SuperHero U – Day 1 Rahab Helps, Ignoring the Costs Bible Story: Joshua 2

Bottom Line: Give your all to help those in need.

Setting and Background: Use two faux walls or dividers to create three spaces: 1) the outside of Rahab’s house, 2) Rahab’s house, and 3) the roof of Rahab’s house. Two soldiers stand in one area. Rahab stands in the center area. Two spies covered by blankets and straw (optional) crouch in the third area. During main part of the story (“Rahab Weighs Her Decision”), Rahab steps beyond and back behind the border of the walls. As she comes beyond the walls, she ponders her situation in the form of an internal monologue delivered aloud to the children. When she returns to her “house” inside the walls, she hears the competing voices of the soldiers and the spies. While lines are given to the soldiers and the spies each time Rahab returns to the “house”, the order of their lines is not of great importance , as they are largely voices given to her fears and her conscience. Therefore, it matters little whether the soldiers or the spies speak first or second. It also does not matter if one group uses their lines from section 3 during section 2, etc. At the start of the story, Rahab and the spies are in her house (the cente r section), with the spies seated and Rahab looking at the back of the stage, as if looking out a window. The soldiers are off stage.

Story: Warping Wendy introduces. Hello Again! I was up on stage earlier. Does anyone remember my name? It's Warping Wendy! I'm a superhero and I have the ability to travel though time! I haven't figured out this time traveling thing just yet, but let's see where we'll go today! Now, of we want to travel, I'll need your help! I need everyone to stand up and do everything I do! (Do hand movements/exercises/noises while lights flicker) Warp Awaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!! (Lights turn off while while WW leaves stage and Rhab and spies come on stage) (SFX: Warping or Swooshing Sound as lights go out and children travel throught ti me into the story) Setting Up the Dilemma

Rahab: (Turning from the back of the stage to face the spies) There’s a lot of commotion down below. I suspect the king is searching for you. Spy 1: (Looking nervously at Spy 2) What are we going to do? It’s already dark. And if the king knows we’re in Jericho . . . (panicked) I’m sure he’s got the city locked down tight. We’re trapped here! Spy 2: (Reassuringly, to Spy 1) The Lord has kept us safe thus far. I’m sure He will continue to protect us. (Stands up and moves to Rahab) Can you not help us? Spy 1: (Excitedly) Oh yes, yes. Surely that is why the Lord led us to you. You must help us.

Rahab: (Looking back and forth between the two spies) Me? What can I do? I am a Canaanite woman. You are (gesturing to them) Israelites. Look, I don’t mind entertaining you. You’re both very nice men. But help? I don’t know. Spy 2: (Leading Rahab to a seat and kneeling before her) You know that the Lord is with us. Don’t you remember what you said earlier? Rahab: (Nodding) That all of Jericho is afraid of you. Because of the great and powerful things your God has done. Spy 1: (Eagerly kneeling on the other side of Rahab) So you’ll help us then? Rahab: (Pauses and looks with sympathy from one spy to the other) Come with me. I will hide you on my roof while the soldiers look through the city. (Rahab leads the spies behind the dividing walls and into the third area created on the stage. She covers them with a large blanket and (optionally) some straw.) Rahab: Stay here, and stay quiet, until I figure out what to do. Spy 1: Thank you so much. May the Lord bless you. (Rahab goes behind the dividers and returns to the center area of the stage. Rahab paces several times back and forth across her “room” before coming forward, beyond the area of the walls, to address herself/the children with her dilemma.) Rahab: Everyone knows my house. I have no doubt that someone saw those men enter here. There will be soldiers at my door soon. What do I do? What do I do? They were good men. I don’t want to see them get hurt. I don’t want to be responsible for their deaths. But they are the enemies of my people. They have come to destroy us all. What do I do? What do I do? (Rahab returns to her “room” and begins pacing the floor again.) (Two soldiers enter the first area of the stage.) (SFX: Heavy knocking on a door) Soldier 1: (Loudly) Rahab! Rahab the Harlot! By order of the king, bring out the men who came to you and entered your house. Don’t you know they have come to spy out the whole land? Soldier 2: Come on, woman! We know you are home! Rahab Weighs Her Decision

(Rahab, jumps, startled. She glances toward the first and then third areas of the stage, before moving beyond the area of the walls to address herself/the children.) Rahab: What do I do? What do I do? Do I turn those men over to the soldiers of Jericho? (Look the children in the eyes, as if asking them) I wish someone would tell me what to do?

(Rahab returns to her “room” and begins pacing the floor again. Warping Wendy warps into the scene next to the soldiers) (SFX: warping or swooshing sound as Warping Wendy enters) WW: What's going on here? (Directed at the soldiers) Soldier 1: We are in search of some spies who were seen here. Come help us. If we find them we will surely be rewarded. WW: Okay! Soldier 2: What happened to your uniform, soldier? WW: Oh, I am having it washed. (the soldiers accept her answer & turn their attention back to Rhab's house) Spies: You must keep us safe, Rahab. Our lives are in your hands. Soldier 1: Rahab, bring that Israelite filth out to us. Let us take care of those vermin for you. Soldier 2: (Menacingly) I’d hate to think what might happen to your fami ly . . . or, to your dear old mother . . . should we find you’re hiding those spies. WW: Yeah, Let us in, or we'll huff and puff and blow your house in! (the other soldiers look at her perplexed?!) WW: Sorry, wrong story. (Rahab, clearly shaken at the thought her actions could bring her family to harm, glances toward the first and then third areas of the stage, before moving beyond the area of the walls to address herself/the children.) Rahab: What do I do? Oh, what do I do? Those men have done nothing to me, and I do not wish to be responsible for their deaths. But I’ve only just met them. What do I owe them? And don’t the Israelites seek to destroy my home? I have to think about what is best for me. And my family. Don’t I? And, oh, can the king of Jericho ever be ruthless. I’ve seen it. And with how the whole city quakes at the thought of the Israelites, I’m sure he’s desperate. If I don’t turn over those spies . . . I don’t even want to think about what he’ll do to me . . . or, worse, those I love. (Rahab mutters “What do I do? What do I do?” as she returns to her “room” and begins pacing the floor again.) Spy 1: The Lord led us to you for a reason. He must have known you were different.

Soldier 1: (Loudly) Rahab, you know they wish to destroy you along with the rest of Jericho! Spy 2: You said yourself that the Lord has given us this land. You know it to be true. Help us. Soldier 2: You had best not consider helping them! (Rahab glances toward the first area and then pauses as she looks at the third area of the stage, before moving beyond the area of the walls to address herself/the children.) Rahab: (With new resolve, the answer to her dilemma now clear) There is one thing I know for sure: the Lord has given this land to them. That is clear from all the great and powerful things He has done for them. (Rahab counts the reasons on her fingers as she names them) He dried up the water of the Red Sea for them when they came out of Egypt. And He’s allowed them to completely destroy the Amorites to the east of the Jordan! If I ever questioned whether their God is real, the great fear that has fallen upon Jericho is all the proof I need! We melt in fear because of what He’s done. (Joshua 2:9-11, paraphrased) No matter what I do, the fate of Jericho is sealed. I will not let my actions cause any harm to fall upon the heads of those two men. (Rahab confidently says “I know what to do” as she strides to the first area of the stage to address the soldiers) Rahab: (With hands on her hips) Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them. (Joshua 2:4-5 NLT) Soldier 1: (Slapping Soldier 2 on the shoulder) We’ve got to get going after them! If we lose them, the king will have our heads! (Soldiers 1 and 2 & WW run off stage. After they leave, Rahab walks to the third area of the stage, to talk with the spies) Rahab: (Kneeling down next to the two spies) I know that the Lord has given you this land. That is clear to me, so I sent away the soldiers who were looking for you. So now, my lords, my life is in your hands. I have turned my back on my country to keep you safe. I ask you, in turn, to keep me safe. Spy 1: (Looking from Rahab to Spy 2, before addressing Rahab) What would you have us do? Rahab: Swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families. (Joshua 2:12-13 NLT) (Spy 1 and Spy 2 look at each other for a moment, then nod in agreement) Spy 2: We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety. If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land. (Joshua 2:14 NLT)

Rahab: Come with me. I can get you safely out of the city tonight. (Rahab leads the spies to her room, the center area of the stage) (Rahab picks up a red rope, and pretends to lower it from a window at the front of the stage) Rahab: You can climb out here. Hide in the hill country for a few days before returning back to your people, so you can avoid the soldiers searching for you. Spy 1: (Taking hold of the red rope) When we return, gather all of your family into this house. Hang this rope from the window again, and we will keep safe everyone within this room. Thank you, Rahab, and the Lord bless you. (The two spies “climb” down and leave) Warping Wendy takes the stage to close. Wow, wasn't that an amazing part of history? Did you know that not only did God save Rahab and her family for helping the Israelites, but He also blessed her greatly? Rahab's family line included King David and then eventually Jesus! All because she chose to help those in need despite what it was going to cost her. Now it is time to chat in your small group to think about how you can help those in need, just like Rahab. See you tomorrow! (WW runs off stage)