Kathy Collard Miller
Hi, I’m Kathy Collard Miller greeting you from the desert near Palm Springs in Southern California. But don’t worry, it’s a dry heat! Today let’s talk about two women in the Bible: Rebekah and Rahab.
God loves women! Not only did He create us, He features women in the Bible. He uses women for His purposes and glory. God values us and yet is honest about revealing the biblical women’s sins and mistakes.
We all have been convinced we know best for ourselves or others, yet God hasn’t gotten the memo. In the case of Rebekah, she actually received the memo from God that He would pass along the inheritance to her favored son, Jacob—not the older brother as usual. But the plan seems to be going awry so she puts in her two cents worth to the point even Jacob is worried. What does Rebekah do? Assure her son to trust her plan to manipulate God—well, not exactly in those words but that’s her intent.
What a mistake. Instead of trusting God’s sovereignty, that He is in control and can fulfill His plans, she connives …. well, let’s just call it what it is…she schemes to fulfill God’s will—her way. She just couldn’t trust God to fulfill His plan. As a result, she pays the price of never seeing her beloved son again.
In total contrast, Rahab is a woman without any previous knowledge of Jehovah God and yet depends upon His sovereignty.
When the Jewish spies show up—at her brothel!—(most likely still dripping from crossing the Jordan River), Rahab expresses her faith in God’s sovereignty. After saying all the Jericho-ites know how God parted the Red Sea and are fearful, she exclaims, “And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath” (Joshua 2:11).
Wow, what faith and trust in God’s sovereignty. She says He reigns from above and is in charge. That’s sovereignty! She confesses that nothing will stop His plan. And in time, Jericho is destroyed but Rahab and her family are saved. And guess what? Some commentators wonder whether the Jewish man she marries, Salmon, was one of the spies. What better love story could there be? Maybe it was love at first sight in a brothel!
Rebekah and Rahab each had the challenge of trusting God’s sovereignty, and so do we. Here’s a definition of God’s sovereignty from pastor and author Charles Swindoll: “our all-wise, all-knowing God reigning in realms beyond our comprehension to bring about a plan beyond our ability to alter, hinder, or stop.”
Isn’t that incredible? God’s in control! He not only knows what He’s doing, He has the power to make His good plan happen.
Choices of the Heart: Daughters of the King Bible Study Series
I personally felt like my faith grew in huge leaps when I studied and believed the truth about God’s sovereignty. It’s become my favorite quality of God. If God knows the best plan, has the power to fulfill the best plan, and causes everything to work together for His good plan, then isn’t He worthy to be trusted? I love to think of sovereignty as God “orchestrating” like an orchestra leader directing the musicians. Or “choreographing” like dancers following the choreograph expert through a beautiful dance. In one way or another God has joined together (by the way, that’s our phrase for this part of the Scavenger Hunt) all aspects within the universe and each of our lives for our good and His glory.
Are you allowing Him to choreograph and orchestrate your life? He knows best. He’s sovereign.
