Reputation

After studying the book of Daniel and loving the Old Testament, I decided to go all the way back to Joshua. My thought was that I didn't really know the history that I thought I did, and possibly I could make it all the way through I II Kings. So here I am now in Joshua 6. I have heard the story about the walls of Jericho, and I even remember the song I learned as a child about the story. What amazed me was how much I have learned already before the walls of Jericho fell.

Reading about Rahab and the fear her people had shows the Israelite's reputation before they ever got to Jericho. This made me think about the reputations we have. Maybe it is the parent from the beginning of the school year who accused me of "screaming at kids" or "never letting the kids talk in class." Obviously not true to any who know my teaching style. But this idea of reputation is something that I have fixated on in the past few months, and I can't shake it. She (Rahab) talks about what happened with Sihon and Or (I had to reference Numbers 26 on this one... I was clueless to these kings) and gives examples as to why her people were fearful of them. Then a couple of kings west of the Jordan we are told were "paralyzed with fear." How great was this reputation that God used?

Even though this "reputation" was so different than the reputation of a teacher, it made me a little more at peace with my reputation as a teacher... at least in the eyes of parents. No matter what I do I can't change the ways that people see me, but I can rest assured that God will allow the reputation of me that he sees fit to be the one to prevail all others.

Totally not what I expected to get out of Joshua, but applicable nevertheless.