"THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO RAHAB"

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>>>(Rahab&Spies)

Joshua 2:8–13 “Now before the spies lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. When we heard these reports, our hearts melted and no courage remained in anyone any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father’s household, and give me a pledge of truth, and spare my father and my mother, and my brothers and my sisters, and all who belong to them, and save our lives from death.””

Joshua 2:14 “So the men said to her, “Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the Lord gives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.””

>>>(v.8-10) As Rahab hid the spies, she told them that she “knew” the LORD had given them Jericho.

*“know” means “understand”. Rahab understood that God was on the side of Israel.

>>>Rahab and all Jericho heard of Israel crossing the Red Sea and overthrowing the Amorite kings.

>>>(V.11-14) Rahab professed the LORD as the One True God and his the spies as an act of faith in Him, seeking to be spared the coming judgment.

RAHAB BELIEVED GOD.

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>>>Rahab let the spies down through a scarlet cord (rope) and gave directions out of the city.

Joshua 2:17–21 “And the men said to her, “We shall be exempt from this oath to you which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather into your house your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. And it shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house outside will have his blood on his own head, and we will be innocent; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be exempt from the oath which you have made us swear.” She then said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.”

>>>In response to Rahab hiding them, the spies honored her request to save her and her family from the invasion.

>>>(v.18) The spies told Rahab that in order to be saved she had to leave the scarlet cord in her window and stay inside.

RAHAB WAS MARKED FOR SALVATION.

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>>>Joshua led the invasion into Jericho in ch. 6.

Joshua 6:22–23 “And Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, just as you have sworn to her.” So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives, and placed them outside the camp of Israel.”

Joshua 6:25 “However, Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”

>>>The promise of Rahab’s salvation was fulfilled. The spies came and brought her out of her house, and she lived in the midst of Israel.

RAHAB HAD FINAL REDEMPTION.

>>>She had final redemption by being brought into the family of Israel to inherit the land after having been spared the judgment on the rest of Jericho.

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>>>The NT references Rahab.

Hebrews 11:31 “By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.”

James 2:25 “In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”

>>>Rahab, in faith, hid the spies hoping that she would be spared.

>>>She did not just “have” faith, she “acted” in faith. Faith became her life.

>>>Rahab, having been in the midst of Israel, had a child (Boaz) and through her descendants was Jesus.

*Rahab was a prostitute redeemed into the (literal) family of God.

>>>Jesus came and died for our sins, so that when we believe in Him, we are marked for salvation by His blood, brought into His family, and will be spared judgment, having a final redemption when He comes back to get us.