THE POINT OF NO RETURN (JOSHUA 2:1-20)
Worldwide Challenge, the Campus Crusade magazine, published an inspiring and heartfelt testimony of a former monk named Yuttasak Nok Sirikul. Sirikul was a dutiful son who had been a monk four times even before entering college, a few months each time, in order to pray for deceased family members. His mother longed for him to become a monk upon his graduation, if only for a few months, to honor them and to curry favor for them in the next life, which the obedient son dutifully comply.
However, the law student got involved in the Communist movement while in college. When the government killed students involved in an uprising, he hid in the philosophy department library, the quietest and safest department in the school, where he passed the time reading books on different religions, arousing his interest in Christianity.
During Sirikul’s senior year, a Campus Crusade Staff member gave him some Christian books to read. Encouraged by a friend, Sirikul even witnessed to a student at the beach. He converted the student and, at the same time, accepted Christ for himself. Four months later, he joined the staff of Campus Crusade to the dismay of his mother, who asked: “Son, I am so proud you have graduated, but when are you going to become a monk for me?” Sirikul replied, “Mother, I have become a ‘Christian monk.’ I’ve stopped drinking, smoking and doing bad things, and I will be a good son and pray for you my whole life.” His mother left in tears, but eventually committed her life to Christ, too. After twenty years serving with Campus Crusade, Sirikul became the director of Campus Crusade in Thailand (Worldwide Challenge 5-6/01)
The Israelites’ breakthrough coincided with a woman’s turnaround. When Joshua was at the edge of Jericho, he sent two spies to spy out the land (v 1). The spies’ whereabouts were immediately discovered, the king was quickly alerted and the conspirator – Rahab the harlot - was rudely grilled. We are not told why the spies chose a harlot’s house, how Rahab got away with her lies and when she first believed. However, Rahab’s words deceived the king’s men, her plan worked beautifully and her faith saved the spies, herself and her family. Her reception of the spies (Heb 11:31), her sworn testimony before eyewitnesses (v 9), her acceptance by the Israelites and her place in Messianic history (Matt 1:5), were a testament to her faith (Heb 11:31).
Do our past choices, circumstances and confusion condemn us to a lifetime of cruel and captive consequences? What can we do to break out of an unhappy past or a trapped mindset?
Your Present Choices, Not Previous Circumstances, Determine Your Future
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. 2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6(But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. (Josh 2:1-7)
A while ago, a friend sent me a humorous revision of The Prayer of Serenity, which originally has the three famous lines: “GOD, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
The new version, an employee’s prayer it seems, cheekily states: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I CANNOT ACCEPT and wisdom to hide the evidence that I have been using the company property for personal purposes, including circulating my resume, searching for more rewarding and satisfying work. And also, help me to be careful of the toes I step on as they may be connected to the butt that I may have to kiss tomorrow. Help me to always give 100% at work 12% on Mondays; 23% on Tuesdays; 40% on Wednesdays; 20% on Thursdays; and 5% on Fridays.”
Some people do not think change is an option even if they know what’s good for them; others change partially or initially but fall short, but some change for the better all at once or by and by – as in the case of Rahab.
Rahab the harlot had made a horrendous choice in the past, but it was a grievous mistake of the past. Her past mistake was an error, but not the end. It was foolish but not final. She could not undo the past, but she could reject the past and rewrite her future. No way could she delete her deeds, but she could determine her future and decide her destiny. The first half of her life was complicated, but the second half was clean. She was troubled, tainted and tormented but she was not trapped.
The two spies’ use of her premises gave her permission and courage to act. They did not mean her any harm, nor did they coerce her to act. In fact, chances were that she had no inkling they were spies until the king said so, but she seized the opportunity to leave her old job, her old identity and her old life behind. She must have been so sick of and so unhappy with her lot in life that she was willing to risk her neck and put her life on the line to make the desired change. So Rahab made a wise choice for once and chose a better life for herself. The big leap was no more risky than the bitter trap in her life. Her actions proved that it was possible for the city’s worst and lowliest sinners to reform, shine and triumph, even at their darkest hour. Her background and her behavior counted against her, but she was determined to leave the past shackles and its slavish ways behind.
Leaving harlotry or prostitution is not afforded many women trapped in it. The lure of money, the lack of jobs, the lack of learning, the presence of pimps, the flight of suitors, the absence of self-esteem, the trail of shame, the rejection of family and the ruin in reputation can chain a woman for life. The social, economic and mental factors combined to leave little room for a prodigal’s return. Rahab’s courage and change was a miracle. She must have wanted to leave the past so bad because her actions in hiding the spies were so swift and her answer to the king’s men were so ready. She must have pictured the day of her departure from her profession and orchestrated an escape in her mind many times before the occasion.
Your Personal Comprehension, Not Persuasive Confession, Determines Your Future
8 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. (Josh 2:8-10)
A young man, an avid golfer found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon. He figured if he hurried and played very fast, he could get in nine holes before he had to head home. Just as he was about to tee off an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee and asked if he could accompany the young man as he too was golfing alone. Not having any reason to say no, he invited the old fellow to join him. To his surprise the old man played fairly quickly. He didn’t hit the ball far, but moved along quite consistently and didn’t waste time. Finally, they reached the ninth fairway and the young man found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of his ball, directly between the ball and the green.
After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot the old man finally said, “You know, when I was your age I played this course many, many times. Even had a lie similar to yours. Back then, I hit the ball right over that tree.” With that challenge placed before him, the younger man gave it his best. He took a mighty swing, hit the ball up, and right back down. He’d hit it directly into the top of the tree trunk and it thudded back to the ground, not more than a foot from where it had originally been. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. Same result. Another deep breath, another try, same result. In frustration, he exclaimed, “How did you ever get the ball over this tree?” The old man replied, “Well, when I was your age that pine tree was only about three feet tall.”
Rahab’s change and transformation did not occur in a vacuum or come out of nowhere. She definitely knew what she was getting into and believing in. Her understanding was thorough, unique and clear; her confession was eloquent, fresh and original. Not only did she use three “that” in Hebrew to lay out her knowledge before the jaw-dropping spies in verse 9 (“that” the Lord has given to you the land, and “that” your terror has fallen upon us, and “that” faint all the inhabitants of the land because of you”), she also did a flattering imitation and a fascinating improvisation of Miriam the choir director’s famous evergreen, a forty-year old song that Rahab eerily reenacted. Rahab boldly claimed, exclaimed and proclaimed the “melting” of hearts and the seize of “terror” Miriam sang of after crossing the Red Sea: the people of Canaan will “melt away” (Ex 15:15); “terror” and dread will fall upon them” (Ex 15:16). Rahab the foreigner, amazingly, was the next generation’s new woman warrior and lead singer after the death of Miriam the prophetess, songstress and heroine (Num 20:1) had left a huge vacuum and a big hole in the hearts of the Israelites unfilled until now. Ironically, in the new land, she succeeded the same Miriam who had prophesied that Rahab’s people, the Canaanites, will melt away (Ex 15:15).
If the spies doubted what they had just heard, they heard something more extraordinary. Rahab gave them a concise and positive historical and theological commentary of how the Lord dried up the Red Sea and brought Israel out of Egypt forty years ago up to the recent defeat the Amorite kings. The unrefined and untutored Rahab was the first Red Sea theologian. She was the one who introduced to Joshua and into Israelite history and the Hebrew lexicon the verb “dried up” to describe God’s deliverance of Israel: “The LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt (Josh 2:10)”. Later, Joshua wisely incorporated the Red Sea terminology into his teaching to the Israelites on the greatest crossing in history (Josh 4:23, 5:1).
The Gentile believer also boasted in Israel’s departure from Egypt and removed the stigma of leaving Egypt. Previously, the victorious phrase “out of Egypt” (v 10) was no cause for celebration and did not flutter any hearts; it brought nothing but negative emotions and angry responses from the Israelites (Ex 18:10, Ex 32:1, 4, 8, Num 11:5, 14:2-3). Israel thought that life was unbearable outside of Egypt. The phrase “out of Egypt” was a dirty and disgraceful word to the Israelites, who uttered it only to grill, blame and mock Moses (Ex 14:11). Rahab even put Israel’s last conquests before the latest spying incident into perspective for the hunted spies. The rout of the two Amorite kings, Sihon and Og, signaled and confirmed the new generation’s coming of age (Deut 2:25). Now they were a feared (v 9) and united army in the eyes of the nations, just as God had predicted (Deut. 2:24-25). Previously, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan (Deut 4:47) had lost everything, including their lives. Israel stormed the strenuous mountains (Num 13:29), captured Heshbon and the sixty cities from Og that were fortified with high walls and with gates and bars, and a great many villages (Deut 3:4-5).
Your Persistent Commitment, Not Practical Convenience, Determines Your Future
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. 12 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.” (Josh 2:11-13)
A man went to the doctor after weeks of symptoms. The doctor examined him carefully, then called the patient’s wife into the office. “Your husband is suffering from a rare form of anemia. Without treatment, he’ll be dead in a few weeks. The good news is, it can be treated with proper nutrition. You will need to get up early every morning and fix your husband a hot breakfast-pancakes, bacon and eggs, the works. He’ll need a home-cooked lunch every day, and then an old-fashioned meat-and-potato dinner every evening. It would be especially helpful if you could bake frequently. Cakes, pies, home-made bread-these are the things that will allow your husband to live. One more thing. His immune system is weak, so it’s important that your home be kept spotless at all times. Do you have any questions?” The wife had none.
“Do you want to break the news, or shall I?” asked the doctor. “I will,” the wife replied. She walked into the exam room. The husband, sensing the seriousness of his illness, asked her, “It’s bad, isn’t it?” She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. “What’s going to happen to me?” he asked. With a sob, the wife blurted out, “The doctor says you’re gonna die!” (Leadership, Summer 1998)
Rahab paid her dues and proved her sincerity. Her commitment to her confession was iron-clad, time-tested and history-bound. She was ready to break with the past and acknowledge the breakthrough confession “The Lord, He is God” (v 11) that Moses had just barely taught to the new generation (Deut 4:35, Deut 4:39, Deut 7:9, Deut 10:17), a confession so new that it was alien to the old generation. The altered version that she espoused, with the words “the Lord your God” added, is a doctrinal and didactic expression; “Your God” does not indicate distancing herself from God. It is almost identical to Moses’ teaching in Deuteronomy 4:39: “For the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”
And at the end of her impassioned speech, Rahab had named the God of Israel as “Yahweh” four times in her confession (vv 9, 10, 11, 12), the divine name foreign to unbelieving Gentiles and covenant outsiders. She was a foreigner who had given one of the most stirring, dramatic and outstanding conversion testimonies in Israel. No wonder, the New Testament writers commended her faith (Heb 11:31) and her faith in action (Jas 2:25). Her commitment was one in a million, one of a kind and one for the ages. She was the only woman and foreigner listed in Hebrew 11’s Hall of Faith, the first Gentile to shape Israel’s history and her motivation was for the long haul, not for the short gain.
Rahab’s invitation for her family to join her in her house until the Israelites returned about half a month later (Josh 2:16, 4:19, 5:10, 6:15) showed that she meant business. Her patient waiting was a testament to her serious allegaince to the cause. The Gentile Rahab was a woman of the worst sort - a despised prostitute, a harlot in biblical terminology or a streetwalker in today’s term, but she had more commitment, heart and determination than people gave her credit for. The New Testament word in James 2:25 was more blunt about who she was. Rahab was a “pornee,” the root word for “pornography.” She was not perfect nor was her livelihood exonerated, but she and her family were spared, rescued and uprooted because her faith was long-lived, not short-lived.
Rahab’s life in the new land had a change for the better because she worked hard to change her fortunes and to lay the groundwork. The transplanted alien subsequently married Salmon, and they had a son by the name of Boaz (Mt 1:5-6), the rich landowner who married Ruth the Moabitess, another Gentile. She paid her dues and reaped in kind. Her son Boaz was a gentle, kind and trustworthy man. Though she was known as Rahab the harlot before, she was future ancestor to Christ the Messiah, listed genealogically in the future without the stigma of the label and of her past (Mt 1:5-6).
Conclusion: Have you made a clean break from the past? Live a lifetime of faith, not an instance of faith. Have you Known, accepted and embraced God for yourself. Are you a witness to your parents, friends and neighbors? Is your faith grounded in knowledge, demonstrated by action and relevant to all areas of your life? Has your faith made a difference in the lives of others? Have you withheld anything from God? Have you given everything to Him? Do you desire nothing but Him? Have you made a point of no return in your commitment to Jesus Christ? Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.” (Luke 12:8-9)
Victor Yap
Other sermons in the series and other sermon series:
www.epreaching.blogspot.com
