少儿圣经故事:约书亚的故事(2)/Story of Joshua(2)

??With all the news of wars and other terrible things happening in the world, doesn’t it make you think about finding a place of safety？In our Bible lesson today, that’s just what a certain family was needing…A PLACE OF SAFETY!

??Last time we learned that the people of Israel had a new leader! Do you remember his name？And do you remember how many people were in the nation of Israel at that time？Yes, Joshua was preparing to lead about 2 million people across the Jordan River to their long-awaited homeland, the land of Canaan.

??But first, Joshua sent two spies across the Jordan. They were to go to the city of Jericho, and secretly investigate the land. Jericho was a beautiful city of palm trees and flowers, but it was also a very sinful city. People there worshipped idols 1, and even sometimes murdered their own children because they thought it would please the idols! How wicked! As the two spies from Israel quietly entered the city gate that evening, they made note of the huge double wall. They looked around for somewhere to spend the night close to the city gate. They were directed to a woman named Rahab, whose house was on the city wall. Rahab lived a sinful life as the other people in her city.

??The people of Jericho did not realize how very close they were to God’s judgment 2 upon their sin.

??However, on this particular evening no one in Jericho was thinking about judgment, but they WERE thinking about the two strange men who had come through their gates.

??Someone must have gone quickly to the king, for Joshua 2：3 and 4 says：And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, …there came men in here tonight of Israel to search out the country. And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring out the men that came into your house, for they have come to search out all the country. Can’t you just imagine it？??Rahab hurried down to the door, trying not to show she was out of breath. “Open up in the name of the king!” the soldiers might have shouted.

??The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly WHEN or HOW Rahab knew the king’s men were coming, but she knew in time to hide the two spies! Joshua 2：6 says, But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. So when Rahab came down to open the door, she was probably trying to appear calm as she answered the soldiers：There came men to me, but I didn’t know who they were. But when it was getting dark, just as they were about to shut the city gates for the night, the men left and I don’t know where they went. If you hurry after them through the gate I’m sure you’ll overtake them! The king’s soldiers believed Rahab and off they went into the night in search of the two spies.

??That night Rahab had a talk with the spies on that rooftop. And this time she wasn’t lying or being sinful. She spoke 3 straight from her heart：I know the LORD has given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land faint 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 how you completely destroyed the two kings of the Amorites on the other side of the Jordan. As soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted and there was no more courage in any man, because of you：for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

??Surely all the people in Jericho had heard of God’s great power and care for the nation of Israel, but Rahab not only heard, she had BELIEVED in the true and living God. That same God made YOU and shows His love and care for you daily.

??God knows everything about you, including your every sin. But He still loves you, and wants to forgive your sin. He said in His Word that He takes pleasure in forgiving our sin, not in punishing it. When we believe on His Son the Lord Jesus, we can be saved from sin’s punishment. Rahab believed God’s Word, so will God save her from His judgment upon the sin of Jericho？Rahab was about to ask that question herself!

??Rahab said to the two spies, Now, since I have shown you this kindness in hiding you from the king, will you promise me in the name of the LORD that you will also show kindness to me and my family？When you come to destroy this city, will you save me and my family and deliver us from death？The two spies promised Rahab that indeed they would save her and her family, if she promised not to tell anyone about their mission.

??Then Rahab let the two spies down by a strong red cord through her window on the outside of the city wall. Just as she was helping 4 them escape, she said to them, Go straight to the mountain, so the king’s soldiers won’t see you! Hide in the mountains for 3 days to give the soldiers time to get back to Jericho. Then go your way.

??The men said to Rahab：When we come back into the land, you must bind 5 this red cord in this same window. And you must bring your whole family inside your house. If any of your family leaves your house, we are not responsible for their safety. Rahab agreed, and then swiftly and quietly, the men slipped down the cord, dropped to the ground, and disappeared into the night.

??Rahab bound that scarlet 6 cord securely in the window. She understood and believed with all her heart that this red cord meant her house would be a PLACE OF SAFETY when God’s terrible judgment fell upon Jericho.

??God provided this special way for Rahab to be saved because He saw she believed His Word! God also has provided a way for YOU to be saved from the punishment of your sin. I John 4：14 says, The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour 7 of the world. When the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came down and suffered that terrible death on the cross, it was not because of His sin, for Jesus never sinned. He was taking the punishment for your sin and mine. Jesus understood that, and quietly took the awful shame of spitting and cursing, the terrible pain of being nailed to a cross…all because He knew it was to save YOU from sin’s punishment. The precious red blood that was shed from Jesus’ hands and feet and side were to provide a place of safety for YOU, even as the red cord did for Rahab. Three days after Jesus died, He came alive again and is now in Heaven. When you tell the Lord Jesus you are believing on Him, God saves you from your sin! And because Rahab believed God’s Word, He provided a way for her to be saved from sin’s punishment.

??Rahab was probably very busy from then on, getting all her family to move to her home, the only place of safety. If you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour from sin, are you concerned that your family and friends find that place of safety in Jesus too？Perhaps someone in your family, or in your circle of friends, needs to know how to be saved. Will you tell them？Why not this very week？Meanwhile, the two spies went back to Joshua with good news! Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands. All the people of the land are so afraid of us! Joshua was encouraged by this report and early the next morning, he began to carry out God’s plan.

??What do you think that plan was？What will happen to Jericho？But first, how is Joshua going to get 2 million people across that Jordan River？Don’t miss the next thrilling story, right from God’s Word!

??小朋友们, 在这个世界上我们常常会听到打仗的消息, 或者一些可怕的事情发生, 这些事常常让我们想到如果有一个绝对安全的地方该多好啊!我们今天圣经故事里正要讲到这样一个安全的地方。

??上一次的故事里我们知道以色列人有了一个新的领袖!你还记得他的名字吗？你还记得那时的以色列有多少人吗？是的, 他们的新领袖约书亚正准备带200万以色列人过约旦河, 进到他们长久以来盼望的家乡：迦南地。

??约书亚先派了两个探子过约旦河。他们去了耶利哥城, 在那里偷偷地探听情况。耶利哥是一个很美丽的地方, 有很多棕榈树, 和漂亮的花草。但是, 它也是一个罪恶的城市。那里的人拜偶像, 有时甚至把他们的孩子杀了来祭祀偶像, 他们认为这样作会使他们拜的偶像很高兴。这真是充满罪恶!那天晚上, 当两个探子悄悄地进了城, 他们注意到那巨大的城墙, 而且是双层的。他们想在城墙附近找一个地方过夜。他们来到一个名叫喇合的女子家里, 她的家就在城墙上。喇合与城里的其他人一样过着罪恶的生活。而耶利哥城里的人并不知道, 因着他们的罪和不相信神, 他们已经落在神的审判底下。事实上, 这世上的每一个人都因为罪而在神的审判底下, 包括你和我。你生来就是一个罪人, 你又因违反神的律法而犯了罪, 比如贪图别人的东西, 为逃脱责任而说谎, 或不听父母的话。罗马书第3章9节说：我们都在罪恶之下。而且我们都因为罪而落在神的审判之下。而耶利哥的人并没有意识到这个危险。

??在这个特别的晚上, 耶利哥城里没有人想到神的审判, 他们所想的是有两个陌生人来到他们的城里。有人马上去告诉了耶利哥王。约书亚记第2章2-3节说：有人去告诉耶利哥王说：“今夜有以色列人来到这里窥探此地。”耶利哥王打发人去见喇合说：“那来到你这里、进了你家的人要交出来, 因为他们来窥探全地。”你能想象得出来吗？门口有人敲门, 喇合得赶快跑去开门, 还要表现出她一点也不紧张的样子。”奉国王的名义, 把门开开!”也许他们在大叫。圣经没有告诉我们喇合怎样知道国王要派人来, 但她及时地把两个探子藏了起来。约书亚记第2章6节说：先是喇合领二人上了房顶, 将他们藏在那里所摆的麻撷中。当喇合下去开门的时候, 她故意显得很镇静地对国王派的人说：那人果然到我这里来, 他们是哪里来的我却不知道。天黑、要关城门的时候, 他们出去了, 往哪里去我却不知道。你们快快地去追赶, 就必追上。”那些人相信了喇合的话, 就追赶他们去了。

??那天晚上, 喇合到房顶上, 和两个探子说话。这次她没有说谎, 而是从心底里说：我知道耶和华已经把这地赐给你们, 并且因你们的缘故我们都惊慌了。这地的一切居民在你们面前心都消化了, 因为我们听见你们出埃及的时候, 耶和华怎样在你

??们前面使红海的水干了, 并且你们怎样待约但河东的两个亚摩利王西宏和噩, 将他们尽行毁灭。我们一听见这些事, 心就消化了。因你们的缘故, 并无一人有胆气。耶和华你们的神, 本是上天下地的神。

??当然, 耶利哥全城的人都听说了神的大能和他对以色列人的看顾, 而喇合不但听到了, 她还相信了这位又真又活的神。喇合相信神的话, 神会把她从神的审判底下拯救出来吗？这就是喇合将要问的问题。

??喇合对两个探子说：现在我既是恩待你们, 求你们指着耶和华向我起誓, 也要恩待我和我父家, 当你们来攻打耶利哥城的时候, 要救活我和我的家人, 拯救我们性命不死。”二人向对她保证：“你若不泄漏我们这件事, 我们一定救你一家。”于是, 喇合用朱红色的绳子把二人从窗户里缒下去, 因她的房子是在城墙边上。她对两个探子说：“你们要往山上去, 这样追赶的人就不会碰见你们。要在那里隐藏三天, 等追赶的人回来, 然后才可以走你们的路。”两个探子对喇合说：“我们来到这地的时候, 你要把这条朱红线绳系在缒我们下去的窗户上。并要使你的全家都聚集在你家中。凡出了你家门往街上去的, 我们就不能保证他的安全了。”喇合同意了, 然后两个人悄悄地顺着绳子下了城, 消失在夜色里。喇合把朱红线绳系在窗户上, 她深深地相信有了这根朱红线绳, 当神的审判降临到耶利哥城的时候, 她的房子是一个安全的地方。

??因为喇合相信神的话, 神用这个特别的方法拯救了她。神也为你准备了一条路使你可以逃脱神对罪的审判。约翰一书第4章14节说：“父差子作世人的救主。”神的儿子主耶稣来到世上, 经历了那么痛苦的死, 不是因为他有罪, 他从来没有犯过罪。他是为了我和你的罪而死的。耶稣他默默地忍受人的唾骂, 羞辱, 还有十字架上被钉的痛苦, 因为他要把你从罪的惩罚中拯救出来。从耶稣的手上脚上以及肋旁流出的那朱红色的血为你提供了一个安全的港湾, 就象是喇合的朱红线绳为她所作。耶稣死后三天, 他复活了, 现在他在天上。当你告诉主耶稣你相信他, 神就把你从罪中拯救出来。因为喇合相信神的话, 神把她从对罪的审判底下拯救出来。

??我想喇合一定很忙, 她要赶快把她的家人叫到她的家里来, 因为这是耶利哥城里唯一安全的地方。同时, 两个探子带着好消息回到约书亚那里：“神果然将那全地交在我们手中, 那地的一切居民在我们面前心都消化了。”约书亚听到这个消息, 很受鼓励, 第二天一早他就准备按照神的计划进行。

??你认为神有什么计划呢？耶利哥城会怎样呢？但首先, 约书亚怎样使200万以色列人过约旦河呢？不要错过下一次精彩的圣经故事。