Identity Crisis
Rahab, the harlot, was by every means a high-class babe. She did not have to seek the men. They sought her. She must have been stunning because she was very much in demand. She lived by the wall of the city. The king knew her. The nobles were her regular clients. She was well informed. How else would she have heard about the Israelites and their knack for taking over territories? She was also a smart woman. She knew how to negotiate. She understood when destiny came knocking. She knew how to stop work to arrange her future. She negotiated her way to a glorious destiny. Guess where she landed, the lineage of the messiah! A HARLOT!
(Joshua 2:1-3, 8-16, 21)
They killed everyone, men and women, young and old, everyone except Rahab and the others in her house. They even killed every cow, sheep, and donkey. Joshua said to the two men who had been spies, "Rahab kept you safe when I sent you to Jericho. We promised to protect her and her family, and we will keep that promise. Now go into her house and bring them out." The two men went into Rahab's house and brought her out and her father and mother, her brothers, and her other relatives. Rahab and her family had to stay in a place just outside the Israelite army camp. But later, they were allowed to live among the Israelites, and her descendants still do today. (Joshua 6:21)
The mad man of Gadara was inhabited by a legion demons. He had to be chained. His home was with the dead in the cemetery. No one could restrain him. A single man being home to 6000 devils, only dead bones can accommodate such. He was destructive and restless yet locked up inside all of that madness was a preacher. His mission was to ten cities in the region. A MADMAN. (Mark 5:1-6, 9, 11-14, 18-20)
Mary Magdalane was well known. She was the town harlot. She was home to seven devils. But trapped inside her was a lady preacher and financier of the gospel. THE TOWN HARLOT! (Luke 7:36-50)
Saul of Tarsus was on fire. His mission was to destroy any and everything that followed THE WAY. He would go to any length including supervising a murder and even getting permission to destroy. Then he met with Jesus and the persecutor became the crusader. (Acts 9:1-6)
Moses was a murderer, locked up inside him was a deliverer. Jabez was an honourable man, yet everyone, including his mom, called him, ‘child of sorrow’. The woman at the well was an evangelist by design but her reputation, as the woman with five husbands would trap her destiny until... the messiah showed up. Tamar was a woman cheated, but she took what was denied her (Genesis 38).
How messed up are you? How far from your real identity, are you? What or who is crying out to be let loose inside of you? How far off course can you be? How far away from the promise have you stray? What name are your neighbours calling you? How trapped can you be? There are tons of questions that are crying for answers. There is only one answer. JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH!
All of these people related to Him or were related to Him. Embrace Him, return to Him, report to Him, and cry out to Him. Remember, He walked on the same road you are walking now.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
