Achan’s Sin (Joshua 7:1-26)

“For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13)

The story of Achan reminds us that sin is serious. It is deadly. His sin caused the whole of Israel to fail. That may not seem fair, but it reminds us that we have a collective responsibility to take sin seriously and to encourage and even discipline one another, so that sin is rooted out.

As recorded at St. Luke’s
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Achan’s Sin (Joshua 7)

What is worse, success or failure?

What is worse, success or failure?

If you think back to the World Cup, if you watched it you may remember feeling ecstatic when England won, particularly when they played well, but maybe devastated when they lost to Argentina. The immediate effects of success are joy and elation, whilst failure can leave us feeling depressed and miserable.

And success matters. This week, we were delighted that our daughter was successful in her application for a three month internship. Success means she has a job, income and experience to build a career on. Failure, would have left her unemployed and still looking for work.

On the whole success is a good thing and failure is bad. And yet, that is not the whole story. There are dangers that come with success. It can lead to over-confidence and entitlement, whilst failure can teach you valuable lessons. After all, the old adage, “You learn from your mistakes.” Is a very true saying.

The story of Joshua so far has been one of success. Miraculously, God stopped the river Jordan, so that the Israelites could cross over into the Promised Land. The first major obstacle to the Promised Land had been overcome. Then last week, we heard about their success in defeating Jericho, again with the help of a miracle of God, bringing the walls down, so that Israel could charge in unopposed.

The campaign so far had been one of amazing successes. But, success can lead to entitlement and over-confidence. Still revelling over the success with Jericho, Joshua’s spies look over the next target, a small outpost called, Ai. This they say, should be easy. It won’t need all the troops to capture it, only a few will do. So, Joshua sends a small contingent to attack Ai, but it is a total failure. The Israelites are routed and 36 of them lose their lives. Israel are suddenly faced with their first failure. What has gone wrong? How are they going to deal with failure?

How not to Respond to Failure: Joshua’s Despair

Joshua’s response is despair. But at least it is despair directed towards God.

He and the other leaders of Israel, turn to a state of mourning and throw themselves on the ground before God.

Turning to God is good. Perhaps the failure, grew out of their over-confidence. After all, God had helped them cross the Jordan and defeat Jericho, but their attack on Ai had been without reference to God.

What Joshua, says, however, is not good. Look at verse 7:

“Ah, Sovereign LORD, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!” (Joshua 7:7)

In many ways, he is catastrophising, turning a mole hill into a mountain. After all, they had crossed the Jordan and defeated Jericho, now one small force has been defeated and only 36 men lost in the battle, to lose one small battle is not to lose the war, but Joshua speaks as though the war is completely lost. It is easy to lose perspective after failure.

Worse than that, he speaks in a way that echoes the grumbling of the Israelites in the wilderness. A grumbling that looks back to the past as a better place, and fails to trust God for the future. These words of Joshua are focussed very much on himself and the Israelites, they are full of self-pity, they imagine the worst for the future, they show a complete lack of faith in God. These are exactly the same attitudes that caused the previous generation of Israelites to wander in the wilderness for forty years. This is not the way to respond to failure. This is the kind of attitude that turns one failure into a life of failure!

How to Respond to Failure: God’s Diagnosis

Despite Joshua’s defeatist talk, God is gracious and shows Joshua how he should be responding to failure. He needs to see what has gone wrong and deal with the problem.

God says, to Joshua in verse 10:

“Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?” (Joshua 7:10)

He then proceeds to tell them why the failure has occurred and what they need to do about it. The problem was sin. The solution was to discipline those who had sinned. We’ll look into the details of that in a moment.

At a purely common sense level it is better to deal with failure, not with despair and imagining the worst possible outcomes, but to consider what has caused the failure and to take steps to fix the problem

For us as God’s people, though, we need to ask have we failed because of sin. Has God stopped supporting us, because either we are sinning in some way or someone in the team that failed has sinned in some way or there is something wrong with the mindset or culture of the team. This is not always the reason for failure. God may allow us to fail, because he wants us to show perseverance and build up our faith. But it is a question that needs to be asked, and sometimes it will give us the explanation for the failure and show us what needs to be changed.

So, let’s think about the sin that caused the failure for Israel at Ai on this occasion.

Israel’s Sin: Achan’s Greed

We are told at the start of the chapter, what Joshua does not know. Achan had taken some of the devoted things during the battle of Jericho.

The instructions for the conquest of Jericho had been clear, everything was to be devoted to God. That meant it was either to be burned or if it was gold or silver to be taken into God’s treasury. This was unique to Jericho, because it was the first conquest in the Promised Land. But, it was a necessary way, of Israel accepting that the land and everything in it belonged to God and that it was through God’s actions, that they won the battle. Once they had demonstrated that by devoting all the plunder to God on their first victory, then God would allow them to take the plunder for themselves in future battles.

But Achan had not obeyed this command. He had taken some of what was devoted to God and hidden it in the ground under his tent. Why had he done this?

When Achan is called out for being the person responsible for the sin, he says in verse 21:

“When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” (Joshua 7:21)

First, notice that Achan does not describe them as ‘devoted things’, but as plunder. He does not acknowledge that they rightfully belong to God, but he thinks that they belong to him as a prize of war, as reward for being part of the successful destruction of Jericho. This is one of the dangers of success, it can lead to a sense of entitlement, that I deserve some kind of reward because of what I have achieved. Achan did not acknowledge God’s crucial role in securing their victory, it was all about him. When we have success in life, let us not forget to acknowledge God and to recognise that everything we have comes from him. Our response to success needs to be gratitude to God, not glory for ourselves.

Second, he says he coveted, took and hid them. Clearly, this is breaking three of the Ten Commandments, the command not to lie, the command not to steal and the command not to covet. But, before we sit back smugly in judgement on Achan, let me ask you a question: “If someone offered you money to give up following Jesus, how much would it take to persuade you?”

What Achan took was worth a lot of money. At today’s value, the gold and silver he took is worth over £7,000. That does not include, what was obviously a luxury cloak imported from Shinar, which was hundreds of miles from Jericho. Achan had taken this haul, because it was a valuable acquisition. He was motivated by greed not obedience to God.

To seek your own glory rather than giving gratitude to God, is a form of idolatry. Greed, which puts possessions as more important than God is also a form of idolatry. Paul says in Colossians 3:5:

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)

Achan’s crime was not a misdemeanour, it was a rebellion against God himself. It was a form of idolatry and idolatry is what the people of Jericho were being judged for. So, it is no surprise that Achan and all who belonged to him, were treated as though they were one of the people of Jericho. They were killed by the Israelites, burned and turned into a heap of rubble.

Achan, despite being an Israelite, failed to fear and trust in the God of Israel. He swapped places with Rahab, who despite being a Canaanite had feared and trusted in the God of Israel. Rahab and her family were rescued from the judgement of Jericho, Achan and his family were treated as though they were under the judgement of Jericho.

Israel dealt with Sin and found Success

This whole story underlines the importance of obedience and commitment to God. As Christians we rightly remember that God is a God of grace and forgiveness, and Rahab demonstrates that.

But, the story of Achan reminds us that sin is serious. It is deadly. His sin caused the whole of Israel to fail. That may not seem fair, but it reminds us that we have a collective responsibility to take sin seriously and to encourage and even discipline one another, so that sin is rooted out.

And of course, although the cross of Jesus, is a great symbol of God’s grace and love, a sign that like Rahab anyone can find salvation through trust in Christ. The cross is also a symbol of the seriousness of sin. If Jesus had to die for our sin, then we are reminded that sin is disastrous and deadly. We need to be serious about cutting it out of our lives.

Israel under Joshua took steps to deal with the sin in their midst. The result was that God’s presence and support were restored and so in the next chapter, they were successful in their second attempt to conquer Ai. Their failure had taught them a valuable lesson.

If as a church we want to be successful, we need to take sin seriously, and acknowledge that it might be the reason behind our failures. In particular, we must avoid any sense of entitlement that forgets God’s role in our success or greed that looks to salvation in possessions rather than God. We need to keep our relationship with God as the most important and valuable thing in our lives. As Jesus says,

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36)

Joshua’s First Battle (Joshua 5:13-6:27)

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.” (Hebrews 11:30)

Joshua defeated Jericho when he was obedient to the strange commands given him by the LORD.

We need to learn obedience to him and trust in him, too, even when to do so seems to go against the logic of a purely earthly based perspective. Joshua and Israel did that and they were victorious. We need to do the same.

Will we look for God at work in our lives and the lives of those around us? Will we prioritise obeying God, even when it feels odd to do so? Will we live as those on the LORD’s side?

As recorded at St. Luke’s
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Israel’s Victory (Joshua 5:13-6:27)

Fear can be good

 A right fear is good.

This week, in the news we have heard of two things that we should have a natural fear for: the sea and fire.

Both are good things. I love living by the sea and swimming in the sea. Similarly, a bonfire in the autumn can be great fun to gather around. But, both need to be treated with a certain amount of fear.

If you do not have a right fear of the sea, you can find yourself washed away by rip tides or caught up in rough waves. Sadly, people drown as a result. Similarly, fire when it is out of control is lethal, so it is no wonder that with wild fires raging around Europe we see people being evacuated in Spain, France and even Scotland. Having a right fear can save your life.

The Uniqueness of Jericho

Today, we are looking at the story of Jericho. I want to show, that it is all about teaching us a right fear of God.

The story is one of the most famous and memorable stories in the Bible, but it is also one of the more difficult ones to look at because God commands the complete slaughter of all the citizens and animals of Jericho.

So, how are we to approach this story? If we believe the whole of Scripture is God’s word, how do we marry Jesus’ command to love our enemies, with the command to Joshua to slaughter all the inhabitants of Jericho?

The most important thing to notice, is the uniqueness and exceptional nature of the story of Jericho. This was an important moment in Israel’s entry to the Promised Land. It was the first battle they were fighting. If they failed at this first attempt, then the nation might well have been destroyed. This was the equivalent of D-Day in World War II, if the Allied Forces had failed to form a bridgehead in the first few days, then the prospects of freeing Europe from Nazi rule would have faced a massive setback. 

But, even given this context, the story has many unique features.

  • Divine General

Firstly, there is the Divine general. Joshua was the expected leader of the people, but as he walks around near Jericho he is confronted by ‘the commander of the army of the LORD.’ It is this commander that gives the instructions as to how to fight the battle of Jericho. He is the one that acts as the general not Joshua. This in itself, is unique in the story of the whole Bible.

  • A Religious Carnival

Secondly, there is the way the battle is to be fought. The instructions sound more like the instructions for a carnival than a battle. Marching around Jericho once a day for six days, trumpets blazing and carrying the ark with them. Then doing this seven times on the last day, before raising a final shout so that all the walls fall down. This is a bizarre battle plan in the extreme and not one that is duplicated in any of the other many battles recorded in the Bible. This is a unique tactic.

These two points show us that this whole battle was not just sanctioned by God, but directed by him in a unique way. God was clearly judging the people of Jericho.

  • Extreme Violence

Then, thirdly, the extreme violence is itself unique to this battle.

In Deuteronomy 20, Moses had given instructions on war and in particular on laying siege to a city. Moses commands the Israelites to always offer peace to the people of the city before attacking it and even when they refuse peace, only the fighting men of the city are to be killed, the women, children and livestock are to be spared.

The chapter, however, does make an exception for the inhabitants of the land that God was giving Israel. Here it says to completely destroy them, so that Israel do not become lured into following their evil practices, which included child sacrifice. Indeed, the rest of the Old Testament is clear, that the people of the land are only being driven out because of God’s judgement on them for their evil practices, and in Genesis God makes it clear to Abraham that his descendants would have to wait until this evil reached its full measure.

So, the violence in the invasion of the Promised land was exceptional and formed part of God’s judgement on exceptionally evil cultures at a specific time in a specific place. The same approach cannot be taken today and certainly is no justification for what Israel has done in Gaza in recent years. If a modern parallel is to be drawn, perhaps it is to the events of World War II, where the allies fought until the Nazi power in Germany was utterly destroyed and millions of Germans were killed in the process.

But Jericho was exceptional, even compared with the invasion of the Promised Land as a whole. Israel did not destroy all the peoples in the land during the invasion, they did not take the same approach to killing everything in the other cities of the land. But perhaps, by being so brutal in this first battle, the aim was to warn the other cities in the land not to resist the Israelites. It acted as a warning against resistance. Even today, we as a country  invest Billions of pounds in weapons that have the capacity to kill far more people than were killed in Jericho, not because we want to kill people, but because we want to create a right fear of our military might, so that no-one attacks us.

In short, the battle of Jericho, was extremely violent, but it was a unique situation and not one the Bible encourages us to mimic. Neither does it glorify in the violence.

But it does remind us that God is a God of justice, who will not allow evil cultures to flourish and continue forever. Jesus, does not command Christians to engage in military campaigns or to commit acts of violence. Our battles are fought through proclamation of God’s word, prayer and demonstrations of love. Nonetheless Jesus, does emphasise that one day God’s judgement will come on all evil. In the light of that he encourages a right fear of God:

“But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:5)

So, the story of Jericho, teaches us to rightly fear God, but it also gives us two examples of people fearing God in the right way.

Joshua’s fear => Doing things God’s Way

The first person is Joshua, as he hangs around near Jericho, he sees a man with a drawn sword. His initial reaction is to ask whose side he is on, but then the man reveals himself as the Commander of the Army of God. Joshua’s response is to fall face down in front of him, itself an acknowledgement of respect and right fear before God himself.

Then the angel gives the commands as to how the battle is to be played out. Although, the commands seem completely ridiculous as a battle plan, Joshua does exactly what he is told by God. More than that the rest of the Israelites do what Joshua commands them, even though the whole thing must have seemed ridiculous. Because Joshua had a right fear of God, he was willing to obey God, even when he couldn’t see how what God was commanding would work out. A right fear of God, leads to a right obedience of God.

  • This is a reminder to us, that the Christian life is meant to be one of obedience to God. The Bible often explains why God commands what he does. We should work to understand the Bible’s teaching and the rationale behind its commands. Yet, there will be occasions when we do not fully understand why God is commanding us to do what he does. The rules may seem strange or odd. Nonetheless, when they are clearly from God, then we should have a right fear of God and so we should obey them anyway, trusting that God knows best.

Rahab’s fear => Joining not Fighting God

The second person is Rahab. For a story about Israel’s destruction of Jericho, it is important to notice how much space is given to the rescue of Rahab from the destruction.

We already saw two weeks ago that Rahab had chosen to liaise with God and his people, because of fear of him. She expresses this fear clearly:

 “I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.” (Joshua 2:9)

But rather than being paralysed with fear, Rahab reaches out in hope of mercy from God. She helps the Israelite spies and in return receives a promise that she and her family will be spared from the fate of the rest of Jericho. They are given the promise and told to tie a red chord in the window and make sure everyone is in Rahab’s house.

Now imagine if you were one of Rahab’s family in the week that the Israelites are going around the walls of Jericho. Rahab has told you that if you want to be safe, you need to come to her house. But, you do not know when the Israelites would invade. You may also think it a bit of a risk to hide with Rahab. What if the king of Jericho finds out that she is siding with the enemy, wouldn’t you then be in trouble for being in her house? Who are you ultimately more afraid of, the Israelites outside the walls or the king and his mob inside the walls? And if you go to be with Rahab, can you really be sure that God’s people will keep their promise and spare you?

As the Israelites walk around the walls, blowing their trumpets day by day, you have to make a decision before it is too late. Will you have a right fear of God and trust in his promise of mercy?

 We know the end of the story. Rahab and all those with her were saved. Perhaps the reason for marching around the walls, seven times was to give more people a chance to join with Rahab.

All of this is an illustration that even for those people under God’s judgement for the worst of evil, God provides the opportunity to join his side and find salvation.

I mentioned that Jesus warns that there will be an ultimate judgement. But God delays the judgement to give time for us to turn away from the evil of our world and join his people.

 It says in 2 Peter:

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

(2 Peter 3:9)

 In many ways that picture of the Canaanites in Jericho is a picture of our world. Rahab’s house is the church, the gathering of people waiting for salvation from the coming judgement. Our choice is whether to join God’s people or stay with those who choose to fight against him. When we have a right fear of God, then the choice is obvious.

Conclusion:

Jericho is a unique moment in Israel’s history. We are not called to mimic the violence of the Israelites, but we are called to mimic the right fear of God. A fear illustrated by Joshua in his obedience of God, even when the commands were strange and a fear illustrated by Rahab, who chose to join with God and his people to find salvation from God’s judgement. Do we live with a right fear of God?

This Summer 2026

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.”

(Hebrews 11:30)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening Reflection: Joshua’s First Battle
  • Key notices: Update on grant applications for St. George’s, Baptism in the sea, Diocesan Safeguarding Survey
  • Over the Summer: Sailors’ Church Services, Dare to Pray
  • Beyond the Summer: Four Visions of Hope, 150th Anniversary of St. Luke’s
  • Interesting Blogs: Speaking in tongues, Slowing down in a distracted culture, Sharing Stories
  • Summer Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, Safeguarding

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

Have you ever heard of a more ridiculous set of battle tactics than those recorded in Joshua 6 for the Battle of Jericho? Spend six days marching around the city once each day blowing some trumpets and carrying a golden chest, then on the seventh day do the same things seven times, then shout. It sounds more like a plan for a carnival than a battle.

To be fair to Joshua, the plan was not his idea. Shortly before the battle he came across a man standing with a drawn sword. Immediately alert he asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” It is an important question in war. The answer, however, immediately challenges Joshua’s assumptions. He says, “Neither, but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”

Joshua is reminded that God is not their magic talisman to help them win the battle. The question is not whether God is on Israel’s side, but whether Israel is on God’s side. This leads to a deeper question. Will Israel rely on superior military tactics or on God for their victory?

The commander of the LORD goes on to reassure Joshua that he will defeat Jericho then commands him to carry out the battle in the strange way I described above. The point, I think is to show that we need to look beyond the merely material world to the God who is beyond. We need to learn obedience to him and trust in him, even when to do so seems to go against the logic of a purely earthly based perspective. Joshua and Israel did that and they were victorious. We need to do the same.

Will we look for God at work in our lives and the lives of those around us? Will we prioritise obeying God, even when it feels odd to do so? Will we live as those on the LORD’s side?

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Update on Grant Applications for St. George’s Building

We are delighted to report, that St. George’s has been selected as a Demonstrator Church for net zero carbon emissions. This means we will receive £18,000 towards the cost of surveys and plans to incorporate net zero technology in the future building works, with a possibility of further funding towards the cost of installing it. We are also making good progress on another application for significant funding for the work needed on St. George’s.

Baptism in the sea

We are planning on having an adult baptism in the sea after the service on Sunday 13th September. If you are an adult new to faith and have not been baptised (or christened) as an adult or child and would like to consider being baptised on this date in the sea, then please talk to Paul, asap.

Diocesan Safeguarding Survey

As you may be aware INEQE Safeguarding Group have been commissioned to conduct Independent Safeguarding Audits of the Church of England to make sure dioceses and cathedrals are doing all they can to create environments where everyone feels safe, valued and respected. As part of the audit process for Canterbury, INEQE hope to engage with parishioners and members of the parish community through an online survey which will act as a mechanism through which individuals can comment on any matters relevant to the Audit’s focus. The survey is both anonymous (we are not seeking to identify you) and confidential (you will not be identified). We would therefore ask you to be open and honest with your responses. The survey results are received directly by INEQE’s Audit Team and not by the Church of England. The survey is now live and will close at 11.30 pm on Wednesday 2nd of September 2026. Access the Survey.

Over the Summer:

Sailors’ Church Services

Each Sunday in August, refreshments from 5:30pm, service starts at 6pm. Join us for some lovely services in Ramsgate harbour’s Sailor’s Church. This year the theme will be: ‘Wisdom.’

Dare to Pray

This will be on Saturday 22nd August at 9:30-10:30am and this time we will make it a prayer walk. Please meet at the entrance to St. George’s at 9:30am.

Beyond the Summer:

Four Visions of Hope

A course on the message of the major prophets by Robin Plant at Newington Free Church on Tuesdays 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th September, 7:30-9:00pm.

150th Anniversary for St. Luke’s

We are looking forward to a number of events in October to celebrate St. Luke’s 150th anniversary. Plans so far include: a talk on the early history of St. Luke’s (3rd October, 3pm), a Baroque Recital (10th October, 3pm) and a social including a barn dance (17th October, evening). This will culminate with a joint special service on Sunday 18th October, which is St. Luke’s day. Please also do take time to submit some ‘anni-versary cards’. It would be great to reach 150 of these by October.

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Speaking in Tongues

In this carefully thought through essay, a Biblical Scholar, who doesn’t himself speak in tongues (or want to!), makes a case for their use and benefit today. Read more… (15 mins)

Slow down in a distracted culture

Drawing insights from Sylvie’s book, The Art of Living in Season, and Kevin’s recent release, Mere Christian Hermeneutics, this conversation explores how to resist our modern culture of distraction. Discover how the spiritual discipline of slowing down, the beauty of the local environment, and the daily rhythms of marriage and parenting serve as profound environments for Christian discipleship. Watch Video (25 mins)

Sharing Stories

Check out this website, which shares stories of Christian life and faith from people all around the country. You might be inspired to add your own story. connect4life/sharing stories

Weekly Calendar through the Summer

Mondays

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Tuesdays

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Wednesdays

Gardening Group (St. Luke’s Church) – 10:30am-12:00pm

Thursday             

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Cafe4All (St. Luke’s Church), Coffee and Chat for all – 10:00-11:30am

Saturday    

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am,

Sunday Services – 11:00am – St Luke’s Church

Sunday 26th July – Eighth Sunday after Trinity

Family Service – Joshua 5:13-6:5

Sunday 2nd August – Ninth Sunday after Trinity

Family Service – Joshua 7:1-26

Sunday 9th August – Tenth Sunday after Trinity

Family Service – Joshua 9:1-27

Sunday 16th August – Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

Family Communion Service – Joshua 10:1-15

Sunday 23rd August – Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

Family Service – Joshua 14:6-15

Sunday 30th August – Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity

Family Service – Joshua 24:14-28

Life Groups

Will you dare to share the Christian life with others? Life groups are a great way to meet together regularly with a small group of other Christians, for mutual support, to share in reading God’s word and to pray for one another.

Please see Paul if you are interested in joining one. There are now more groups available! They meet at the following times:

  • Monday evening (two groups)
  • Tuesday afternoon
  • Wednesday morning
  • Wednesday evening
  • Thursday morning

There is also a youth life group on a Sunday afternoon.

Online Forms:

Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:

  • Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
  • Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
  • Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.

Safeguarding

Our website is now updated with the latest information about Safeguarding and links to the Diocesan form for reporting concerns and accessing training.

Training

If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities you should take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years. If you hold a role connected with vulnerable adults or children and young people, then you will also need to take the Foundation Module. Once you have completed your training, please forward that certificate to James, our administrator, (office@churchramsgate.org) so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, let’s keep trusting and obeying Jesus,

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)

Israel’s Faith (Joshua 3-4)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3)

Christian hope is not founded on human strength or ability but on God’s power. The book of Joshua recounts the Israelite invasion of the Promised Land. Was this just a match between two human teams? Could victory be guaranteed? Rahab, the Canaanite, was already convinced Israel would win. In Canaanite mythology, the god who controlled the waters, was the supreme god. She had already heard of the crossing of the Red Sea and concluded that the LORD their God was with them (Joshua 2:9-10). But God did it again. He dried up the river Jordan, so that Israel could cross into Canaan. This gave Israel a confident hope. It confirmed to Rahab that her decision to side with the Israelites was the right one.

As Christians, we look not to the promised land, but to eternal life. Not to victory over others, but death. How can we have a confident hope? We look to Jesus, who crossed from death into resurrected life. We trust not in human power, but in the God who has power over the waters and over death.

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

Israel’s Faith (Joshua 2-3)

How do you prepare for success?

Life is full of challenges to overcome and little victories to win. But how do we prepare to be successful? Perhaps you are aware of an upcoming challenge in your own life, or an ongoing challenge you are struggling with. Are you confident of success? If so why? If not, why not?

What might you need to have in place to bring about success in the face of that challenge?

England may not have won the World Cup, but they did achieve a measure of success by reaching the semi-finals. What did they put in place to help them achieve what they did?

More importantly, as Andy Burnham takes on the role of Prime Minister on Monday. What does he need to have in place to bring about success, not just for him, but us as a country?

How do we prepare for success?

Crossing the Jordan

In our reading today, Israel cross the river Jordan into the Promised Land. God had promised Abraham, their ancestor that one day they would have the land. He had rescued their parent’s generation from slavery in Egypt, miraculously bringing them through the Red Sea on dry land. When they had first considered entering the promised land, they had been too afraid of its inhabitants and failed to trust in God. So, they had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, where God had provided for them, but also taught them to trust and obey him. Now, the new generation was in charge. The old leader Moses had died and his protégé, Joshua, now led the nation.

So, they are on the edge of the River Jordan, a major river that is the border of the Promised Land God had promised to them. This is an important moment. It is the end of their wilderness wanderings, but also the beginning of the conquest of the land. It both shows that they are now prepared for success but also gives them the last bit of preparation they need to give them success.

But how are the thousands of Israelites going to cross the River Jordan? It is a river, which is normally 100 feet wide and up to 10 feet deep, but in flood – which it was at this time- it’s width can expand to almost half a mile. There were no bridges or boats. Israel had no way across.

So, God provided a miracle. He stopped the waters at Adam, a site about 15 miles north of Jericho, where the banks of the river are high. Occasionally, in modern times, earthquakes and mudslides have been known to cause a blockage here and stop the waters for up to 72 hours.

That explains physically what might have happened here, but of course the miracle is in the timing! God stops the waters at just the moment Israel needed to cross into the Promised Land.

God’s Encouragement

The miracle is first and foremost, the encouragement that Israel needs from God as they start out on the challenge of conquering the Promised Land. It is the last stage in preparing them for success.

Encouragement is really important. I was talking to a friend from chess club earlier this week and we were reflecting on our early lives. He hadn’t done very well at school, but when he finished school, his mum encouraged him to join the RAF, which turned out to be just the right thing for him.

I also reflected, that I was successful at school and went on to university, but that success was in large part down to the encouragement of my parents. We all need encouragement from others, if we are to face the challenges of life.

But what is even more important is the encouragement of God.

The way the story is told in these two chapters at first sight seems very longwinded and convoluted. The events could easily be told in 10 verses not over 40 verses but the writer is more concerned to communicate what this miracle meant than simply what happened.

He shows that it was an act of God designed to encourage Israel:

 “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.” (Joshua 3:10)

It is also designed to show that God was with Joshua, the new leader of Israel, as he had been with Moses:

“That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.” (Joshua 4:14)

It also helped to show that God was the one who had the real power. That he was the living God, in the face of all the false gods of the nations. The Canaanites followed Baal as their chief god. In their mythology, Baal is considered as chief, because he had conquered the god of sea and water. In chapter 2, Rahab had been persuaded to fear Israel’s god, partly because she had heard about him drying up the Red Sea, but now the Canaanites witness him repeating the miracle right on their doorstop.

No wonder, Joshua can say,

“He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful…” (Joshua 4:24)

What is more in the very next verse we are told:

“Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts sank and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.” (Joshua 5:1)

Remembering God’s Encouragement

This demonstration of God’s power is a crucial encouragement for Israel as they prepare for the challenge of conquering the land. But Joshua sees it as an encouragement that needs to be remembered by future generations. So, one of the features of the story is that twelve stones are taken from the dried upriver bed and piled together to form a memorial to the event. So, that Israel will not forget what God has done.

 As Christians, we too need to remember what God has done. For us, the greatest miracle is not the crossing of the Jordan, but the crossing of death. Jesus died and rose again. His resurrection was a demonstration of God’s immense power, an encouragement to us, that God will be there to help us through our toughest challenges and especially in our journey through death itself. The death and resurrection of Jesus need to be remembered. So, Jesus, like Joshua set up a memorial. Not a pile of stones, but a simple meal. As we take communion today, remember that it points us to Jesus’ great work of crossing through death for us. In that he demonstrated God’s power for us. We take communion to remember. We take it to be encouraged. It is an important part of how we prepare for success in doing God’s work in this life.

So, this miracle demonstrates God’s encouragement. But it also shows that Israel was prepared for what was ahead, because it demonstrates their faith and obedience and their unity.

Faith & Obedience

It is traditional to criticise football managers, but we need to accept that the England football team, only succeeded as much as they did because they believed in the leadership of Thomas Tuchel and were willing to do what he told them. If they had lacked faith in the manager, or were unwilling to play as he told them, then they would have crashed out of the tournament much earlier. Faith and obedience matter.

God had been teaching Israel faith and obedience for forty years, through their wilderness wanderings. Were they now finally ready? This passage shows us that they were.

When Israel had crossed the Red Sea, they had no choice. The Egyptian army were chasing them down. Going through the Red Sea was their only means of survival.

Crossing the Jordan was different. They were not fleeing from the enemy; they were crossing to meet the enemy. What is more they were approaching a river that was uncrossable. And yet, they trusted God and obeyed his commands, given through their new leader, Joshua.

In particular, the Priests carrying the ark, showed immense faith and obedience. If you read through the whole of chapters 3 and 4, you will notice that it is written in a way that deliberately draws out the tension that the Priests carrying the ark must have felt. We are told in 3:17 that the priests with the ark stopped in the middle of the Jordan, but we are not told that they come up out of the middle of the Jordan until 4:18.

Everyone else we are told hurried across the dry riverbed. Wouldn’t you? Crossing the dry river at all was risky. You had no way of knowing when the water would return. You could be stuck in the middle and drowned. If I was an Israelite I would have gone across quickly! But the Priests with the Ark stood there in the middle, while everyone else passed across. They really had to trust that God would hold the waters back long enough, this was courageous obedience. And they did it. And once they did come to the other side, it says the waters resumed.

 Back in chapter 1, God told Joshua,

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:7)

 One of the key themes of the book is the importance of trusting and obeying God. This is the secret to success in the challenges we face in life. The crossing of the Red Sea showed that Israel had learnt it. They were up for the challenge.

What about us as a church today? Do we see trusting and obeying God, as crucial to our success as a church? Are we willing to obey God, even when others may criticise us for doing so. Even when it feels like we might lose out. Do we trust that God will honour our obedience?

Faith and obedience is crucial for success in the Christian life. As the old chorus goes:

“Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.”

But alongside faith and obedience we need unity.

Unity

On Friday, as Andy Burnham took on the leadership of the Labour party, he made a specific call for an end of factionalism. He realises that if the labour party is to be successful in government it needs to be united.

Unity is crucial for success. Israel also knew that and these chapters demonstrate the unity of Israel. It is symbolically demonstrated in the construction of the stone memorial. Although Israel consisted of Twelve Tribes, each with their own specific identity and loyalties, the creation of the memorial involved a man selected from each tribe taking up a stone from the middle of the Jordan and placing it on the pile to make the memorial. It showed the Twelve Tribes working as one.

We also need to note the role of the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. These tribes already had land to settle in. Israel had already conquered some of the land east of the Jordan and Moses had allowed these tribes to settle there. However, he had insisted that they send their fighting men with the rest of Israel to help conquer the land West of the Jordan for the other tribes. And this is what they did. In fact, they led the way. It says in 4:12-13:

“The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, armed, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho for war.” (Joshua 4:12-13).

These men left their wives and children almost undefended in the east to help their fellow Israelites win victory in the west. This was a powerful display of unity.

As churches, we similarly need unity today if we are to be successful in doing God’s work. Our vision 2030, is very much about working together in unity to build something better for the future. We are already in a process of merging St. George’s and St. Luke’s PCCs to help achieve this.

Inevitably, though we are still made up of different tribes. Groups that relate well to each other and have shared priorities that may not be in line with the priorities of other tribes. That is true both within our two churches and between our two churches. Nonetheless, if we are to be successful, we need to be united. We need to work together, communicate well with each other and be willing to battle for the wider mission of the two churches for Ramsgate. Divided we fall, united we conquer.

Are you ready for success?

So, are you ready for success? Do you remember the power of God? Are you courageous enough to face the challenges God sets before us with faith and obedience? And will we stand united together, working for the good of all God’s church?

This Sunday – 19th July

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

(1 Peter 1:3)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening Reflection: Hope
  • Key notices: Baptism in the sea, Carnival, help for end of art show, Diocesan Safeguarding Survey
  • Coming Up: Dare to Pray, Vicarage BBQs, Men’s Group BBQ, Sailors’ Church Services
  • Interesting Blogs: Helping Children and teenagers build a relationship with God, Creation Care, Community of Character
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, Safeguarding

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

Hope may not be a popular word this week. The hopes of all those who had dared to dream that the English men’s football team might reach the World Cup final for the first time in sixty years – and possibly even win it – were dashed. A sustained Argentinian onslaught brought two late goals to turn an English lead into a crushing defeat. Perhaps it is better not to hope at all?

Yet, Christian hope is different. The World Cup is a struggle between teams of very talented players to see which is the best. In our human struggles, no matter how good we are, we will always come up against someone better. Victory can never be guaranteed. Even Lionel Messi will have to retire from football at some point.

Christian hope, however, is not founded on human strength or ability but on God’s power. The book of Joshua recounts the Israelite invasion of the Promised Land. Was this just a match between two human teams? Could victory be guaranteed? Rahab, the Canaanite, was already convinced Israel would win. In Canaanite mythology, the god who controlled the waters, was the supreme god. She had already heard of the crossing of the Red Sea and concluded that the LORD their God was with them (Joshua 2:9-10). But God did it again. He dried up the river Jordan, so that Israel could cross into Canaan. This gave Israel a confident hope. It confirmed to Rahab that her decision to side with the Israelites was the right one.

As Christians, we look not to the promised land, but to eternal life. Not to victory over others, but death. How can we have a confident hope? We look to Jesus, who crossed from death into resurrected life. We trust not in human power, but in the God who has power over the waters and over death.

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

Baptism in the sea

We are planning on having an adult baptism in the sea after the service on Sunday 13th September. If you are an adult new to faith and have not been baptised (or christened) as an adult or child and would like to consider being baptised on this date in the sea, then please talk to Paul, asap.

Help for the end of the Art Show

Sunday afternoon is the last afternoon for the art show. If you are able to help man the church and tidy up, then please see Elaine.

Carnival

St. George’s tower is going to be in the Ramsgate Carnival on Sunday 26th July again. We are looking for a team of at least four people to help pull the model of the lantern tower. The parade sets off early afternoon. If you are able and willing to help, then please let Paul know this Sunday.

Diocesan Safeguarding Survey

As you may be aware INEQE Safeguarding Group have been commissioned to conduct Independent Safeguarding Audits of the Church of England to make sure dioceses and cathedrals are doing all they can to create environments where everyone feels safe, valued and respected. As part of the audit process for Canterbury, INEQE hope to engage with parishioners and members of the parish community through an online survey which will act as a mechanism through which individuals can comment on any matters relevant to the Audit’s focus. The survey is both anonymous (we are not seeking to identify you) and confidential (you will not be identified). We would therefore ask you to be open and honest with your responses. The survey results are received directly by INEQE’s Audit Team and not by the Church of England. The survey is now live and will close at 11.30 pm on Wednesday 2nd of September 2026. Access the Survey.

Coming Up:

Dare to Pray

A reminder that we are meeting to pray for our vision going forward this Saturday, 9:30-10:30am at St. George’s church.

Vicarage BBQs

These will take place on Saturdays 18th and 25th July, 5-8pm. Invitations and sign-up sheets are now available at the back of the church. If you can’t make the date that you have been allocated, then please feel free to sign up for the other date. If you haven’t signed up for 18th, but want to come then, please email by the end of Friday.

Men’s Group BBQ

£10. A chance to relax together over some excellent BBQ food. 6:30pm, Wednesday 22nd July. See fliers for more information or contact Bruce on 07708 682464.

Sailors’ Church Services

Each Sunday in August, refreshments from 5:30pm, service starts at 6pm. Join us for some lovely services in Ramsgate harbour’s Sailor’s Church. This year the theme will be: ‘Wisdom.’

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Helping Children and teenagers build a relationship with God This is a really helpful resource. Not so much five activities to do with your children, but five ways to relate to them, so that you can best help and encourage them to grow in faith. Read more…

Creation Care

Watch this two minute video from the Church of England about the importance of Creation Care for Christians. Watch Video.

Community of Character

A quote in a book that Mark came across:

“We must reassert the social significance of the church as a distinct society with an integrity peculiar to itself… Christians rediscover that their most important social task is nothing less than to be a community capable of hearing the story of God they find in scripture and living in a manner that is faithful to that story…. I contend that the only reason for being Christian… is because Christian convictions are true; and the only reason for participation in the church is that it is the community that pledges to form its life by that truth.”

(Stanley Hauerwas, Community of Character).

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 19th July – Seventh Sunday after Trinity

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Joshua 3:14-4:18 – 9:30am

Last day of Friends Art Show (St. George’s Church) – 2:00-5:00pm

Monday 20th   

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Tuesday 21st    

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm

Wednesday 22nd    

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Thursday 23rd     

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Saturday 25th  

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Vicarage BBQ (St Luke’s Vicarage Garden) – 5:00-8:00pm

Sunday 26th – Eighth Sunday after Trinity

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Joshua 5:13-6:23 – 9:30am

Life Groups

Will you dare to share the Christian life with others? Life groups are a great way to meet together regularly with a small group of other Christians, for mutual support, to share in reading God’s word and to pray for one another.

Please see Paul if you are interested in joining one. There are now more groups available! They meet at the following times:

  • Monday evening (two groups)
  • Tuesday afternoon
  • Wednesday morning
  • Wednesday evening
  • Thursday morning

There is also a youth life group on a Sunday afternoon.

Online Forms:

Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:

  • Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
  • Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
  • Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.

Safeguarding

Our website is now updated with the latest information about Safeguarding and links to the Diocesan form for reporting concerns and accessing training.

Training

If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities you should take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years. If you hold a role connected with vulnerable adults or children and young people, then you will also need to take the Foundation Module. Once you have completed your training, please forward that certificate to James, our administrator, (office@churchramsgate.org) so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, let’s be confident in hope.

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)

Thread of Hope (Joshua 2:1-24)

“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” (Hebrews 11:31)

Our Sermon series on Joshua continues with the story of Rahab. Rahab is one of many people under judgement. What is more she is a prostitute. Yet, she believes in the God of Israel, and she chooses to be on his side. In so doing, she wins salvation for herself and her whole family and ultimately becomes the great-great-grandmother of King David.

Who is it that can be saved? Anyone, if they will only have faith in the God of Jesus Christ and give their allegiance to him.

As recorded at St. Luke’s
Listen on Castbox

A thread of hope (Joshua 2:1-24)

“Snap the rod of the oppressor, frustrate the plans of the wicked, and break the teeth of the ungodly.” Back in March, this is how the US Secretary of War prayed for those whom he believed deserved no mercy. “By the blast of your anger, let the wicked perish …and [be] delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them”.1

It is an unsettling comparison to have to draw, but in Deuteronomy chapter 7, we read words that set the scene for the entire plotline of the book of Joshua, and raise a question for that book to answer. The question is this: will the book of Joshua come straight out of the Secretary of War’s playbook? “When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations … seven nations stronger than you – and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally”, we read in Deuteronomy. “Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them … for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods … If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you … [hesed in Hebrew] he will love you [hesed again] and bless you and increase your numbers …” (Deuteronomy 7:1-4, 12-13).

And so, when we come to read the book of Joshua, we may approach it with some trepidation. How is the conquest going to play out? Are we going to be reading what amounts to a record of genocide?

Well, in the story of Rahab, in the second chapter of the book, there is a thread of hope, that turns out to be more like a strong cord of hope. Rahab is referred to several times in the New Testament – in Matthew, in Hebrews and in James – where she serves as a parade example of someone who was undeserving of mercy – not because she was a prostitute, but because she was a Canaanite, part of a people group who by their evildoing had brought the disaster of dispossession upon themselves, again according to the book of Deuteronomy. (There – in Deuteronomy 9:4 – we read that “it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before Israel”.)

But in reading Joshua chapter 2, we find that there is a thread of hope running through it, arising from what Rahab says – she confesses faith in the LORD – and from what she does – she shows kindness to the Israelite spies. Even so, at the end of the chapter, we are left in suspense, not knowing whether that thread will hold, or whether it will break. The answer to that question will come later on in the book of Joshua. And the answer is much more than of historical interest. This is not merely a history lesson, because it speaks to the issue of what hope there can be for the rest of us, who by nature are “strangers to the covenants of the promise” (Ephesians 2:12) made by the LORD to Abraham and his descendants.

So first let us consider what Rahab says. “I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us … our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2:9-11).

The first thing to notice here is that Rahab speaks of the LORD. Now whenever you see ‘the LORD’ written like that in the pages of the Old Testament translated into English, please remember that you are looking at the personal name of the God of Israel, as first he revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush, saying ‘I am who I am – I will be who I will be’ (Exodus 3:14-15). In ancient near-eastern culture, every nation had its own god or gods, and every god had its nation. All the nations boasted that their god was the greatest, and had given them the land that they occupied, and disputes over this were commonly settled on the field of battle. So the confession of Moses that “the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below – there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39) is not entirely surprising, although the idea of there being only one God is distinctive. The words of King Solomon’s prayer, later on in the Old Testament, follow a similar pattern. “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below – you who keep your covenant of love [hesed in Hebrew] with your servants” (1 Kings 8:23).

Yet there was far more at stake for Rahab than there was for Moses or Solomon in saying, as she did, that ‘The LORD your God is God in heaven and earth’. In these words there was a costly recognition that the only true God, the one who made everything in heaven and earth, the Creator of everything that has been made, was the God of a nation other than her own. These words are in effect a transfer of Rahab’s allegiance away from the Canaanite gods to the LORD. They constitute a confession of faith on her part.

That is what Rahab says in chapter 2, and now let us consider what she does. Having effectively hidden the Israelite spies in the attic, she misled the emissaries of the king of Jericho, her own king, into thinking the spies had come and gone – ‘they went that-a-way!’ Rahab’s action in doing this is not treated as an instance of breaking the commandment of God against bearing false witness, either here in this chapter, or anywhere else in the Bible.2 Rather, in hiding the Israelite spies, Rahab is clearly depicted in the text as having literally saved their lives. In Joshua chapter 2, verse 12, she speaks of this action as one of kindness. “Please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will … save us from death” (Joshua 2:12-13).

It is kindness that Rahab shows, or to put this in a different way, it is love, since the Hebrew word translated here as kindness is hesed, the word that is used throughout the Old Testament, which I have been highlighting in this sermon, for the covenant love of the LORD for his people. So in what Rahab says, she has faith – that, by the way, is what we are told in Hebrews chapter 11, and in what she does, she has works – that is what we are reminded of by James in the second chapter of his letter. And the tables of expectation are turned, since it is the Canaanite woman, not the Israelite spies, who first speaks of hesed, covenant love. By her words and her actions, it appears that Rahab has changed her allegiance.

Nevertheless, Rahab’s fate remains undecided right through to the end of Joshua chapter 2. The spies, certainly, promise that she will be protected. They swore an oath to protect her and her family, provided she tied a scarlet cord in the window and of her house, and brought her family within its four walls. This was the literal thread of hope they offered her.

But what would the LORD make of this arrangement? What would he do and say, he who had previously said ‘Destroy them totally; make no treaty with them; show them no mercy; do not intermarry with them … otherwise the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you’ (Deuteronomy 7:2-3)? Will he strike down the Canaanite woman and those who struck a deal with her?

We have to wait until Joshua chapter 6 to find out. There we read that, after the walls of Jericho had fallen, the spies whose lives had been saved by Rahab went into her house and brought her and her family out, and put them in a safe place “outside the camp of Israel” (Joshua 6:23). The scarlet cord did its job, and the thread of her hope remained intact. Nor did the anger of the LORD burn against Israel as a result of the deal that was made with her, the warnings in Deuteronomy notwithstanding. He showed his mercy to those undeserving of mercy, and he extended his kindness and covenant love past the boundaries of the people of Israel. That is what the LORD did.

The Israelites kept Rahab and her family safe, albeit that they couldn’t quite stretch to permitting them as non-Jews to reside inside their camp, which had to remain ritually pure. This separation notwithstanding, it appears that Rahab later married into Judaism, because in Matthew chapter 1 she is recorded as the wife of Salma, and the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth. And again the LORD relented from his retribution he promised for inter-marriage. Again, that is what the LORD did. He brought her into the people of God, and into the very ancestry of the promised Messiah.

So to have remained “outside the camp” was no hardship for Rahab. It was a safe place for her to be. Again, for us this is no mere history lesson. According to the writer of the book of Hebrews, it is news we can use. “The [Jewish] high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but”, to maintain ritual purity, “the carcasses are burned outside the camp”, he explained (Hebrews 13:11). “And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate”, at a place of execution – Golgotha – chosen to maintain the ritual purity of the city of Jerusalem, “to make the people holy through his own blood” (Hebrews 13:12). This is what the LORD says to us today. The book of Hebrews encourages us to take a leaf out of Rahab’s book, and “go to Jesus outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore” (Hebrews 13:13).

In the context of the Bible as a whole, this is what the story of Rahab in Joshua chapter 2 is hinting at. The mercy of God may be found outside the camp of Israel, by those who have been judged by others, or who think of themselves, as unworthy of mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement. It is mercy, rather than violence, destruction, anger, and damnation, that is the connecting thread through the book of Joshua, and through the Scriptures from beginning to end, starting with the Old Testament, carrying on through the New, and ending up, if you like, with those words from the book of Hebrews. This is what the LORD says to us today: For as long as a person is with Jesus, that person is perfectly safe outside the camp of whatever ring may have been drawn to exclude them from the covenant love of the LORD. They are as safe as Rahab and her family, because the LORD’s mercy now extends far past the boundaries of Israel, to embrace all who are undeserving, but whose confession of faith and acts of kindness prove their new allegiance. We, like Rahab, may hold on to, and rely on, the thread of God’s mercy, which however thin it may appear, is in fact the strong cord of his love, and which will never be broken.

1 https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5802042-defense-secretary-pentagon-prayer/amp/

2 This is nothing more than common sense. No-one could ever seriously suggest that those who hid resistance fighters, spies, or their Jewish neighbours from the Nazis ought to have let the German occupiers know what they were doing. No-one could ever seriously suggest that it is dishonest for soldiers to wear camouflage, because it might mislead their enemies.

This Sunday – 12th July

“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”

(Hebrews 11:31)

This week, the sections of the email are:

  • Opening Reflection: Rahab’s Faith
  • Key notices: ACTS presentation, ACTS Job Opportunity, Diocesan Safeguarding Survey
  • Coming Up: Friends of St. George’s Art Show, ACTS: Update Evening, Vicarage BBQs, Men’s Group BBQ, Sailors’ Church Services
  • Interesting Blogs: Why did God command Israel to invade Canaan?, How to handle tough topics in the Bible
  • Weekly Calendar
  • Online Forms: Event application, Submit a notice, maintenance report, Safeguarding

Scroll on…

Opening Reflection

“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” (Hebrews 11:31)

Who is it that can be saved? At first glance, the book of Joshua appears to be simply a book about an invasion of one nation by another. The Israelites enter the Promised Land, defeat those already living there, and settle the land in their place. We naturally have ethical concerns about what happened, especially in the light of modern Israel’s recent treatment of the Palestinians.

Yet, the Bible sees this as a unique situation. Yes, God is blessing Israel by giving them the land, but he is also judging the people of the land by taking it away from them. In Genesis, God is clear to Abraham, that his descendants will have to wait until the sins of the people there had become bad enough to deserve judgement (Genesis 15:16). Violent conquest is not a pattern to be imitated.

In chapter 1 God promises Joshua and the Israelites, victory in the upcoming invasion. At one level this could be read as God being racially biased. He is for the Israelites, and against the rest. Yet, even here, the emphasis is on encouraging Joshua to have faith that God will be with him and to be obedient to God’s commands (1:7-8). Then, chapter 2, immediately shows us that God is more concerned with faith rather than race.

Rahab is one of the people under judgement. What is more she is a prostitute. Yet, she believes in the God of Israel, and she chooses to be on his side. In so doing, she wins salvation for herself and her whole family and ultimately becomes the great-great-grandmother of King David.

Who is it that can be saved? Anyone, if they will only have faith in the God of Jesus Christ and give their allegiance to him.

Paul Worledge

Key Notices:

ACTS Presentation

This Sunday Charlotte and Sandra from ACTS (Active Christianity in Thanet Schools) will be speaking about the work of this organisation. There will be a collection for ACTS during the service and any money given on the gift machine will go to the work of ACTS.

ACTS Job Opportunity

ACTS is looking to appoint a new Primary Schools Work facilitator. Find out more here.

Diocesan Safeguarding Survey

As you may be aware INEQE Safeguarding Group have been commissioned to conduct Independent Safeguarding Audits of the Church of England to make sure dioceses and cathedrals are doing all they can to create environments where everyone feels safe, valued and respected. As part of the audit process for Canterbury, INEQE hope to engage with parishioners and members of the parish community through an online survey which will act as a mechanism through which individuals can comment on any matters relevant to the Audit’s focus. The survey is both anonymous (we are not seeking to identify you) and confidential (you will not be identified). We would therefore ask you to be open and honest with your responses. The survey results are received directly by INEQE’s Audit Team and not by the Church of England. The survey is now live and will close at 11.30 pm on Wednesday 2nd of September 2026. Access the Survey.

Coming Up:

Friends of St. George’s Art Show

This will run from 10th to 19th July, 2-5pm, in St. George’s Church. If you want to enter a painting, drawings, prints or mixed media contact Elaine on e_hartnell@yahoo.com or Janet on 01843 852780.

ACTS: Update Evening

Monday 13th July, 7pm, St. Philip’s Church, Palm Bay, CT9 3JJ.

Join us for an evening of prayer, thanksgiving and updates about the work of ACTS. As well as a time to catch up with the ACTS team, Abi, Charlotte, Rhodri and the trustees over a cuppa and a slice of cake.

Vicarage BBQs

These will take place on Saturdays 18th and 25th July, 5-8pm. Invitations and sign-up sheets are now available at the back of the church. If you can’t make the date that you have been allocated, then please feel free to sign up for the other date.

Men’s Group BBQ

£10. A chance to relax together over some excellent BBQ food. 6:30pm, Wednesday 22nd July. See fliers for more information or contact Bruce on 07708 682464.

Sailors’ Church Services

Each Sunday in August, refreshments from 5:30pm, service starts at 6pm. Join us for some lovely services in Ramsgate harbour’s Sailor’s Church. This year the theme will be: ‘Wisdom.’

Interesting Blogs to Share:

Why did God command Israel to invade Canaan?

One of the harder parts of the Bible to accept today is God’s command to the Israelites to invade the land of Canaan and kill its inhabitants. It has become an even more difficult passage given what has happened in Gaza over the last few years. In this video John Lennox, gives a helpful way to understand what was happening. Watch video… (11 mins)

How to handle tough topics in the Bible

This is an advert for a course from the same people who brought us the Bible Course, which we used last autumn. However, it offers some quick advice to dealing with tough questions that reading the Bible may raise. Read more…

Weekly Calendar

Sunday 12th July – Sixth Sunday after Trinity

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Joshua 2:1-24 – 9:30am

Sunday School (St George’s, 10:30am)

Monday 13th  

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Tuesday 14th   

Prayer Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Community Meal (St. George’s Hall) – 5:30-7:00pm

Wednesday 15th  

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Thursday 16th    

Prayer Meeting (St. Luke’s Church) – 9:30-10:00am

Saturday 18th  

Dare to Pray Meeting (St. George’s Church) – 9:30-10:30am

Community Soup (St. George’s Church) – 12:00-2:00pm

Vicarage BBQ (St Luke’s Vicarage Garden) – 5:00-8:00pm

Sunday 19th – Seventh Sunday after Trinity

Eucharist (St. George’s Church) Joshua 3:14-4:18 – 9:30am

Last day of Friends Art Show (St. George’s Church) – 2:00-5:00pm

Life Groups

Will you dare to share the Christian life with others? Life groups are a great way to meet together regularly with a small group of other Christians, for mutual support, to share in reading God’s word and to pray for one another.

Please see Paul if you are interested in joining one. There are now more groups available! They meet at the following times:

  • Monday evening (two groups)
  • Tuesday afternoon
  • Wednesday morning
  • Wednesday evening
  • Thursday morning

There is also a youth life group on a Sunday afternoon.

Online Forms:

Under the ‘Contact’ tab on the website, there are now three forms that you can use to help us in managing the church:

  • Events Application Form. Use this if you are organising a church event that needs a church room booked, advertising or ticketing.
  • Submit a Notice. Use this if you want to ask us to include a prayer request or other notice in the church notice sheet or email.
  • Maintenance Reporting Form.Use this to report any non-urgent issues with our buildings or grounds.

Safeguarding

Our website is now updated with the latest information about Safeguarding and links to the Diocesan form for reporting concerns and accessing training.

Training

If you volunteer in anyway at church the national authorities you should take at least the Basic Module in safeguarding training once every three years. If you hold a role connected with vulnerable adults or children and young people, then you will also need to take the Foundation Module. Once you have completed your training, please forward that certificate to James, our administrator, (office@churchramsgate.org) so that we can keep records of who has done the training.

Finally, let’s keep the faith.

Yours in Christ

Paul Worledge

(Priest in Charge, St. George’s Ramsgate)