To Save Others – Part four

Rahab

The faith, courage and wisdom of Rahab saved her house. Hearing of the plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea 40 years earlier, Rahab had come to believe in the power of Israel’s God. Her faith had been confirmed in recent months by Israel’s conquest of powerful nations nearby to Jericho.

In perceiving the power of Israel’s God, she saw a glimmer of hope to escape the decadence of her life. By faith, she was willing to risk her life and in doing so saved not only herself but her whole family as well.

We may wonder how a woman of such deep perception and faith could have been a harlot. No doubt, living in the darkness of the Canaanite society, life was futile and hopeless. Furthermore, the religion in which she was raised encouraged immorality and violence. When a glimmer of hope was seen, however, she grasped it with all her might, saving herself and her family.

Hannah

Elkanah loved Hannah most of all and her first son, Samuel, would have been very dear to his father. Even so, Hannah was able to persuade Elkanah to lend this child to the Lord. Hannah’s focus was evidently on the wider good of the nation. “[God] will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail” were words of her praise.

These words indicate she lamented the dreadful spiritual leadership of the nation and hoped to work through her God-provided son to benefit her family and the wider circle of the people of God.

Abigail

A woman may not always be able to influence her husband but she may still be able to save her family. Abigail’s husband, Nabal, was such a surly fool that, try as she could, ordinary decency could not touch him.

We note Abigail’s influence in the household by how quickly the servants went to her when trouble was developing. Notice also how quickly she thought and acted and the way the servants followed her directions. This was not the first time Abigail had been the strong influence for good in that household.

In pleading with David, Abigail revealed her conviction in the promises of God. She kept the promise that David would be king sharply in view even though David’s fugitive condition did not point in that direction. But Abigail knew this promise was of God and therefore it would come to pass regardless of present appearances. Abigail’s faith directed her and by the wisdom of this faith she was able to preserve her house. In addition, she was able to keep David from sinning against the Lord.

Every Sister

All of us are accountable first to God then to each other. What we do in our lives does affect others either for good or for bad. In addition to the influence we can have on our own relatives, there is the extended ecclesial family.

A wise sister, for example, has a strong influence on the younger ones in the ecclesia who tend to follow her example. Such a sister, whether single or married, if she looks well to her ecclesial household, can have a refreshing effect on the younger sisters in the ecclesia and become a great encouragement to the older sisters and brothers. These older ones may have responsibility for managing the eccle­sia and are greatly heartened by the help and good example that is set.

May each of us remember the focus of the gracious woman described in Proverbs 31:26-30: “She opens her mouth with wisdom, the law of kindness is in her mouth…Strength and honor are her clothing…Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”