And the Sun Stood Still: New Beginnings
LEARNING MODULE
NOTE: This resource is for group leaders only. It’s not meant to be a handout.
Main Passage
Joshua 2:1-14 NIV
1
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said,
“especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed
there.
2
The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the
land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and
entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I
did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I
don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had
taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So
the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as
the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
8
Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that
the Lord has given you this land 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. 10 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. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted
in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above
and on the earth below.
12
“Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have
shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my
brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”
14
“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.”
Context
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After wandering in the wilderness, the nation of Israel is preparing to enter into the Promised
Land by crossing the Jordan River from the eastern desert into more suitable land.
Jericho functioned as a city-state, which meant that it exercised political and military influence
not only on the city itself, but in the surrounding areas. So, Jericho functioned as a gateway to
the Promised Land that Israel was promised.
In the ancient world, women who were unattached to a male head of household had very few
options to provide for herself and her family. Though it was considered a dishonorable
profession, many women chose prostitution as means for marginal financial security.
Honor was a concept in the Ancient Near East that functioned as social currency. Honor was
earned (and lost) through professional, social, and familial associations. Therefore, women like
Rahab were marginalized from society for fear that her dishonorable reputation would be
transferred on to those who associated with them.
Rahab is included in Jesus’ genealogy, which was used in Jewish culture to confirm an
honorable lineage. Her inclusion, and the inclusion of other women, reflect the radical
inclusiveness of God’s family.
The Big Idea
Your decisions today determine your future. Our bad choices don’t have to define our future.
Main Points
God created you to be more than you are
Most likely, Rahab did not grow up dreaming to become a prostitute. Yet, whether through
uncontrollable circumstances, like the death of a husband, or her through her own volition, Rahab finds
herself on the literal and figurative outskirts of society in Jericho. Seeing an opportunity to start over,
Rahab makes a bold decision to entrust her life to the Israelite spies. In doing so, she becomes a
symbol of faith, being included in the lineage of Jesus and in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11.
Others are counting on you
Rahab’s decision to trust the God of second chances not only affected her life, but saved the lives of
those she loved. All of our decisions affect those around us. When we make courageous decisions in
our lives, God’s power works in and through our lives to affect those around us.
Topics of Discussion
Ideas for Gather, Learn, and/or Respond
Mulligan
As an introduction to the topic, briefly share an instance where you did or said something that you wish
you could change or take back.
Dishonorable Vocation
Whether it is because of our past, or what others say about us, we can sometimes we find ourselves
settling for a life that is beneath who were made to be as deeply valued children of God.
Consider an area in your life, either past or present, where you were/are tempted to accept something
that is beneath our high calling to be children of God (i.e. your career, relationships, desires).
What prevents us from living boldly in faith?
Imitation Game
God calls us to live bold lives of faith that are worth imitating. Remember, God does not call us to be
prefect people, but looking for imperfect people who are willing to trust God to start over.
Who is someone in your life that is worth imitating? What characteristics inspire you?
What would it take for you to live a life of faith that is worth imitating?
Conversion
The invitation to “start over” is at the heart of the Christian message. Many times, this has been
simplified to a commitment to acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior for the first time. Our
“testimonies” can be centered on this single event. However, the invitation to “start over” is one that
must be accepted each and every day. In other words, while our first time commitment to follow Jesus
is important, so is our continued commitment to receive God’s grace each and every day.
Consider your approach to “conversion” — is it centered around a single decision or does it include the
daily commitment to follow Jesus?
What are the necessary ingredients to build a community that is focused as much on the second type of
conversion (every day conversion) as we do on first-time commitments?
Next Steps
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Express your faith through baptism. Contact: JoshKettles@DIVEintoFLOOD.com
Serve on one of our Sunday Impact Teams. Visit: DIVEintoFLOOD.com/Impact
Respond to God’s invitation by placing your trust in Christ.