06PM October 22 Joshua 2 9_21 6 22_23
October 22, 2006—Evening Worship
God’s Broken Instruments
Limping Toward God – Part 2 – Rahab
Great Risks that Bring Greater Rewards
Joshua 2:1-21; 6:22-23
Intro: The Bible records for us in the NT that during the time Jesus walked the earth, there were some who believed in Him who were not part of the Jewish family. These were Gentiles who had heard about Jesus & His power to heal, to raise the dead, to restore sight & to save to the uttermost.
& so it was in the days of the OT. There were some who demonstrated faith in God even though they were not part of the Jews. Rahab is but one example of that & we study the circumstances of her life tonight through the word of God.
Perhaps you were raised in a Christian home by godly parents. Perhaps your mother & father loved Jesus dearly & prayed for you daily. But not everyone had that precious upbringing as a child. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be raised in a home where faith in Christ is not acceptable?
Jesus warned that some families would be divided over the issue of Him being held as the Lord & Savior. READ Matthew 10:32-38 32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, & a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 & a man's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. & he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 & he who does not take his cross & follow after Me is not worthy of Me. Some people are dealing w/family, parents, spouse or children, who may be unbelievers & are even antagonistic to their faith.
Tonight we examine a situation encountered by a woman of less than impeccable character, named Rahab. As we look at her life, let’s explore the great risk she took that brought her greater rewards from God.
READ Joshua 2:1-21
Let’s notice 1st that Rahab had a…
1. Compassion for the People of God (vv. 1-6).
Rahab was familiar w/what God was doing through the children of Israel & she wanted to help – even if it was in a small way.
But we can see here…
A. How Rumors start (READ vv. 1-3)
1. Joshua sends 2 men to secretly spy out, in his words, “especially Jericho.”
2. So being from out of town & not wanting to arouse any suspicions, they decided to “hide out” in a house whose owner was “less than reputable”
3. They went to Rahab’s house, which was for all intents & purposes, a house of ill repute
4. Rahab was a harlot & these men figured that if they wanted to find out about the land around Jericho city, they could find out their best information there
5. They also thought it would be a good place to be inconspicuous, supposing that many men from different lands & cultures would frequent a house like Rahab’s
6. Somehow, someone found out about these men & went & told the king of Jericho that men from the children of Israel had come to search out the country
7. (READ v. 3) Notice they said, “to search out all the country.”
8. Joshua said Jericho, the men said the country & the king’s men said all the country
9. Choose your words carefully & repeat what you hear accurately w/o embellishing – otherwise rumors begin that are not close to the truth
Now vv. 4-6 give us a glimpse into…
B. Where Righteousness begins (READ vv. 4-6)
1. Now this presents a problem in the human reasoning, doesn’t it
2. Rahab has clearly lied to the king’s henchmen to protect these 2 spies
3. If she were discovered in her lie, should would be guilty of treason to her country
4. But why then does the Bible refer to Rahab as a great woman of faith?
5. Was her lying justified? IOW is it ever right to lie?
6. READ James 2:20-26
7. So IOW the Bible says that Rahab’s works were justified, not her words
8. Rahab simply acted on what she knew to be true about God
9. God took that simple act of faith & used it as an example b/c Rahab’s name appears in READ Hebrews 11:31
10. But Rahab’s name also appears in READ Matthew 1:5 in the linage of King David, in the genealogy of Jesus Christ
Why is that important? B/c that beginning of righteousness always leads to a…
2. Conviction of the Power of God (vv. 7-10).
Rahab’s eyes were opening which…
A. Begins with Personal faith (READ vv. 7-9)
1. v. 7 says that a search party was formed & left immediately in the darkness
2. The gates of the city were closed & locked b/c the city could not be left open
3. vv.8-9 gives us a flashback & v. 9 begins Rahab’s testimony of faith in God
4. The word “know” in that v. means “to know by experience, to learn, to find out, to discriminate, to distinguish”
5. So Rahab says that she has learned about the Lord as she found out truths about Him
6. No one ever came to faith in God w/o 1st hearing about Him & learning what He’s done for others & can do for them
7. So Rahab, through hearing these stories of God’s power, began to believe
& that personal faith is then…
B. Fueled by Actual evidence (READ v. 10)
1. Faith in the Lord is not blind faith – it’s based on actual, reliable evidence
2. Not only had Rahab heard these stories but she said “we have heard”
3. She could have been speaking of her family or the people of her country
4. The point is that she had heard & come to believe the truths about God’s power
5. Possibly 2 million people crossing an ocean on dry ground – that’s God!
6. A group of slaves defeating the armies of 2 kings who were great warriors—that’s God!
7. Over & over again faith is fueled in the hearts of previous non-believers by actual evidence of God’s power at work in & through His people & God is glorified in it
Rahab’s conviction of the power of God led to her…
3. Confession of the Person of God (v. 11).
But 1st there is always…
A. The Humiliation of our spirit (READ v. 11a)
1. This is an open & honest confession that we are nothing & can do nothing
2. We have no power; no ability; no worth; no courage; no strength—nothing!
3. & when anyone comes to the realization of who God is - & they see Him in His majesty – they will be filled w/awe at Him & humbled in themselves
[I heard Dr. David Jeremiah on the radio on Friday, & he said that if you want to know how important & powerful you are, put your finger in a bucket of water, then pull it out, & the void you leave in the water when your finger is removed is the depth of your power & importance!]
4. Jesus put it so plainly, so precisely, so perfectly, “W/o Me you can do nothing”
5. Before I came to know Christ, I thought I was somebody & knew almost everything & what I didn’t know wasn’t worth knowing
6. Moses thought he was somebody & decided to lead Israel from Egypt himself
7. Saul thought he was somebody, & that God couldn’t get along w/o him, personally stamping out this new Way of believing that Jesus was the Messiah
8. & we all found out we were dead wrong! Dead in our trespasses & sins wrong
& that humiliation of our spirit always results in…
B. The Exaltation of our Savior (READ v. 11b)
1. Rahab’s response to her own humiliation was that the Lord God is the only God
2. She said in heaven & on earth & there is nowhere else anyone could exist!
3. The Lord, He is God is the response of Israel on Mt. Carmel at the demonstration of God’s power & proof of His Lordship
4. & it’s the only response anyone can make when confronted w/the Person of God
5. When He has revealed His presence & His power in such a mighty way – the result is always praise & adoration & exaltation of the only true, living, holy God!
6. & that response is still the response that happens today in the hearts of unbelievers who are drawn to God by His Holy Spirit & by believers as they worship the head of the Body.
You see God had chosen Rahab & these spies to be…
4. Comrades in the Purpose of God (vv. 12-14).
& that’s seen in…
A. In the Providence of God (READ vv. 12-14a)
1. God places people together to accomplish His purposes on earth
2. God causes people to cross our paths as He works His will & plan
3. You’ve heard Walter’s testimony of how he came to meet Pastor Tet
4. God placed them together for His purposes & God also used this church
5. He knows our abilities & inabilities & puts us together w/others to form the body as He desires it to be
6. God’s providence put the Israelite spies in Rahab’s house for a reason
7. Rahab had faith for a reason; she is one of 2 non-Jewish women listed in the genealogy of Jesus—God was saying that in His providence, His purpose is that all kinds of people can come to Him by faith & be saved
8. God has placed you in this local expression of the body of Christ to be comrades w/us in the purpose of God
& God made comrades of Rahab & the spies…
B. For the Pleasure of God (READ v. 14b)
1. These men acknowledged the fact that they believed God’s promises
2. They said “when the Lord has given us the land”
3. It was a future event but they knew it would happen according to His pleasure
4. & b/c of God’s good pleasure, these men were imitating God’s character
5. They promised to treat Rahab kindly & truly—just like God would do to them
6. You see we do take on the characteristics of God as we trust & follow Him
7. His life is lived through us as we are obedient to Him (Galatians 2:20)
Rahab’s full blown faith now resides in her…
5. Confidence in the Promise of God (vv. 15-21; 6:22-23).
God is the only real promise keeper, but we have our part to uphold as we see in…
A. The Instructions received (READ vv. 15-20)
1. Its still night time & this escape took place under the cover of darkness
2. Being a resident of the land she tells them which way to go to find good cover
3. Then the men tell her exactly what she is to do in order to be saved
4. She is trusting in the integrity of these men as they follow God’s example
5. IOW Rahab has had no contact w/God by dream or revelation or vision
6. So these men are the “prophets” of God’s promise to her & she believes
7. As the people of God we are to the world “prophets of the Lord”
8. What you do & say has a profound affect on the people around you
9. So live by your words & be faithful—so that your actions build faith in others
Rahab’s faith is evident in…
B. The Immediate response (READ v. 21)
1. When she used the words “so be it” she in affect said, Amen! (their meaning)
2. Her response was “I agree” & she sent them on their way
3. & I love the implication in the last part of v. 21 READ
4. As soon as they were gone she ties the cord in the window
5. She wasted no time in obeying; she was willing & ready to follow THE way
6. You see for her, at that time, there was only one way of escape
7. There was only one way she could be saved & that was to heed their words
8. There is only one way for anyone to be saved & that is to immediately respond to the grace offered in Jesus Christ.
9. There is no other way & only by faith in Jesus can we be certain of forgiveness
10. But not only can we be certain of it forgiveness, but we can, like Rahab, be confident of His promises (John 14:1-3)
Conclusion: 1- Rahab took the great risk of having compassion for the people of God, which were the enemies of her own people.
2- She took the great risk of coming to the conviction of the power of God, which was contrary to her upbringing.
3- Rahab took the great risk of making a confession of the Person of God, which would alienate her from everything she had ever known.
4- She took the great risk of being comrades w/strangers in the purpose of God, which could have cost her life.
5- & Rahab took the great risk of placing her confidence in the promises of God, even when there was no visible evidence.
All these great risks brought Rahab greater rewards. READ Joshua 6:22-23. & READ Hebrews 11:31. Not only was Rahab saved from the disaster that God brought on Jericho, but she was saved for all eternity by faith in the God of Israel, who is the only God that hears & answers the cries of the hearts of men & women & boys & girls.
Invitation: What risks have you taken for the glory of God? Have you come to faith in Him? Are you serving Him? Are you risking your reputation for the rewards that are reserved in heaven for you? If not—why not? Would you commit to do so tonight?
Hymn 484 Higher Ground