Pagină:Drama-of-vindication-part-II-1939.djvu/3

ghe WATCH TOW AND HERALD OF CHRIST’S KINGDOM Vou. LX Fepruary 15, 1939 No. 4 DRAMA OF VINDICATION PART 2 “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”—Mait. 10: 32. EHOVAH not only maneuvered the two spies but J also directed Rahab and maneuvered the guards of Jericho, that the picture might be made accord- ing to his will. We now see this is true, because the prophetic drama was being performed according to the will of Jehovah to show forth what is taking place at the present time. Jehovah made the ruse of Rahab to work, and the guards were turned away from her house and went in search of the spies. (Josh. 2:7) Another very important part of the drama enacted at this point shows the course that the Jonadabs must take. The two spies were on the roof of Rahah’s house, and it appeared that they had been concealed there probably before the police officers came to make the search. Rahab had shown faith in God by protecting the men and by sending the guards away, but there was something more she must do to protect herself according to the will of God. She must make a confession with her mouth that she did have faith in God and that she had con- cealed the men for that reason. “And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof.”—Josh. 2:8.

• Rahab did not return to the roof to entice the

men, but went there because God directed her to do so, even though she did not know that fact. She went there to confess to the men her faith in God: “And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dricd up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you; for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” (Josh. 2:9-11) While she did show some faith in what she had done up to that time, she must openly confess with her mouth to witnesses 51 that she had such faith in God. This part of the prophetic drama shows that everyone who receives the blessings of the Lord God, and who then takes a wise course, makes confession of his faith in God: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteous- ness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever be- lieveth on him shall not be ashamed.”~Rom. 10: 10, 11.

• Jehovah has made known his unchangeable rule,

which applies to all who receive life, and which rule is, ‘Unto me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess.’ (Isa. 45:23; Rom. 14:11) Rahab here played the part representing the “great multitude”, every member of which must confess faith in God and in Christ Jesus and therefore must take their stand publicly before men and bear testimony, all trusting in God and in Christ Jesus. It is so com- manded by Jehovah: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” — Phil. 2:10, 11. ‘It is not sufficient that one have the mental con- clusion that Jehovah is the true God and that Christ Jesus is the Savior of men, and earth’s rightful King. Man must go farther than that. He must openly acknowledge that he is trusting in God and in Christ Jesus. Confession means the acknowledgment of Je- hovah as supreme and that the one confessing has made a covenant or agreement to do his will. No one will be a member of the “great multitude” un- less doing so, and then he is to render himself in full obedience to the will of God. Life from the gra- cious hand of Jehovah is given to those who show by their works and by their activity in the course they take that they are trusting in God and in Christ. One who thus shows faith exhibited by Rahab is not ashamed to acknowledge God and Christ and is not backward in taking an active part in doing the wit- ness work according to the will of God. Rahab showed that she had faith that Jehovah would gain the vic-