“THE COURAGE OF FAITH”
Joshua 2:1-24
Susan Wilkinson, in her book “Getting Past Your Past”, writes these words:
“She was the talk of the town, but nobody talked to her.
Every square inch of her seductive body was lovely, but she was unloved.
I guess that’s the price you pay when you’re the town prostitute.
I know it sounds calloused to use that term in speaking of another human being, but that’s the only accurate way to describe this young woman.
Her name was Rahab.
She was a street-walking hooker living in the town of Jericho nearly four millennia ago. Women despised and shunned her.
Men leered at, joked about and visited her.
Of all the people you’d least expect God to use in a significant way it was this woman, Rahab.
After all she carried with her a rather unseemly past.
By all standards of decency she was a tainted woman.
Yet her life proves a truth that needs to be shouted for all to hear, especially in our modern times: Your past does not determine your future, your choices do.”
This morning, we’re going to carefully examine the life of the most unlikely hero of the faith. Her name is Rahab.
But before we look into her life, I would like to explore the question: “What is faith?” What do we mean when we say “faith”?
I see 3 ingredients of faith:
1. BELIEF
This is based on examination of the evidence. Having investigated the evidence, you make the decision to agree with the facts. Suppose someone says to you that this chair is safe. You could look at this chair and from all appearances it looks like a safe chair, that it could hold you up if you sat in it. You could even find out the manufacturer of the chair, find out where we bought the chair from and decide if it is safe. So, having done that, you decide to believe the facts that, yes, this chair is safe.
2. TRUST
This is based on having confidence in the object of your belief. When you trust, you say, “I believe in the facts that this chair can hold me up. Therefore, I trust it.” When you trust you place your personal confidence in something because the evidence proves the object of the faith is valid.
3. ACTION
This takes personal involvement. This is actually sitting on the chair and letting it hold you up.
You see, faith isn’t anti-intellectual, it isn’t guesswork, it isn’t wishful thinking. Faith is rooted and grounded in fact.
You become a Christian when you have faith in Jesus Christ, trusting in Jesus that He died on the cross for your sins making it possible for you to have a right relationship with God. It’s not enough to just believe, because the Bible tells us that the demons believe and tremble. It’s placing your trust in Christ, taking action, boarding that plane, sitting down on that chair.
But after having become a Christian, you will also continue to exercise faith throughout your life.
For example, maybe right now, this morning, there is some area of your life that you need to give to God. You know intellectually that Jesus is trustworthy, right? But maybe you haven’t yielded this area of your life to Him. So you realize that, yes, Jesus can actually be trusted with that area of your life, so, out of obedience to God, you act on your trust by yielding it to Jesus Christ, letting go, and relaxing.
“But, oh, it’s so hard!” you say. “I just don’t have enough courage!” Well, you’re right in that it is hard, but you are wrong if you say that you don’t have enough courage. I would say that you don’t have enough faith. You see, if you have true faith, you have courage, because the mark of true faith is courage. Faith is the source of courage. We don’t have great faith by having great courage; we have great courage when we have great faith. And God always honors faith that is demonstrated by courage.
One such example is Rahab. She stands out in Scripture as an object of God’s redeeming grace. She is mentioned in Hebrews 11 (the faithful’s Hall of Faith). She’s mentioned along with such greats as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Along with these greats, we find the most unlikely person…Rahab.
She had no great spiritual pedigree.
She did no great feats of strength prowess.
She wasn’t a brilliant scholar or theologian.
Here is a woman with absolutely nothing going for her!
Why was she unlikely?
1. She was a Gentile, and a Canaanite at that. The Canaanites were the enemy. In fact, she was an Amorite, a race that God had long ago marked for destruction. She wasn’t Jewish, not of God’s chosen people.
2. She was a Woman.
An old daily Jewish prayer went like this, “I thank my God that I was not born a Gentile, or a woman.”
This was the prevailing attitude toward women.
Women were viewed as second-class citizens.
They were viewed as possessions owned by their men, little better than sheep or cattle.
3. She was a Prostitute.
She was on the lowest rung of the lowest ladder in Jewish society. According to Mosaic law, she should be taken out into the courtyard of the city and stoned to death.
Most people would have considered Rahab a parasite, not fit to live. In man’s eyes, there was absolutely nothing special about Rahab.
But God saw something in Rahab that man refused to see. God saw a woman of faith who would faithfully serve Him. God saw a woman of courage who would stand in the gap to save the lives of the Jewish spies.
There’s a principle here that we need to get a hold of for our own lives.
God delights in using ordinary people!
Look at the men that Jesus chose:
All were unlearned, uneducated, blue collar workers.
Some were worse than just blue collar.
Some were fishermen, some were tax collectors.
But every one of them was just plain, ordinary folk!
Not one of them was a religious scholar.
Not one of them was a scribe or a Pharisee.
Not one of them was even a college graduate!
They were just ordinary folks willing to be used by an extra-ordinary God!
And it’s just the same today with you and me.
God delights in using ordinary people!
You don’t have to be the brightest bulb in the lamp for God to use you.
You don’t have to be the sharpest knife in the drawer for Jesus to work through you.
You don’t have to be the prettiest plate on the shelf for the Holy Spirit to accomplish His will.
But that’s the way God’s grace works. His grace, His mercy, His love are all open to all who will receive it.
Well, how did this prostitute find her way into the Hall of Faith? This second chapter of Joshua tells us. Her faith was put to the test right away.
Rahab’s faith was…
I. TESTED (vv. 1-7)
Now, if you’re awake and thinking this morning, maybe you’re wondering, “Why was this woman commended for her faith when it looks like she lied?”
Good question! It is true that she lied to the men of Jericho. Jericho was her home. Jericho was a city filled with idolatrous and wicked people. They were noted for their immoral and perverted activities.
One example: they would frequently put live babies in jars and build them into their city walls as foundation sacrifices! This was the society in which Rahab lived and grew up. She was a prostitute by profession. (Not an innkeeper of landlady!) She had worshiped the false gods of Canaan.
Now she was being asked to believe in, trust in, and act upon her knowledge of the true God. She responded to the light she had. And God honored her faith in spite of her sin and failure. God was not condoning her lying. That was wrong. It still is wrong! God honored her for her faith. Rahab passed the test. She was willing to take a chance on her own life.
Rahab’s faith, weak as it was, was tested. And she passed the test. She dared to believe that this God she had heard about would protect her too. And God didn’t let her down! And he will never let you down, either!
How about you? Is your faith being tested in some way at this point in your life? Are you being asked to “go along with the crowd”? Are you being asked to “cheat a little”? Are you being asked to do something that you think is impossible? Is your faith being tested? How are you going to do on this test? Are you going to have the courage of faith?
Rahab did. Her faith was not only tested, it was also…
II. STATED (vv. 8-11)
Her faith was stated in a clear way. In these verses we see that her belief was guiding her behavior.
(Note v. 9 “…I know…”) Then see her specific statement of faith in the last part of verse 11.
Now, think about it. The rest of the Canaanites living in Jericho had the same knowledge as she did. Yet they didn’t acknowledge the true God. They didn’t respond positively to the light they had been given. And because of their unbelief, they were headed for destruction & separation from God (see in a few wks). Rahab stood out from the crowd. Because of her faith, she had the courage to do what was right.
Do you have that same kind of faith? Are you able to not follow the crowd when they are wrong? Do you have the courage and guts to stand up and do what is right? It takes faith!
But it takes more than just a statement. You’ve got to back up your words with action. That’s what Rahab did. Her faith had been tested. And we’ve seen how she passed the test. Her faith was real! Yet, in many ways, the real test was ahead of her. She had to demonstrate her faith. Her faith is demonstrated for us in vv. 12-21.
III. DEMONSTRATED (vv. 12-21)
How did she demonstrate her faith? v. 21 is the key
You say, “What’s so significant about that?” The scarlet cord (rope) is the significant thing. No, I’m not talking about the scarlet rope referring to the blood of Christ, which is a beautiful typology of the saving blood of Christ. That’s beautiful symbolism, but that’s not what I’m referring to here.
I see her faith being demonstrated in at least 3 ways:
1. She showed her faith by being fully obedient.
She didn’t hang just any rope in the window. She tied the red one. Now, put yourself in Rahab’s place: “Isn’t this just the most ridiculous thing ever?” She could have easily thought. “Why a scarlet rope anyway? I’m sure it doesn’t matter what color or what kind of rope, just as long as it’s a rope. I’ll just hang this rope over here.” No, it had to be a scarlet rope. And that’s what she tied in the window!
Why the big deal over this rope? Well, it’s significant because obedience to God is seen in some of these seemingly small areas of life.
A Puritan preacher was once charged with being too precise, to which he answered, “I serve a precise God!”
You see, the Lord our God is a jealous God, and He is very jealous of His commands. The Christian life is a life made up of obedience to a series of small requests.
Are you resisting God’s request? You see it as small. He’s asking you to clear up a misunderstanding with your neighbor. He’s asking you to hold your tongue when tempted to share gossip. He’s asking you to spend an extra few minutes with your children. I don’t know what God is asking you to do. Whatever it is, no matter how small it seems….DO IT!!!
Rahab’s faith was not only demonstrated in being fully obedient, but also in the fact that…
2. Her faith was openly demonstrated.
There that rope hung. Out in the open. Not in the closet. Not in the back bedroom. It was out there for all to see. It was seen by those who needed to see it.
Do you see the application to us? Are we ashamed to publicly identify ourselves with Jesus Christ? Don’t be ashamed! He was not ashamed of you when He became a man, when He died upon that cross for your sins. He was not ashamed to identify Himself with us. How can we be ashamed of Him by not identifying ourselves with Him? “Oh,” you may say, “I don’t deny Him. I’m not ashamed of Him.”
Are you ashamed of Him when His name is taken in vain in your presence but you stand there silent? Are you ashamed of Him when you fail to share with your friends and neighbors the love of Christ?
A 3rd way that Rahab demonstrated her faith is that…
3. She rested.
That’s right. She didn’t do anything. The end of v. 21 just ends so abruptly. No mention of trying to defend her house. No appeal to the king to protect her part of the wall. I believe that she had faith in God so that se was able to feel secure.
That’s hard to do. It’s hard to wait. It’s hard to rest. It’s hard to totally rely on God. It’s hard when you are waiting to hear the lab report on your biopsy. It’s hard when your son or daughter goes out on their own. It’s hard to rest.
But that’s where faith comes in. Do you have the courage of faith? God will honor your faith! He will honor it by giving you courage. God honored and rewarded Rahab’s faith. Let’s see lastly how Rahab’s faith was rewarded.
IV. REWARDED (vv. 22-24)
Read vv. 22-24 and then 6:22-25 for the “Rest of the Story” (Paul Harvey’s line) Then read Hebrews 11:1; James 2:25; Matthew 1:5
Now, some of you may want to look down on Rahab this morning.
You may be thinking, “Ok, so what. Once a prostitute, always a prostitute. Just because she chose God doesn’t really make her fit to wear the name of Jesus. After all, look at her past.”
You’d better be careful talking that way about Jesus’ family!
If you look back at Matthew 1, you’ll see the lineage/ancestors/family of Jesus. God rewarded Rahab for her faith by putting her in Jesus’ family tree!
God rewarded Rahab by listing her in His Hall of Faith.
Do you remember what Susan Wilkinson said in her book?
Your past does not determine your future, your choices do.
God allowed our Lord Jesus to have some pretty shady characters in his family lineage, just look at Rahab as one example. He doesn’t care about your past…He only cares about the choices you’re making right now!
Many of you here this morning are embarrassed by our past.
The scars of the past still haunt you, and make you feel unclean, unusable, unworthy.
I want to remind you this morning that Rahab the former prostitute sits by Jesus. I want to remind you this morning of this former call girl.
I Corinthians 6:9-11 “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
What are you still ashamed of that God’s forgiven long ago? What are you holding onto that God has already let go? What are you beating yourself up over that God has long ago forgiven and forgotten?
It’s time to let it go! If you have trusted Christ and asked for forgiveness, those sins have been forgiven.
Don’t be guilty of holding onto sins that Jesus already died for!
Wayne Watson “It’s Time” (From the CD “How Time Flies”)
It happened many years ago. The memories still haunt you though.
Who’s to blame you really don’t know, you’re just locked all alone in these chains.
Sometimes it’s hard to live at all. The pictures of your history call.
Your mind’s a decorated wall, but the Lord has a cure for your pain.
It’s time, to come back to the land of the living.
Come on to the land of forgiving.
Jesus will be faithful to the end.
It’s time, to break the tangled webs that bind you.
Let the grace of God unwind you.
Give the Lord your broken heart to mend.
It’s time….It’s time.
You’ve had your little victories. But perfection’s pretty hard to please.
Guilt is an annoying breeze that blows all that’s peaceful away.
And your life is too short to go on living like this,
or brood over who’s done you wrong.
If the years pass you by, look at all you’ll miss.
You’ve been walking in shadows too long.
It’s time to come back to the land of the living.
Come on to the land of forgiving.
Jesus will be faithful to the end.
It’s time, to break the tangled webs that bind you.
Let the grace of God unwind you.
Give the Lord your broken heart to mend, to mend.
It’s time, to break the tangled webs that bind you.
Let the grace of God unwind you.
Give the Lord your broken heart to mend.
It’s time….It’s time.
It’s time….It’s time.”
Here’s the bottom line.
GOD HONORS TRUE FAITH.
THE MARK OF TRUE FAITH IS COURAGE.
How about you? How strong is your faith? What is God asking you to do this morning? Is He asking you to simply trust Him? Maybe for the very first time? Is He asking you to rest in Him? Is He asking you to give up something? Is He asking you to take a bold step of faith in some area of your life, believing that He will do something that is seemingly impossible?
I don’t know what God is asking you to do. Only you know that. And only you will be able to apply God’s Word to your life.
I’ve given you a sentence to complete in the bulletin insert. But, you know what, even completing the sentence is not application. You have not applied God’s Word until you actually obey by putting into practice that which God asks you to do.
As you ask God to show you what He would have you do, keep in mind Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
Will you put the past behind you, and live your life today for Jesus?
Will you have the courage of Rahab today?
Will you have the courage of faith?
