Faith at Jericho.

Opening:

It is a beautiful thing to open the Word of God on the Lord’s Day.

Introduction of the Passage:

This morning we will be in Hebrews 11:30-31. The Apostle here tells us of the faith that made the walls of Jericho fall down as well as the faith of Rahab. And I am including both of these this morning because they are so connected. So if you are able, would you stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Reading of the Passage:

Hebrews 11:30–31“30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”

Behold the Word of the Lord. Let’s pray.

Prayer:

Our gracious Heavenly Father, we commit this time in Your Word to You this morning. Please use it to conform us ever more into the image of Your Son. Convict us of sin and encourage us in righteousness all through Your Word. We ask this in Jesus name, amen.

Introduction:

This account is one of the most famous examples of God’s power in Scripture. God gave Israel victory over an incredibly strong city without them having to fight at all. If you have spent any time at all in church you likely know this account well. But our passage this morning answers some very pivotal questions.

Interrogative:

Why did the walls of Jericho fall? Why did Rahab and her household live when all the rest of Jericho died?

Text Idea:

The walls of Jericho fell, not by superior military strength but by faith.

Rahab was saved by faith in who God is. Her faith is proven by her saving of the spies.

Sermon Idea:

And this morning I pray we learn two things.

Just as Israel heard the command of the Lord, believed, and obeyed; so must we do the same.

Just as Rahab the prostitute heard of the coming judgement of the Lord and trusted in the mercy of God for salvation, so must we do the same.

Need:

We must see the reality of faith and bring these truths to heart. They must impact our lives. Just as Israel heard God’s commands and promises, accepted them by faith, and then obeyed; so must the church. We must hear God’s commands and promises, accept them by faith, and obey Him.

Just as the most unlikely person of Rahab was saved by faith alone, so we must recognize our need for Christ.

Transition:

But perhaps a good thing to do would be to examine the biblical account that Paul is referencing here. So let’s examine the battle of Jericho.

The Battle of Jericho.

Explanation:

I will mostly be walking through Joshua 1-6. So if you would like, feel free to turn there in your Bibles. But let me catch you up on the history. Last Sunday I closed by explaining that the Israelites who crossed the Red Sea did not enter into the promised land. They turned away to idols and disobeyed God, even after all God had done for them. While some did turn back to God and repent, many fell into the damning sin of apostasy. But one of the central acts of disobedience is found when Moses led them to the promised land. And when they arrived:

Israel Lacked Faith to Go Into the Promised Land.

You can read about that in Numbers 13 or in Deuteronomy 1. But the flow of the account goes like this: Moses led the people to the land of Canaan that God had promised to give to them. Moses then sent in twelve spies to spy out the land. And these spies came back with an incredible account. The land was rich and full of plenty. But there was a problem. There were giants there. The descendants of Anak, the Nephilim were there. These were the race of evil and warlike giants and the spies said they were like grasshoppers before them. These giants were huge and terrifying.

Because of this, ten of the spies turned Israel toward fear and distrust of God. They sowed panic and fear. But two spies remained faithful. Joshua and Caleb said that God had promised them the land so they did not need to fear. They should go up and take the land. But Israel refused. They did not have faith that God would give them victory. They did not believe the Word of God. And because of this, God cursed Israel. Remember, covenant relationship with God comes with blessing for keeping the covenant and cursing for breaking covenant. So God cursed them. They would wander in the wilderness for forty years until all that faithless generation died. Only Joshua and Caleb would live to enter into the promised land.

And that is what happened. And eventually, Moses died. But before he did, he appointed a new leader to take his place.

Joshua Is Made Leader of Israel.

We read about this in Deuteronomy 31:7–8“7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.””

So Joshua is made leader and then Moses dies. And now we come to the book of Joshua. God commissions Joshua and calls him to be strong and courageous. This will be the theme of Joshua’s life. Do not fear, trust the Lord, be strong and courageous. And by now the forty years are up. So Joshua leads Israel to the Jordan river. And here:

Joshua Sends Two Spies Into Jericho.

Jericho is significant because it was the first major stronghold in the conquering of Canaan. If they wanted to take the land of Canaan, they would have to take Jericho first. And Jericho was a major city. So it would have to fall first. So Joshua commissions two men and sends them in. And this is where we meet Rahab. And:

Rahab Saves the Spies.

In Joshua 2:1–2 we read this. “1 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. 2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.””

We don’t know why they went to Rahab’s house but for whatever reason, they were found out. This is worst case scenario for a spy. You are there to spy out the land in order to find military weaknesses in order to conquer it and your mission is blown. And the king sends message to Rahab saying she is to give them up. So what does she do?

Joshua 2:4–7“4 Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” 6 (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) 7 Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.”

This woman, a pagan prostitute did not turn them over, but hid them. She lied to the kings men and sent them on wild goose chase. It should be noted that this is a righteous lie. She is not sinning here in lying to the kings men. She hid the men. But really we should be asking why. Why did she do this? She is from Jericho. She is a pagan and a prostitute. Why would this woman hide the men and lie to her king in order to save them?

Joshua 2:8–13 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”

This is such an important passage. Rahab says all of Jericho is terrified. They know they are doomed. They heard what God did to Egypt. They heard how God had given them military victories over the Amorites, over Sihon, and how they even slew Og, a literal demonic giant. She says the hearts of the people melted. They are terrified because they know that the one true God has already promised Israel the victory. But Rahab is different. She alone acts on this fear.

The fear of the Lord is a good thing. She is terrified. So is everyone else. But in this fear of God’s coming judgement, she turns to God for mercy. Everyone else continues in their sin. She however, turns to God for grace. And trusts that obeying God will spare her. This is why she helps the spies. She fears God more than she fears any wrath the king or the people could pour out on her. Rahab is an incredible woman. She is wise. She knows that she must fear God more than she fears anyone else.

And her fear of God is rewarded.

The Spies Promise to Save Rahab and Her Household.

Joshua 2:14 “14 So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.””

Joshua 2:17–20“17 So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, 18 unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. 19 So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.””

She is to put a scarlet chord in her window because her house was part of the wall and swears to tell no one of the spies business. And then the spies return and tell Joshua all that happened. Then, something amazing happens.

Israel Crosses the Jordan on Dry Ground.

God repeats the miracle He did at the Red Sea. Most of these people were babies or had not even been born yet when Israel crossed the Red Sea now witness the same thing their parents saw. And I love what Joshua says. Joshua 3:5 “5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”” They are to prepare themselves because God is about to do wonders among them. And God does.

The priests take the Ark of the Covenant into the water and it parts as their feet enter the water. And the people cross on dry ground. And if Jericho was not already terrified, they are even more so now. Joshua 5:1 “1 So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.”

Then:

God Gives Joshua the Battle Plan to Attack Jericho.

I wish I had more time to cover all that happens, but the Commander of the army of the Lord comes to Joshua and Joshua asks Him a question. Are you for us or our adversaries? And the Commander says “no.” What an answer. He then tells Joshua who He is and Joshua worships Him. Now I make point of this because nowhere in Scripture does a mere angel allow anyone to worship them. This is not an angel. This is God. This is what theologians call a Christophany. This is Christ, the Commander of God’s armies. And God is going to fight for Israel.

And then the Lord gives Joshua the battle plan. The people are to march around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days. They are to be silent. Only the priests may blow their horns. Then on the seventh day they are to march around the walls seven times and then they are to shout with all their might.

And:

The People Obey.

And this is critical. They obey. Faith always leads to action. The people obey God. They march around the walls for six days one time each day. And then on the seventh day they march seven times. And picture this image. Thousands of people marching. The Ark of the Covenant in the center with the priests. And they are completely silent with the only sound being the horns of the priests. The people in Jericho must have been utterly horrified. What would God do? And then the final trumpet blast was heard. And the people shouted. And the walls fell down flat.

Joshua 6:20–21“20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.”

All was laid to ruin except one family. The most unlikely of families was saved.

Rahab is Saved.

Rahab and her household were saved. And this is important. God works in households. Yes, individuals are saved. But the fundamental unit of creation is the family. And God works primarily in households. And Rahab is saved. Joshua sends those same two spies in to go and get Rahab and her family. And she and her household was saved from the destruction. And then we read this.

Joshua 6:25 “25 And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”

She was brought into the people of God. And this was not some kind of half way citizenship. She married and she had children. She married a man from the tribe of Judah. She married a man named Salmon. And we read this in Matthew 1:5 “5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,” This should set off alarm bells in our minds. Because Matthew 1:6 “6 and Jesse begot David the king...” Rahab became the great great grandmother of David. Rahab was saved and she was truly saved. She stands forever as one of the women of the faith through whom God brought the Messiah.

Transition:

And now we come the Apostle Paul’s point. We have examined the account of the battle of Jericho. But Paul gives us further insight into the truth here.

The Walls Fell by Faith.

Hebrews 11:30“30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.”

Argumentation:

What was it that caused the walls to fall down? Chrysostom said it so well. “For assuredly the sound of trumpets is not able to throw down stones, though one blow for ten thousand years; but Faith can do all things.” The faith of the people was the instrumental cause God used to destroy the walls of Jericho. It was not superior arms, it was not military strength. It was obedience to God by faith that tore down those walls.

Here is the principle point.

The Israelites Trusted God to Give Them Victory.

Their faith was in God. They trusted God’s promise. God told them that they would go in and conquer the land. They did not know how, but they trusted. God said He would fight for them. And He did. They knew God was faithful and they trusted what He told them. He said He would do it, and that was enough. They believed. They believed God would keep His Word.

And here is the other principle point.

Because the Israelites Trusted God, They Obeyed.

Calvin says it well: “It appeared to be a work childish and ridiculous; and yet they obeyed the divine command.” Think of the command God gave. No one would ever think that marching and blowing trumpets would tear down stone walls. We could walk around this building every day for years and these brick walls would still stand. We could blow trumpets and shout till we were all in the grave and nothing would happen. This seems like such a childish command. But God told them to do it and they believed. And because they believed, they obeyed.

Faith always brings about obedience. Anyone who does not obey is not saved. Not because our works justify us, but because true faith obeys. The Israelites could have said they believed, but if they did not obey, did they really believe?

Think of the previous generation of Israelites. God brought them through the water. He saved them from Egypt. They make it to Sinai. They see God on the mountains. And what do they say? They confess with their mouths that they will do all that God commands. They do this multiple times. But then Moses goes up on the mountain, and what happens? If you’re reading along with us in the Bible reading plan you will have read this account this week. The people swear left and right they will follow and obey God. But as soon as Moses is up on the mountain with God for a while, what do they do? They make the golden calf. They fall instantly into Idolatry.

Their profession of faith did not add up to a hill of beans. “Yes Lord, we will do all you command!” And they instantly abandon this. This is a central point in our faith. Your profession of faith means nothing if it is not backed up by your life. True faith always brings about good works and obedience to God. False faith makes great claims, but then abandons them in our actions.

The Israelites showed they had faith by their obedience. They obeyed God even when it did not make sense. And because of this, God gave them the victory.

Transition:

And we see this in Rahab as well.

Rahab Was Saved by Faith.

Hebrews 11:31“31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”

Argumentation:

What was it that saved Rahab? Paul makes it abundantly clear. She was saved by faith. And this teaches something.

God Can Save the Most Unlikely of People.

I love how Calvin put it in his commentary. “…An alien woman, not only of a humble condition among her own people, but also a harlot, had been adopted into the body of the Church through faith.

It hence follows, that those who are most exalted, are of no account before God, unless they have faith; and that, on the other hand, those who are hardly allowed a place among the profane and the reprobate, are by faith introduced into the company of angels.”

God can save anyone. And God delights in saving those we would never expect. Rahab was an immoral woman. She was a prostitute. She was the last person we would ever expect to have faith. But because of her faith, she is in heaven right now. She is even in the lineage of Jesus. This is beautiful. The most unlikely people are not incapable of being saved. God can save whomever He wishes whenever He wants. No one is too far gone. No one is too great a sinner to be saved by Christ.

You may feel that you have done too much evil. You may feel your sins are too great. But if Rahab can be saved, so can you. You may feel that there is someone who has done too much evil to be saved, but this is wrong. God can save anyone. And He proves this again and again in Scripture.

Beloved, our sins are great. But God’s grace is greater. As the song says, “My sins they are many, His mercy is more. Praise the Lord, His mercy is more.” There is no sinner so great that God cannot save them.

But we must notice what motivated Rahab to trust in God.

Rahab Feared the Coming Judgement and Trusted God for Salvation.

Rahab knew God was sending judgement on Jericho. Jericho was wicked and evil. God was sending judgement and this caused her to fear. She was afraid of the judgement that was coming so she threw herself into the arms of God for salvation.

In the same way, judgement is coming. Judgement is coming soon. Every one of us will die. And then we will face judgement. And all those outside of Christ will face hell. Eternal torment for their sins. Eternal judgement from God.

I tell you this in order to scare you. We often think that fear is a bad thing. No, fear is a good thing. You must fear the right things. You should fear God’s judgement. If you are not following Christ, you should be utterly terrified. We have for too long as Christians viewed fear and a completely bad thing. I have heard countless pastors say that we should never use fear of hell to motivate people to follow Christ. But that is totally unbiblical. Hell should cause the lost to fear. Hell should motivate people to turn from their sins and trust in Christ. If you are here and you are not trusting in Christ, you should be terrified. Because you will go to hell for all eternity.

Rahab was terrified of God’s judgement. And it caused her to turn and trust in God. So also should you. If you are not saved, you are under God’s wrath. And that is a terrifying thing. Be afraid. But I pray that fear causes you to turn from your sin. Because here is the hope. Christ bore that punishment for you, if you will only trust in Him. Turn to Christ and be saved. Turn from your sins. Abandon the lying, the pornography, the gossip, the sin you love. Abandon it. Turn to Christ. Repent and believe in Him and you will be saved. That is the hope.

If you will turn to Christ, you will be saved. Place your faith in Him and be saved. But all of us must evaluate our hearts. Rahab teaches us something.

Because She Trusted God, She Obeyed.

Her faith bore fruit. She trusted God. She was saved by faith. But that faith caused her to bear good works. James tells us this. James 2:25 “25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?” So many people have attempted to say Paul and James are at odds here. But they aren’t. Rahab was saved by faith demonstrated through her works.

True faith is proved by obedience. Those who do not obey God cannot be said to have true faith. This is everywhere in the Bible. True faith always bears fruit. And Rahab proves this. Her salvation was by God’s grace alone. But because she trusted God, it motivated her to action.

Illustration:

Let me demonstrate this. I grew up in the Black Hills. I love mountain biking. I have ridden countless trails. But one thing that happens often, especially in the spring, is the trail will wash out. And most trails, that’s not a big deal. But on a mountain side, that could cause serious injury or even death if you aren’t careful. You go riding around a corner on a steep mountain side and find the trail washed out, you could end up in a really bad spot. You could get seriously injured.

So imagine if you will, I’m out for a ride and I come across my good friend Seth. Seth is a great biker, a pastor, a dear friend. And he tells me, “Hey, up ahead the path is gone. Right at the bottom of this little slope around that bend, its gone. Don’t ride it! If you do, you will go flying off the mountain and get really hurt or even die.” What should I do? This man is trustworthy. If I believe him, if I have faith in him, what would I do?

Well imagine I tell him thank you and I profess up and down to believe him. I say “Thank you so much for telling me. I won’t ride it. I will turn around. Thank you, I believe you.” But then I climb back on my bike and ride full speed around that corner. Did I believe him? Did I have faith in what he told me? No! Of course not! Faith always brings about obedience. Always. True trust, true faith, always affects our actions.

Argumentation:

Now what if God tells us to obey? That was just a good friend. What about God? If we claim to have faith in Christ, but refuse to obey Him our profession is a lie. So I ask you, do you have faith in Christ? Well, do you obey Him? When you sin, does it grieve you? If your faith in Christ is real, then you will seek to obey Him. We will still sin. But when we sin, it grieves us because we want to obey Him. That is the sign of true faith. When the Word of God reveals to you that you are not obeying Him, you should be sad and heartbroken. You should want to obey Him.

Transition:

And that is what we see in this text.

Conclusion:

Israel and Rahab had faith in Christ. And because of their faith, they obeyed.

Visualization:

So also, we must have faith in Christ. And that faith is demonstrated in our lives.

Reiteration:

If we trust God, we will seek to do what He asks of us.

Application:

True Faith Obeys God.

Turn from your sin. Trust the Word of God. And seek to obey the God who has saved you. This is my hope for us. I pray that we would be a church that seeks to follow Christ in all we say and do.

Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer:

Offering:

Offertory Prayer:

Benediction:

1 John 5:20–21“20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”