Unwanted
Here in the U.S., who do people consider not important? Worthless? (homeless, people in prison…)
What makes a person important?
Have you felt worthless? Do people look down on you because you are deaf?
Now, we are going to study a story about a person people though was worthless.
Story of Jericho- Basics
Children of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years after Egypt. Jericho was the first city they came to. Joshua sent spies to see what was happening in the city. Rahab hid them and they escaped down the city wall. Told Joshua the people of Jericho feared the Hebrews. The Hebrews marched around the walls of Jericho once a day for 6 days. On the seventh day the Hebrews marched around 7 times. When they finished the walls of Jericho fell and the Hebrews overcame the city.
Read Joshua 6:22-25
Who is Rahab? (look at Joshua 2, the prostitute that hid the spies and believed that the Hebrew God was the true God.)
What did she do? (saved the lives of the Hebrew spies)
Why did she do that? (feared the Hebrew God)
In Joshua 6 it says that God spared Rahab. Why did God save her?
Describe how people in the U.S. feel about prostitutes. Do we think they are important? Do we care what happens to them?
Many times God saves and uses people we think are useless, not important. People whose sins are bad or their past is not clean.
Name some of the people in the Bible that God uses for good. Paul (killed Christians before God changed his heart), David (youngest and the least important of his family, he also murdered and committed adultery), Mary Magdeline (prostitute, woman), Ruth (not Hebrew, widow)
All of these people God used to do many wonderful things. Paul (wrote most of the New Testament, preached in many different cities) King David (the greatest king over the Hebrews), Mary Magdeline (first one to see Jesus after He rose from the dead), Ruth (grandmother of King David).
Does this show God’s forgiveness? Are your sins or other people’s sins greater? Your past better?
God loves all of His children. Even people we think not important. He does not “give up” on His children.
Look at Rahab again- people thought she was worthless. Prostitute, woman, not married, full of sin.
Read Matt 1:5
She is one of Jesus’ ancestors. Her life important! God raised a woman from the lowest to one of the highest places!
Why? She believed and acted on that belief.
Find stories of
Paul- Acts 8:1, Acts 9 (he wrote Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galations, Ephesians, Phillippians, Colossions, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy)
King David- 1 Samuel 16- 2 Samuel 24
Mary Magdaline- Luke 8:2, Luke 24:1-12
Ruth- Book of Ruth in the Old Testament
Additional Questions-
1. How do you make someone feel important?
2. How do you make someone feel worthless?
3. We need to show God’s love- give an example of how He loves everyone.
4. What do you do when you see a homeless person?
5. How do you know that you are not worthless to God?
Definitions
Widow- person who’s husband/wife died
Ancestor- grandmother, grandfather, great grandmother, great grandfather,… going back many years