Rahab - Seamstress??

Joshua 2:6-7 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

First of all - what is flax?? and why was there so much of it on Rahab's roof that it could cover two men so completely that they were hidden from sight? Here's another proof of God's hand in this meeting. I'm not really familiar with the prostitution business (thank goodness), but I've never seen a movie or documentary where the woman in this business has a job at McDonald's or Burger King or some other side job. Whether their pimp won't allow it, or the money they make for just an hour of work is enough to cover the bills. But the flax was Rahab's second job - flax is used to make clothing - it's a very tedious process, but it's not like they had a Walmart back then. At what point in her life do you think Rahab decided she should start making clothes?

Is it not possible that the job you hold now, the one you think is more time consuming with less immediate income is providing something far more than monetary gain?? It certainly was in Rahab's case - in became the shelter for men of God - a hiding place from the enemy. Wow!

We're told in verse 7 that the king's agent set out in pursuit of the men as they were told by Rahab, and look at the last part of the verse "as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut". Is that to let us know that the men at Rahab's house were locked in, or that the agents were making sure no one else would come back into the city while they were chasing the other men? Whatever the reason, it looks as though God's men might be trapped.

God is so much bigger than a locked door. We've heard the age old adage "when God closes a door, He opens a window" OR - He may knock the whole house down, or give you the ability to fly over the wall - the point is - if we have faith and trust in God - we don't need to know how, we just need to look for the miracle and be blessed by it - so be strong and courageous - God has a plan, and we're a big part of it.