Pretty Woman Series

THE CANAAN CONQUEST – PART TWO

“Pretty Woman”

Joshua 2:1-24 - ©Dr. Larry L. Thompson (2007)

Introduction:

No doubt you have seen or heard of a Julia Roberts movie by the name of “Pretty Woman.” It is the story of young prostitute that meets her Prince Charming and is taken out of her horrific surroundings and her entire life changes just because she had the opportunity to meet this man and to trust him and his genuine love for her.

Once he came into her life everything began to change. Her dress changed, her looks changed, her character changed, gradually her whole life changed…all because of this one meeting. When you put Christ in your life and in your heart you will also begin to see your whole life transformed. For those of you who think “Pretty Woman” was an original plot you obviously haven’t read the second chapter of Joshua as we witness the same type of transformation in the life of Rahab the prostitute!

As the Israelites were about to enter Canaan and claim their promised land, the first city they would have to face was the great walled city of Jericho. If they could take this city, they could easily split the country in two and then move from there to conquer the north and the south. Before they go about the business of defeating Jericho, Joshua sends spies to the city to gage the mood of the people and to see whether or not they were ready for war. When these spies entered Jericho, they went to the home of a prostitute. Why? Well, the sight of men entering a prostitute’s home would not attract too much attention. Now would it? What they found when they entered the home of Rahab must have come as quiet a shock to these two men. They found a woman who had been changed by the power of the testimony of the acts of God. They met Rahab, but found out that she wasn’t the girl she used to be!

For us, this PRETTY WOMAN is a picture of the power of the Lord Jesus to transform any life that comes to Him by faith. What we will see today is how the Lord takes sinners who will place their faith in Him and changes them by His power and grace. As I preach this message this morning, if you have trusted Christ, then rejoice in the great change Jesus has made in your life. If you are not a child of God, then allow the Lord to speak to your heart this morning and be willing to enter into this new relationship.

Let’s see what we can discover about this original PRETTY WOMAN?

I. THE CALL GIRL (2:1)

“Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.” Joshua 2:1 (NIV)

I want you to take a close look at this CALL GIRL and tell me what you see.

• Her Spiritual CONDITION - Rahab was a prostitute.

She was engaged in a wicked lifestyle where she sold her body to men for money. Her life was depraved. However, she is a picture of every person here this morning without a personal relationship to Christ. You may not be a prostitute, but if you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, then you face the same judgment that this young woman was facing. It is sad but true, all of us are sinners: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (NIV) If you have no personal relationship with Jesus Christ today, then your situation is just as helpless and hopeless as this prostitute by the name of Rahab.

• Her Spiritual CONDEMNATION - Lived in a city that was doomed for destruction!

God had already determined that Jericho would fall! I am sure the people felt pretty confident and reasonably safe behind the walls of their city, but God had already passed sentence upon them and they were doomed to die! The people of Jericho may not have felt that they were in great danger, but it did not change the fact that their fate was sealed. It is the same with many today who feel totally secure in continuing to live your life outside of the presence of God. Please understand that the Bible says you are already doomed; destined for destruction. “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18 (NIV)

Friend, if you are without Christ today then you are in the same position as the people of Jericho. Living in false security but in reality an eternal destiny of destruction is waiting.