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.
• God’s Spiritual COMPASSION – “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 Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.” Joshua 2:10 (NIV)
Rahab tells the spies that they heard of what happened in Egypt and of the kings they have defeated along the way. Let me remind of you a very important biblical truth: it had been 40 years since they left Egypt. God had spared the city for that amount of time, and still they had several more days before judgment came to them. Rahab had experienced the grace and patience of God in giving her time to come to faith in Him. What we see in this verse is God’s mercy…giving them more than 40 years to come to Him in faith. Friend, how many years has the Lord given you? How many times has He knocked on your heart’s door? How many times has He called you to faith? You that have a relationship with Christ, how many times did the Lord call before you responded in faith? What a gracious God we serve! However, those of you who are like this PRETTY WOMAN TODAY should be very careful about presuming upon the grace of God. The Bible makes it crystal clear that there is a limit to patience in calling the lost to come to Him for salvation – “Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” Genesis 6:3 (NIV)
It’s very dangerous to delay coming to the Lord; your eternity is at stake! I. CALL GIRL.
II. THE CONVERTED GIRL (2:8-11)
“Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 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 Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” Joshua 2:8-11 (NIV)
How does this text indicate the conversion or change in Rahab’s life?
• She HEARD the Word – 2:10-11:
Rahab heard about the God of Israel. It was a message of judgment that she heard, but it was through the message of judgment that she was introduced to the true and living God. Share Cynthia’s testimony. The message that came was to her a message of life!
There is still a message of life that is being proclaimed around the world. That is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This message tells us about a God who loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins on a cross. This Son suffered in terrible agony and shed His blood that our sin debt might be paid. Then, 3 days later, this same man who died for us on that cross arose from the dead to bring eternal life to everyone who will call on His Name: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Cor. 15:3-4
It is this message that you need to hear today. It is the most important message of life.
• She HEEDED the Word – (2:9-11)
Not only did Rahab hear the message, but she heeded it as well. This message produced a response of faith in the heart of Rahab. The fact that she believed the message is proven by what she says about God. In verse 9, she calls Him "the LORD," using His covenant Name Jehovah. In verse 11, she expresses her faith in Him as “THE God of Heaven and of earth.” In verse 12, she again expresses her faith in Him as she calls God to witness the pact she is about to make with the spies. Even in Hebrews 11, the great Hall of the Faithful, verse 31 tells us of the faith of Rahab. She heard the message and she acted on it in belief.
This is exactly what must happen in the life of the every person who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. POP STRATEGY! We must bring them to Jesus. They must hear the message and then they must act on that message by accepting Jesus as their Savior by faith.
The Bible reminds us: Romans 10:17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
As the message of salvation is heard and believed in the heart, salvation becomes a reality in the life of the believer. Please let me remind you this morning that salvation can not be yours as long as your faith is in anything else but Jesus. If you are trusting in church membership, baptism or anything else in this world, other than just Jesus and Him alone, then you need today to hear this message and by faith come to Christ. I challenge you to look into your heart right now, and determine just what it is that you are trusting to take you to Heaven. What is it? If it is Jesus then rejoice for you are His. If it is anything else, then repent and receive Him today. Review: I. The Call Girl – II. The Converted Girl
III. THE COURAGEOUS GIRL (2:12-22)
“Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death." 14 "Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land." 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way." 17 The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear." 21 "Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them.” Joshua 2:12-22 (NIV)
After Rahab came to faith in the true and living God, her life was forever changed! What God did with her is a miracle of His love and grace. God has no respect of persons, therefore, what He did for Rahab; He can do for you; regardless of your past sin.
It is easy to identify the evidence of her courage.
• COURAGEOUS IN HER LIFE:
The most obvious evidence that Rahab was genuinely converted is the fact that she involved herself with the work of the Lord. She hid the spies and covered up for them. James reminds us that “faith without works is dead.” Works does not produce faith but true faith always will lead to works. Listen to what James says about Rahab: “In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?” James 2:25 (NIV)
My friends, we can like it or not, but the truth of our profession is proven by the work of our life, You see, we can say anything we like, but what we really are is proven by what we do! A life that belongs to the Lord Jesus will be a life that wants to be involved in the things of God! The fruit of your life proves the root of your life - “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” Matt. 7:20 (NIV)
• COURAGEOUS IN HER LOVE: “Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death." (2:12-13)
Notice that Rahab is concerned about others in her family who are in danger as well. She now knows that God will take care of her. She wants the same assurance for her family. Her heart is moved to reach out for help for them. Imagine what risk she placed herself at in telling her family of her plan.
In this aspect of her life, Rahab is a picture of the person who comes to faith in Christ. One of the first evidences of new life when a person receives Christ is that they want to bring others to the Savior. The life of Rahab gave evidence to the courage she had to tell her family about the God who saves. Is that same evidence obvious in our life today?
Conclusion:
Because she placed her faith in the Lord God of Israel, she obtained some precious possessions. Notice how God took this former prostitute and blessed her new life with the richest of His blessings! Examine Joshua 6:20-25
“When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it--men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. 22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. 24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the Israelites to this day.” Joshua 6:20-25 (NIV)
What a picture we have in this passage of scripture…In Christ our life changes:
WE HAVE NEW FREEDOM!
When a new believer places his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he is immediately delivered from the penalty of his sins, from eternal destruction! He finds a new freedom in Jesus that allows him to live while others all around him perish. Just as Rahab’s home was marked by a scarlet rope, v. 18 so our life is recognized by God because of the blood of Jesus that has been applied to our souls by faith. That rope told Israel that Rahab believed God and was to live. The blood of Jesus tells the Father that we have trusted His Son and we, too shall live!
WE HAVE A NEW FAMILY!
Rahab Found A New Family – “and she lives among the Israelites to this day.” (6:25) she married into the people of Israel and became part of all the covenant blessings of the Lord. She went from being part of judged nation to being part of a holy nation! She is even in the lineage of Jesus.
“Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.” Matthew 1:5-6 (NIV)
WE HAVE NEW FAME!
Rahab went from the house of shame to God’s hall of fame. This woman became and ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, she was David’s great-great grandmother and she was the mother-in-law of Ruth. God took her from the very gutter and made her eternally famous. He gave this trusting sinner a place in His eternal, divine plan.
Well, it’s plain to see that this first “PRETTY WOMAN” by the name of Rahab isn’t the girl she used to be! Can the same be said of you this day? What about your life?
God took a prostitute by the name of Rahab and saved her by His grace and used her for His glory. He wants to do the same for you. Will you come and do what He is asking you to do today?
