in the way that they did it. They followed the proper steps to make their request, and then they followed the guidelines that were set out for them when the request was granted. They were faithful to follow the command of the LORD they He gave directly for them. 

Miriam

Miriam was the sister of Moses. (Side note: she may or may not have been the sister that watched over Moses when he was put into the Nile as a baby. The Bible doesn’t call that sister by name. Later when we see the genealogy of Amram, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam are the only children listed (Num. 26:59, 1 Chron. 4:17.) From this, it seems as though Miriam was that sister, but we don’t know for sure.) Moses, Aaron, and Miriam worked side by side to deliver and then lead the Israelites. In Micah 6:4 the three of them are all mentioned as the ones sent to lead God’s people.

Miriam was not just Moses’ sister though, she was a prophetess, and a worshiper of God as well. When we first see Miriam mentioned by name it is after the Israelites have crossed the Red Sea. They had just seen the Egyptian army wiped out and are rejoicing in the fact that God has delivered them. In celebration, they sing a song of praise to the Lord. Miriam did her part in leading the women in song and dance.

Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.”   Exodus 15:20, 21

This is the last we hear of Miriam until the book of Numbers. Miriam goes from being a worshiper of God, to opposing her brother Moses. It seems as though Miriam and Aaron were not too fond of Moses’ Cushite wife. Essentially they were jealous of Moses and began to talk about him in an unfavorable way. They were jealous because he was the main leader of the people. God also spoke directly (face to face) with him.

Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the LORD heard this.  Numbers 12:1, 2

Still today we see this same behavior. We talk against leaders, pastors, politicians, bosses, and others that God has placed in a position of authority. This does not please God. He placed those people in that position, and we are to treat them with respect. We may not completely agree with them on all matters, but we can disagree with respect. Miriam was put in a place of humility because of her actions, and yet we do the same thing without any fear of being brought to humility.  

God wasn’t happy with what Miriam and Aaron were doing and he called them out on it. God spoke directly to them to correct them. When He was done, he left, leaving Miriam to bear the consequences of her actions.

When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam – leprous, like snow.  Exodus 12:10a

Miriam was struck with leprosy. Leprosy was a disgraceful disease. If you had it, you would be quarantined from the rest of the camp because it was an infectious disease. Here Miriam was a leader and prophetess among the people and suddenly she would have to be shunned by them. Moses cried out to God on her behalf. God heard his cries, but first Miriam would have to go through a process of in order to be healed.

The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.  Numbers 12:14, 15  

God was faithful to heal Miriam, but it was a process. A process that would have taught her humility. She probably didn’t go around talking bad about people after that. Miriam was also an example to the people of what do if someone was infected with leprosy. She was remembered for this in Deuteronomy 24:9. This may not have been the legacy that Miriam had wanted to leave behind, but it is one that we can learn a thing or two about humility from.