THE WOMAN THAT SAVED OUR LIVES

JOSHUA 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

To begin with brothers and sisters,Christian Friends, Well Wishers, and Saints of God. I want to talk about THE WOMAN THAT SAVED OUR LIVES. Through history this Hebrew story is famous. In this story We have spies and lies, faith and folly, crazy confidence with convincing conniving trickery. And let me say that God is Sovereign and He can do what he wants how He wants and to whom He wants. God sometimes uses people that we wouldn’t even give a chance let alone a second chance.

Let me teach you something right here The bible says that God has chosen the foolish things of this world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of this world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of this world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. ATCSA

Listen to the tint tone and timbre of the title of the text A Woman Saved Our Lives.It’s the cleaned up version for the intellectually astute listeners, It’s the cleaned up version for the tender ears of my youthful babies, and it’s the cleaned up version to keep your mind stayed on the word rather than the circumstances of who Rahab the harlot really was. The bible teaches us that Rahab was a believer in the True and Living God Jehovah Adonai. She believed in Elohim. She believed in El Shaddai and despite her lies, and folly, with her conniving trickery she had crazy confidence in the Hebrew God. I can relate to her and if you tell the truth you ought to be able to relate to Rehab too. We sometimes tell lies and we still believe in God. We sometimes engage in unlawful stuff and we still love God. We sometimes dibble and dabble in the unsavory things that God said to stay away from and we still love God. That’s why the songwriter said please be patient with me because God is not through with me yet. Rahab the harlot has Courageous Faith in Jos 2: 1-7, She has Confident Faith in Jos 2:8-11, She has Concerned Faith Jos 2:12-14 and she has Covenant Faith in Jos 2:15-24..

Brothers and sisters the bible say that without Faith it is impossible to please God. Because Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains out of your way;Because Faith in the True and Living God means Salvation and; Because Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. ATCSA.

And so the bible says that Joshua is the leader of Israel and God has given him implicit instructions to into the Promised Land. It won’t be easy but I read in my bible that We can do all thing through Christ that strengthens us. Do I have a witness? Yeah Joshua 2:1 tells us that Joshua sent out two spies to survey the land. But why didn’t Joshua send out twelve spies like Moses did when the first survey and spied the land? I’m glad you asked. Because in the first espionage episode 40 years earlier it only Joshua and Caleb that came back with a positive report. They said come let go at once and seize the land for we are well able. So Joshua is a real spy. Joshua got real skills. Joshua is a real warrior. Joshua ain’t no buster. And folks believe it or not game recognize game and that’s a fact. Joshua says let’s streamline this event. Joshua said I know two boys that’s got heart just like me and Caleb had and I’m going to send them. Joshua said if I sent all them want bees they just gon get caught. the spies that Joshua sent ain’t never got caught.

And so they park at Rahab the harlot’s house. All the men in town done stopped by her house so somebody saw the two spies going in the house. The bible says that they went back and told the king. That tells me that somebody is always watching. Somebody go see you in a place that you ought not be in. ATCSA.

The king calls Rahab in and says where them spies at 2x This is the spies and lies section. Listen to the text from the NLT in verse 3 the bible says “So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.”

Rahab had hid the Israelite spies and brothers and sisters this takes Courageous Faith in the face of fear. Because if the king found out Rehab would be put the death in the public square and nobody would have said that the King of Jericho was wrong because Rahab was already known as the town harlot.Yes indeed. The bible says in verses 4,5,&6 that 4 Rahab had hidden the two men, She had brought them upstairs and hid them under the stalks of flax. The stalks of flax are sheets of linen material that’s used for making clothing and other items. Rahab was a business woman and even if the soldiers would check upstairs Rahab’s inventory was so deep until they soldiers would never find the Israelite spies. Rahab had a secret space in the upstairs space and no doubt she had used this space to hid people in the town who didn’t want to be found.

And so Rahab tells the king of Jericho, “Yes king, the men were here earlier, they came for business but I didn’t know where they were from. Rahab probably said king a lot of men come from a lot of places that I don’t know.

“King, I don’t know where they were from verse 5 says but They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. Rahab said I don’t get in people business but they just left and If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” All the while Rahab knew! that she was lying, Rahab knew that the offense could be deadly She knew but Courageous Faith supersedes the fear or failure. ATCSA The NLT bible say in verse 7 So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut. The door to the city of Jericho was shut, Spies and Lies the Plot thickens...

The bible says 8 Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. This is just like a movie Rahab waits until all the noise of the city die down , she waits until all the chatter in the streets and city walls die down She waits until the city goes to sleep, then she goes up to the roof and have a serious conversation with the spies.

Rahab says in verses 9 10 &11 shows Confident Faith . She says Listen fellows I know who you are I told the king I didn’t know but I know that you’ll serve the True and Living God. I know He’s the God of Heaven and Earth.

Rahab says everybody in town scared to death of ya’ll. They know y’all Israelites ain’t nothing nice.

Rahab said we heard how y’all crossed the Red Sea of Dry land and how Pharaoh’s Army drowned in the Red Sea, oh yeah we heard.

Rahab said We heard how y’all utter destroyed Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings that was on the other side of the Jordan, oh yeah we heard.

Rahab said after we heard that our hearts did melt because of y’all because we knew that we were next…

Rahab said Oh yeah we heard how the Lord your God has given you this land,” and “We are all afraid of you. Rahab said I mean Everyone in the land is living in terror. We heard Brothers and sisters that’s Confident Faith. And here’s why sometimes it’s what other people said about you more than what you believe about you. Sometimes other people have more confidence in your abilities than you do. So Rahab has Confident Faith in the Israelite God. ATCSA.

Then we see Concerned Faith in action because the bible says in Joshua 2:12-14 That Rahab reveals her ultimate plan. Rahab wasn’t just concerned about just her welfare, but she was concerned about her family as well. Let’s look at the text.12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: 13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. 14 And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

Rahab said swear to me in other words give me your word that y’all spies, y’all men, and all of you Israelites will do right by me.

Rahab said my price for doing all f this is that my mama my daddy my sisters and my brothers and all their families will be saved when you’ll invade the land.

Rahab has Concerned Faith because the Israelite spies could have been liars because most spies are. But listen to the response of the spies. In verse 14 The men agreed that “We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” “If you don’t betray us Rahab, we will keep our promise and be kind to you and your family when the LORD gives us the land.”

And so the covenant, the contract, and the agreement has been established between Rahab and the spies. And so now all that’s left is to get the spies out of the city without them being detected. From the God’s Word bible In Joshua 2:15-17 the word says 15 So Rahab let them down by a rope from her window since her house was built into the city wall. (She lived in the city wall.) 16 She told them, “Go to the mountains so that the men who are pursuing you will not find you. Hide there for three days until they return to Jericho. Then you can go on your way.”  17 The men told her, “We will be free from the oath which you made us swear, ⸤if you tell anyone what we’re doing here⸥.

I see several things here.

#1. Rahab had a masterful plan. She made a red rope that was long enough to reach down three floors like a three story house.

#2. Rahab said get to the mountains and hide there for three days until y’all see the Jericho posses come back to town. Then you’ll go back to the Israelite camp.

#3. The Israelite spies said Ms Rahab we will honor all you said 3x but if you turn on us all bets are off the table. Look at verse 17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear. The Spies said well since we’re being honest and establishing covenants listen to this, in verses 18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee. 19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. 20 And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.

In this covenant agreement the spies said put this same red rope out of your window that’s on the outside of the wall of the city of Jericho. And when we see it we’ll pass over this house. When we see it we’ll spare this house and when we see it we will not invade your home.

Secondly Ms Rahab you better make sure that everybody in your family that you want to live better be in this house. They can’t be hanging out in them streets saying Rev I’m coming in after while. That won’t work in this new season.

Tell your neighbor: That won’t work in this new season. it’s time to come in the house and stay in the house. Yeah ATCSA. The spies said because if they out there in them streets and my men see them out there in them streets they gon kill em. A word to the wise if you ain’t out there where they doing the killing at chances are you won’t get killed… Been there and done that. Come on in patner.

Then the spies said Ms Rahab you good people but if you turn on us you gon get got too.

And the question the spies asked was, “are we straight on that Ms Rahab?” Let me prove it Look at verse 21 And Rahab said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window. That the covenant. That’s the agreement, that’s the contract that was made to start the Messianic Blood line of Jesus Christ. Teach me Pastor Allen. Because you’ll do kn ow that Rahab the Harlot was Jesus Christ Great great great great great grandmother. And in modern times we‘re finding out that the new pope’s grandparents were black and creole. ATCSA .

Well I’ve got to close here but tah the bible says in the NLT in verses 22 The spies went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men who were chasing them searched everywhere along the road, but they finally returned without success. 23 Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported to Joshua all that had happened to them. 24 “The LORD has given us the whole land,” they said, “for all the people in the land are terrified of us.”

Rahab the harlot was The Woman that saved our lives. You never kn ow who God will use to save your life so treat everybody with dignity and respect. ATCSA.