Rahab's Faith

Introduction

God has moved throughout history in phenomenal ways. He has used unusual methods and worked with people that society perhaps has shunned. Sometimes we think that God can only work in those that have their lives and acts together. This lesson from Joshua will show us that God only desires a willing heart. Listen as I share with you about Rahab’s faith from Joshua 2.

Joshua 2:1–24 NIV84

1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 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. 8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “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. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, 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. 12 Now then, 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 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.” 14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.” 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 Now she had said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” 21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”

This is a rather lengthy story but I want to give you an opportunity to see how Rahab’s faith can be an example for our faith.

Faith That Builds Confidence (vs. 1-7)

First, notice that faith builds confidence. We see in chapter one, that the Lord has commanded Joshua and now Joshua is commanding his officers. Joshua gives the command, “Go, look.” Has God ever given you that command through His faithful servants? Has God ever just given that command to you directly? Verses 1-7 remind me of three things of how faith builds confidence.

God is always at work.

God is always at work. The command “go, look” shows that work of God was already there in Jericho. God ‘s work is always before us. The Israelites had experienced this already.

Deuteronomy 1:29–31 NIV84

29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

God does not take any breaks or naps on the job.

Psalm 121:4 NIV84

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

God invites us to join Him in His work.

Secondly, God invites us to join Him in His work. We see in Joshua chapter 2 that God had already invited and orchestrated a Canaanite woman to be involved in His work on the other side of the Jordan. The same is true for you and I. God will orchestrate things in your life for His glory.

Philippians 2:13 NIV84

13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

God carries out His work in peculiar ways.

God carries out His work in peculiar ways. Who would have ever thought that God would use spies and a prostitute to do His will? If you think about it, throughout history God has used people that were nobodies that became somebodies for His glory. He certainly does it here in this chapter. We are told that the spies went into Jericho and stayed at the house of a prostitute named Rahab. You mean God used espionage and the a woman like that? And then she lied to the Canaanite authorities to protect the spies? Evidently, God can use someone that breaks His commandments. It doesn’t mean that we should break commandments for the glory of God. It does show that despite our sinful ways, we can have a faith that builds confidence in a confident God.

Faith That Brings Conviction (vs. 8-13)

We also see that faith brings conviction. Rahab is no spiritual dummy. She has seen the evidence of God at work and the evidence is compelling.

The evidence is compelling.

Rahab is aware of how God has acted throughout history, even though she belongs to a nation that does not affirm and acknowledge God. The Canaanites worshiped multiple deities yet we see in verse 9 where Rahab says, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you.” Rahab has learned her history well and responds that only the God of Israel controls the destiny of the world. How did she learn this? Did she get that information by tuning in to Fox News or CNN? Did she see it posted on Facebook? She got it because the Spirit of God allowed her to get it. The word of the Lord traveled all throughout the land. The evidence was compelling and it is also affirming.

The evidence is affirming.

When we are truly convicted by our faith, we will be affirmed by God. Rahab’s willingness to help the spies shows her willingness to renounce her allegiance to her country. She was ready to give her allegiance to God. She new that she could killed for her efforts, yet the evidence she had that the Lord God was real affirmed and confirmed her calling. The evidence produced in her a profound faith.

The evidence produces profound faith.

How profound is your faith? Do you believe in such a way that you would do anything for your Lord? Rahab had a faith that brings conviction and it was based on what she had learned about God. The historic evidence was enough for her! Is it enough for you? Well, Rahab’s faith was a faith that bestows credence.

Faith That Bestows Credence (vs. 14-21)

Interestingly, credence is defined as a belief as to the truth of something. When something has credence, other things can be built on it. Rahab’s faith had credence and therefore she could devise a plan, describe a process, and demonstrate a path.

A plan is devised.

Notice how she devised a plan. Joshua 2:11-13

Joshua 2:11–13 NIV84

11 When we heard of it, 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. 12 Now then, 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 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.”

A process is described.

The plan is devised and the process is described. The spies agree to the plan and add to the process they will trust her kindly and faithfully. The word for kindly actually means more of a lovingkindness. Faithfully means sure and reliable. The spies declared this process by saying, “Our lives for your lives!” Who would you say that to? Who have you trusted kindly and faithfully? The greatest example for us all was and still is Jesus. He is with us! 1 Corinthians 1:9

1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV84

9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

The plan and process are given and then a path is demonstrated.

A path is demonstrated.

Rahab’s house was actually constructed in the wall of the temple. She let them down by a rope, gave them instructions where to go to hide safely for 3 days. The spies reiterated this path and reaffirmed the what they had agreed. They went and hid for 3 days, then returned to Joshua.

Faith That Boldly Celebrates (vs. 22-24)

When they returned and told Joshua all they had seen and experienced, they celebrated by saying, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”

God is faithful.

They celebrated because God is faithful.

God is good.

They celebrated because God is good.

God is true.

They celebrated because God is true.

Couple of other things we can celebrate.

Rahab found the Lord, got married and our Lord Jesus is a descendant of that marriage.

Matthew 1:5 NIV84

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

Hebrews 11:31 NIV84

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

James 2:25 NIV84

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?

Rahab’s faith was amazing.

She was a sinner.

She was under condemnation.

She was given a period of grace.

She heard the Word of God and it led her to the Lord.

She proved her faith by works.

She sought to win others.

She was delivered from judgement.

She went to a wedding…married into a Jewish family, and was named in the ancestry of our Lord Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV84

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.