Rahab: A Faith Not Held Back By Fear

Joshua The Son of Nun

Prayer / Announcements / Breakfast

Courtney and I have truly missed each and everyone of you. We love leading an teaching this class, and I can honestly say that we have never loved you more than we do today. You see we spent the entire week with 6th graders in VBS and 50% of them were bussed in from North Middletown. We loved it, but it was a long week. And it ends tonight.

Have you ever had to make a split-second decision that carried big consequences? What guided your choice — fear, instinct, or faith? I remember one time when I was little and I looked out my mom and dads window and saw a strange sight there was fire coming out of the neighbors chimney across the street. My dad looked for just a second and then sprinted out of the room, across the street, and barged right into their house.

Continuing in our Bible Character series. Last week we spent some time talking about Joshua the Son of Nun. I refrained myself the entire class from saying the terrible dad joke. What Dad joke? Did you know that Joshua in the bible does not have any parents….because he is the son of Nun.

We looked at him as a servant leader for Moses, bringing the good report when he spied out the land, and his understanding that to be a successful leader it takes immersing yourself in the word of God, as well as sitting in the presence of God. Remember in Exodus 33 Moses would meet with God and Joshua stayed back.

We ran out of time, but the book of Joshua is filled with battles, victories, and over all leading by faith. This week we will be taking a look at another character found in the book of Joshua, Rahab. Her story comes right after what we looked at last week starting in Joshua 2. Her story runs parallel with Joshuas.

She is a peculiar character and we will see that she had a faith that was not held back by fear. Rahab is also mentioned in Hebrews 11. The hall of faith along side Noah, and Joshua.

When I say the name Rahab another word may pop into your head if you have been in church for a while. It is one detail I bet most of you know about Rahab. What word am I thinking of?

Slide

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.”

It is interesting, and is the reason why you all knew what I was talking a bout when I said it, but every time Rahab is mentioned the word Harlot shows next to her name.

She is one of the few women of the old testament that is mentioned in the NT, we will talk more about that as we move on.

Faith Takes Risks

Joshua 2:1–4 “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.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.” 4 Then the woman took the two men and hid them.

Here is the setup. We talked about this last week and this is just a continuation. Joshua receives a commission from the Lord, remember be strong and of good courage, and Joshua receives instruction from God on how to lead the people and how to have success in life and leadership.

Chapter 1 ends with the people responding to him after he comes and talks with them. Joshua 1:18 “18 Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”” The people let him know we are with you, lead us to the promised land. After 40 years of wandering its time to go into the land God promised to them.

The first order of business, we see in Chapter 2. Joshua sends out 2 spies, secretly. Not publicly.

Jericho is kind of the first big city they need to conquer as they cross the Jordan River. Joshua sends spies to gather intel that might help in battle. Joshua we talked about last week had strong faith, but also saw the advantages of strong leadership and planning. He understood the concept of Faith in Action, as we will see so does Rahab.

Some people kind of have a problem with the fact that Rahab was a harlot and these men, most likely leaders, go to her house. There is no indication here that they went for her services. Most likely it was also a place that a foreigner could turn into stay. It was also a way to remain anonymous, meaning they didn’t want to be noticed or stand out.

So Rahab takes them in and receives a knock on the door. We have information that says Israeli spies have entered your house. Give them over. As I was reading this I low key got WWII Germany and Poland vibes. Hi we are not here for you just give us the jews. Corrie Ten Boom, Oskar Schindler, Deitrich Boenhoefer.

In that moment, Rahab has a decision that must be made. We read these things so far removed from them but it was not an easy decision. Had they been found she very well could have lost her life. Think about it this way she crossed a line, she could never go back on. Maybe she thought of herself as less of a person given her profession, but her open rebellion revealed her faith in God.

I think of people in the Middle East even today who wish to make a profession of faith in Jesus, but risk everything. We simply can’t identify with that at all here. They could be killed, outcast from society, disowned by friends and family, black listed from work, it is a literal death sentence on so many levels. This is the risk that Rahab is taking.

Faith Takes Action

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.”

She makes a decision to fully dig in and protect these men, she redirects the men at her door to chase after a ghost by sending them on a chase.

Jesus half brother James mentions Rahab by name in the book that was written by him.

James 2:25–26 “25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

We’ve talked a lot a bout this topic here. Faith in action is true faith. Faith moves us to act, not sit still and wait for things to come to us. And Rahab had as faith in God that was so strong, yet so infantile. At this point she doesn’t really know God, just of God. And what she heard was enough to place her faith in him.

Why are Christians still affected by earthly fear even when we know God is with us? What are some things that help us stand up to cultural pressure?

You might be wondering why she is brought up in James, and also going back to Hebrews. So far it just looks like she is a nice person, not necessarily someone with Faith. But lets keep reading.

Faith Makes Bold Declarations

Joshua 2:8–11 “8 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.

What we get to see here is the WHY. Why did she risk her life? Why did she hide these men, when it would have been much easier to turn them in? Why did she do something that was so counter cultural?

She believed that God is The God in heaven and on earth. Why did she do this, she had faith in God. She doesn’t fully understand what this means yet, but its there, in such measure that she is moved by faith to hide the spies.

Look at her response after her declaration.

Faith Impacts Those Around Us

Joshua 2:12–15 “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.” 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.” 15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall.”

I believe in your God, I know He is going to give you this land, and give you victory in battle. Have mercy on me and my family. Show kindness as I have shown to you.

Joshua 2:17–21 “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.” 21 Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.”

When the battle is raging here is how we will know not to kill you or your family. Stay put in your house, and mark it so all will know who you are and not to attack you. How will they know, the scarlet cord.

Biblical commentators as early as the first century, such as Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Ireneaus, Origen and more saw this scarlet cord as a symbol of the blood of Jesus.

It reminds me of the Passover in the exodus story when they the Israelites would kill a lamb and put the blood on the door posts and the lintel. The death angel passed over those houses that had the blood on display, as the judgement brought by Israel upon Jericho would passover Rahab and her household when they saw the scarlet rope displayed on the window.

There are rich themes that can be explored here but we don’t have time.

Faith Is Rewarded

It may seem weird to say that faith is rewarded, because we know people who have faith and is seems like they have not been the recipients of reward. Hebrews 11:6 “6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Joshua 6:22–25 “22 But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, “Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.” 23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. 24 But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 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.”

The spies obviously relay all the information to Joshua when they return, and Joshua honors the oath that was made with Rahab. Joshua goes in and utterly destroys the city and its people as they go in to possess the land. But not Rahab and her family, they are saved by the faith of one pagan, prostitute.

The example we can see here is that no one is to far from God’s reach, harlotry was definitely a terrible profession, but many times it was also tied to pagan worship. Rahab has a huge impact on all of us. The faith that she displayed was used in such a powerful way that she is mentioned in James and Hebrews.

But I love the end of the verses we just read. v. 25 So she dwells in Israel to this day. The Lord completely changed Rahab because she trusted Him with her life. She is known as a Harlot, but that is not how she stayed. She dwelled in Israel, and married a Godly man. How do you know?

The bible tells us. She marries a nice Jewish man named Salmon. You’re thinking I didn’t know Rahab’s story keeps going on in detail to know who she marries? It doesn’t but she has some pretty famous relatives.

Here is how God uses Faith. Rahab, the pagan prostitute, marries a man named Salmon. They have a son. Their son is named Boaz. Boaz marries a Moabite woman who also had great faith her name was Ruth. Boaz and Ruth have a son named Obed. Obed has a son named Jesse, and Jesse has a son named David the King. David is Rahabs’ great great great grandson.

And if that is not enough, if you understand David’s lineage you will know that Jesus Himself. Rahab is right there in the lineage of Jesus in

Matthew 1:5 “5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,”

Talk about a beautiful story of redemption. This is Romans 8:28 in action.

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Why do you think the Bible continues to refer to her as “Rahab the harlot” even in the New Testament?

How do we determine when its time to obey God rather than man?

When have you seen someone act in faith even in the face of fear?

In what ways has your faith helped you overcome fear?