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LESSON 7

CORNERSTONECONNECTIONS
AUGUST122023

Scripture Story: Joshua 2; 5:13-15; 6; 7.

Commentary: Patriarchs and Prophets (or Beginning of the End ),
chapter 45.

behind the walls

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Photo © Thinkstock 2023

keytext
“The
“Aftercity
she[Jericho]
had givenshall
himbea under
drink,
flashlight the
she ban,
longs
said,it‘I’ll
to too,
anddraw
all that
the Luntil
is inforit your
water
ord; only Rahab the
be-

camels they have fin-

“God will do great things for those who trust in Him. The reason why His professed people harlot and all who are with her in
ished drinking’”
have no greater strength is that they trust so much to their own wisdom, and do not give the house shall live, because she
the Lord an opportunity to reveal His power in their behalf. He will help His believing children (Genesis
hid the 24:19, NIV). whom we
messengers
sent.”
in every emergency if they will place their entire confidence in Him and faithfully obey Him”

(Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 493). (Joshua 6:17, NASB)

 what
this land and
that a great fear of you
has fallen on us, so that all
who live in this country are melting

do you think? in fear because of you. We have heard

how the Lord dried up the water of the
Are there some people today who, because of their professions Red Sea for you when you came out of
or previous actions, are thought unworthy of being lights for God? Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and
_____________________________________________ Og, the two kings of the Amorites east
___________________________________________ of the Jordan, whom you completely
destroyed. When we heard of it, our

INTO
_________________________________________
________________________________________ hearts melted in fear and everyone’s
______________________________________ courage failed because of you, for the

The Bible includes many stories of people with bad THE Lord your God is God in heaven above
and on the earth below.
reputations, sinful pasts, and unfavorable circum-
stances who have come to know God and their
lives had been changed by His saving power.
STORY “ ‘Now then, please swear to me by the
Lord that you will show kindness to my
As a result, they became channels of God’s family, because I have shown kindness
love to others, showing that our heavenly “Then Joshua son of Nun to you. Give me a sure sign that you will
secretly sent two spies from spare the lives of my father and mother,
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Father restores broken people who accept

His marvelous gift of grace! Shittim.” my brothers and sisters, and all who
belong to them—and that you will save
“So the king of Jericho sent this us from death.’
message to Rahab: ‘Bring out the
men who came to you and entered “ ‘Our lives for your lives!’ the men
your house, because they have assured her. ‘If you don’t tell what we
come to spy out the whole land.’ . . . are doing, we will treat you kindly and

did you faithfully when the Lord gives us the

know?
“She said, ‘Yes, the men came to land.’
me, but I did not know where they
had come from. At dusk, when it “So she let them down by a rope
he inhabitants of Canaan was time to close the city gate, through the window, for the house she
30 they left. I don’t know which way lived in was part of the city wall.”
had been granted ample
opportunity for repentance. they went. Go after them quickly.
Forty years before, the opening You may catch up with them.’ “Now the men had said to her, ‘This
of the Red Sea and the judg- (But she had taken them up to oath you made us swear will not be
ments upon Egypt had testified the roof and hidden them binding on us unless, when we enter
to the supreme power of the God of Israel. And under the stalks of flax she the land, you have tied this scarlet
now the overthrow of the kings of Midian, of had laid out on the roof.)” cord in the window through which
Gilead and Bashan, had further you let us down, and unless you have
shown that Jehovah was above “Before the spies lay brought your father and mother, your
all gods. . . . All these events down for the night, she brothers and all your family into your
were known to the inhabitants of went up on the roof house.’ ”
Jericho, and there were many who and said to them, ‘I
shared Rahab’s conviction, though know that the “ ‘Agreed,’ she replied. ‘Let it be as
they refused to obey it, that Jeho- Lord has you say.’ ”
vah, the God of Israel, ‘is God in given you
(Joshua 2:1, 3-6, 8-15, 17, 18, 21, NIV)
heaven above, and upon the earth
beneath.’ ”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs
and Prophets, p. 492.
OUT punch lines
OF THE “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient,
after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31, NASB).

STORY “In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when
she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”
(James 2:25, NASB).
How would you describe Rahab: wise or foolish?
smart or stupid? loyal or a traitor? Explain your answers. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have
eternal life” (John 3:16, NASB).

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have

peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have obtained our introduc-
What would you have done if you had been Rahab? What would you
tion by faith into this grace in which we stand; and
have done if you were the spies?
we exult in hope of the glory of God” (Romans
5:1, 2, NASB).

“Nevertheless knowing that a man is not

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justified by the works of the Law but through
faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed
List the “out of the ordinary” events that occurred in this story: in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified
by faith in Christ and not by the works of the
Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh
will be justified” (Galatians 2:16, NASB).

How did God honor Rahab for what she did that day? (See Matthew 1:5.)

further
Why was she honored? (See Hebrews 11:31.)
insight 31

“It was to redeem us that

Of what event in Israel’s history does the scarlet cord remind you? Jesus lived and suffered and
(See Exodus 12:12, 13.)
died. . . .

“. . . There must be a power working

How are we saved from our “doomed neighborhood”? from within, a new life from above,
(See Romans 5:1, 2.) before men can be changed from sin
to holiness. That power is Christ.”—Ellen G.
White, Steps to Christ, pp. 13, 18.
 connectingtolife
Sabbath are described the trials and victories that the
Read Joshua 2:9-13 and Daniel 9. gone through times when they trusted more Israelites had because of their faith. When

R ahab’s plea about honoring God and then

pleading for her salvation is similar to the
prayer of Daniel, when he is pleading for the
in themselves than in God. In fact, their lack
of faith in God and their trust in themselves
set them back a whole forty years, which
they didn’t follow God, and instead followed
their own plans, they failed miserably, and
lives were lost. But when they trusted in God
lives of his people. In fact, this was the way they spent wandering around in a dry desert! and had faith in His power as Rahab did, they
all the Israelites prayed when in need of help. Some land of milk and honey! The fertile land were victorious! Faith is so crucial in life. You
Notice how Daniel starts the prayer: by hon- of Canaan could have been theirs, except for can’t survive without it!
oring God. List the similarities and differences their inability to have faith in God.
between Daniel and Rahab’s plea. Can you think of circumstances in your life
What warning can you heed for your life from in which you followed your own plan and
Similarities: today’s reading? failed? or when you trusted in God and were
victorious?

Tuesday
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Friday
Differences: I n Monday’s lesson Israel’s lack of trust
was mentioned. It’s interesting to note that Read Ephesians 2:8, 9; Romans 5.
Rahab was saved by her faith in God; quite the
opposite from Caleb and Joshua’s generation,
who wandered around in the wilderness until
T his week we have been talking a lot about
trust, faith, and our salvation by grace
through faith. It is God’s grace, and the faith
they all died. Read the Punch Lines for this in that grace, that saves us. In today’s reading
week and notice the ones dealing with faith. we see how God saves even the most sinful of
Which one speaks to you the most? sinners if they just believe in Him. Like Rahab,
Sunday we have the evidence of what God can do if
Read Esther 2­­–8. we trust Him, and like her, we ought to give

32
E sther was another woman who had faith
in God. She had no idea what would
happen when she went to the king when he Wednesday
Him a chance.

had not called her. But she trusted God to take Read Joshua chapters 2 and 6.
care of it all! Because of her faith, thousands
of people were spared, and in Israel today,
they still celebrate “Purim,” a day that was
T his week’s lesson is indeed a fascinating
one; a bit puzzling too. Make a list of all
the things that are out of the ordinary you
turned from sorrowful to joyful; all because can find in Joshua chapters 2 and 6. Look
Esther and her people had faith. up “Rahab” in Ellen White’s writings and see
what else you come up with!
Is there a situation in your life that you need to
go forward in and trust God to take care of it? this week’s reading*
Patriarchs and Prophets (or Be-
ginning of the End ), chapter 45.

Monday *Beginning of the End is a special adaptation of

Patriarchs and Prophets, created for you by the Ellen
Read Numbers 14. Thursday G. White Estate and Pacific Press®. Get more infor-

I n the Flashlight section of this week’s

lesson, Ellen White brings an issue to our
attention. The Israelite nation as a whole had
Read Galatians 2:16.

R ead Patriarchs and Prophets, chapter

45, “The Fall of Jericho.” In this chapter
mation about it at www.cornerstoneconnections.net
/article/191/about-us/conflict-of-the-ages-compan
ion-books#.URlhF1rBO9s. By following the weekly
reading plan, you will read at least one book of the
Conflict of the Ages Series each year.