I’m glad to know that we serve an omnipotent, all powerful, invincible, one who is unstoppable, a supreme God with whom absolutely nothing is impossible.
Lord
Even in Ephesians 3:20 he’s given salutation that says ‘now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…’and that because, God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see. The God I serve is able to answer any questions that I may have, he’s bigger than any problems that can I run into. He’s a mountain mover, heart fixer, mind regulator; he’s absolutely everything that we need. I mean that the God we serve who reigns over the heaven and earth who was here providing for the need of mankind even before there was ever a need to be met. Our God is more than a talking and declaring God, our God is a God of action.
There is no impossible circumstance too far gone, that God cannot change.
There is no problem too big that God cannot solve.
There is no sickness that God cannot heal.
There is no prayer that God cannot answer.
There is no sinner too lost that God cannot save.
There is no backslider too far from God that God cannot restore.
There is no marriage to ruined that God cannot put back together.
There is no table that God cannot provide food for.
There is no mystery that God cannot figure out; in fact there is nothing impossible for God
And I don’t know about you, but I’m so glad that God didn’t give up on me, just because some people gave up on me. The God I serve has changed countless situations, circumstances, and predicaments, and I think I need to tell somebody I don’t care how far you’re out there, that it’s not too late for you.
I know that there are some people because of their particular situation and their lifestyle, that we find it so easy to give up on them. And there are times when we listen too much to the devil when he tells us; there is no need to pray for them. There is no need to visit them. There’s no need to witness to them. But the question is, where would we be if someone had not prayed for us?
As a matter of fact, where would you be if the Lord had not answered our prayer? Where would you be if momma, and grand momma: and the people down at the church house had not have not prayed for us?
We’re looking at a person in the bible this morning that so many people thought was hopeless. We are looking at a person that had some issues and some unseemly characteristics, and so many people thought that she was unworthy of any redemption.
This morning we are looking at sister RAHAB, one who didn’t have a good name for herself in the community, her name rung out but (not) with the in the sense of God’s goodness.
Unfortunately, RAHAB was a harlot. We’re told that her place of business was well situated. She had a profitable business and her establishment was immaculate, it was said that her house sat on the city wall.
And one day as she was doing business as usually, she was visited by two strangers. We are told that they were spies whom were sent by Joshua the leader of the Israelites, to spy out the land of Jericho. The spies wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible and as safe as possible, so they found a place where strangers would go, the local hangout which was Rahab’s house, in order to look as inconspicuous as possible.
However, somebody (say somebody, because there is always some nosey people poking their nose’s in somebody else’s business) somebody saw them go into Rahab’s house and reported it to the king, that we have a problem. Two Jewish men that has gone into RAHAB, the HARLOT’S house and they look they could be spies coming to spy out the land. They look like someone who don’t belong there, and king I think you ought to check it out.
So, the kings say’s let’s go check out Rahab’s house. Now what amazing to me is that Rahab knew that the authorities might be coming, but she let them in anyway. Rahab knew that she probably, had some people looking for a reason to harm her, but she let them in anyway and she hid them on her roof. And when the king men showed up, she tells the king’s men, you just missed them if you would have been here a few minutes earlier you would have seen them. They left about 5 minutes ago, but if you hurry, you just might catch them.
After she sends them away, she then goes up to the roof top to where she hid them, and she says to them.
Verse 9 And says, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants, all of the population, all of the populace, people and the residents of the land faint because of you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon [see-hone] and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
And just let me park here parenthetically for a minute and tell you something, and that is, when the Lord is moving, in and through you. When the blessings of the Lord is on your life, when you have come up from the gutter most to the uttermost. Two things will happen. 1st of all people will hear about the things that God has done in your life. 2ndly the hell hounds will be on your tracks.
She said we know the things that the Lord has done through your ministry, let me paraphrase it. She said we can see the miracles in your lives. She said we can see that God has given you favor, and how you are more than a conquer. And because I have saved you, and now that I have done you a favor now I need you to do me a favor. In other words, what she was saying is that you know that one hand washes the other. She said now therefore, please swear to me, by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you; that you will also deal kindly with me and my father’s household.
She said give me a pledge that you would spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters and all who belong to them and deliver our lives from this death. What she is saying: in other words: ‘we know we’re about to be destroyed, we are about to be killed and I want to be delivered.
And that’s a word for somebody in here this morning that’s been going through. You have lived a lifestyle that was not so pleasing in the sight of the Lord, and you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, you are tired of stressing and straining, some days you feel like you are at the end of the rope, but can I tell somebody this morning to hang on in there. Can I tell you that when you get to the end of the rope don’t let go just, can I tell you to hang on because help is on the way!!!!
She said I have dealt you kindly and I need you to deal with me kindly. The word “kindly” in the Hebrew is (kheh'-sed) (Kay-sedd) which means: loyal love, and it referred to God’s covenant covering.
Rahab sensed that these two men had the covering–the anointing, and the appointing of Jehovah God. She knew that they had been sent by God, and she also knew that a loyal love belongs to the God that they served. (here’s a side bar, don’t be fooled, people know when you have been sent by God), they know when you have God on your side. The devil knows when God is on your side and that’s why he’s always picking on you.
So, she says to these men, I want God’s loyal covering of his love upon my life and my family, for I have stepped out on faith. And we know that Hebrews 6:10 says ‘God is not unrighteous to forget your work and your labor of love, which you have showed toward his name…in other words God remembers what we have done. Somebody needs to step out on faith this morning, somebody needs to operate in the spirit realm of faith this morning, and when you do, God will supply his loyal love of support.
When you step out watch what happen and what God will do. Joshua 6:17 it says ‘And the city shall be accursed even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. Isn’t that good to know that you can petition the Lord on the behalf of others, and when you do your name and others will be listed in history. If we were to break that word down it would be instead of History-it would be His-story.
So, in Joshua 6:24 it says “And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD”.
So, in Joshua 6:25, the bible said Joshua saved Rahab, he saved her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared her and she had lives in the midst of Israel to this day. And it was all because she had hid the messengers, it was all because she took care of the men of that were sent to spy out Jericho.
The beauty of this association with God’s kingdom purposes is that when things collapses around you–God can still take care of us because we are in his will, and we’re not collapsing with the people or the culture around us.
What do you mean Pastor? I MEAN!!!!!!!
-that’s why God can take care of us, when we don’t have money in our pockets.
•that is why God can take care of us, in the midst of a wicked world.
•that is why God can take care of our needs, when the economy of the world is in trouble.
-that’s why when the storms of life are raging in our path, that God will build a shelter about us.
Let Me Prove It To Ya That God Will Deliver You!!!!!!
Don’t you remember how God delivered and fed the prophet Elijah by route of a Raven bird, and if God can take care of him he’ll take care of you.
*That’s why I know that God can take care of our households, and our families and our marriages and even when it seems everything is falling apart.
*Don’t you remember how God Delivered the Hebrew Boys out of a fiery furnaces? Because they we’re not walking like the world.
*Don’t you remember how the Lord deliver Paul and Silas out of the Philippian jail?
*Well just let me put you on the witness stand. Don’t you remember when the Lord delivered you. When you should’ve been locked up, strung out, on your sick bed, kidnapped, abused and mistreated?
What I love about Rahab is that the Rahab’s story does not end with the Old Testament scriptures: her name is repeated often in the New Testament scriptures, so evidently, there is something God wants us to learn from Rahab, whether she is mentioned in the Old Testament or in the New Testament.
So, what caught my attention about Rahab is that she is mentioned at least 9 times and God doesn’t drop her title: she is always referred to as Rahab the harlot.
It’s funny because God doesn’t go around referring to Moses, as Moses the murderer when he speaks of great faith.
God doesn’t go around referring to Abraham as Abraham the liar, when he speaks of great faith.
He doesn’t keep referring to Noah the drunk.
God doesn’t do that to the others in Hebrews chapter 11: however, when it comes to Rahab, God says, ‘Rahab the harlot.’ It looks like to me that God doesn’t want us to forget that this woman made her money by charging men for favors. But the question is “why” – “why” does God keep on titling this woman throughout the scriptures as ‘Rahab the harlot rather than just say ‘Rahab’ and leaving out the latter part. And I know that some of us never would come back to church if all I did was referred to you by what you used to do.
What does God want us to know about this is the woman of the Old Testament, who was of ill repute? I tell you the answer. It’s because God wants us to know through her illustration that our past does not have to control our future! He wants us to know that our future is not dictated by our past. In other words our condition is not our conclusion.
I imagine that Rahab had given up any hope of ever turning her life around, (but God) God had other ideas. What I love about God is that He can turn shame into glory in one shining moment of redemption.
God wants us to know that no matter how wretched our past may be. No matter how bad we might have had it. It does not matter how rough you might have been or how tough you might have gotten. Or even how mean people thought you were. God can take the meanness, the toughest, and the roughest people in the world and turn them around and use them for his will.
What I’m trying to say is, this is strange because this woman is even placed in to the hall of faith, she has been placed in Hebrews 11: next to Moses, Abraham, and Sarah, she is placed next to Noah, Enoch & Abel, and yet God tells us what she was. In other words, no matter where you are God can Deliver You!
She did not have a religious background.
She did not have a godly husband.
All she had was a shameful past –
But here’s the blessing, and that is, when her past connected to God’s purposes that was tied to these 2 spies, all of that, which was at work against her, got turned around, and she became a new creation in God. God will change things.
CLOSE
And that’s why I love 2nd Corinthians 5:17 that says ‘therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away & behold all things have become new.’
When Rahab connected her purpose to God’s purpose and her whole life was changed, her life was made new, and not only was she delivered but her whole family was delivered.
So, regardless of what our past is: regardless of how bad the situation, circumstance, predicament, problem might be
God can deliver, I said God can Deliver.
Because my God knows how to take our lemons, and make lemonade from them.
My God knows how to take a mess, and turn it into a messenger
He can take a storm, and turn it into ray of sunshine
He can take your battles, and turn them into a praise party
He can take your trial, and turn them into a testimony.
He can take a valley, and turn them into mountains and turn them into a glorious miracle that gives him glory and honor and praise!
In Matthew chapter 1: I love this: because in verse 5 it says Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, then Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth then Obed was the father of Jesse, and then Jesse was the father of David. look what the Lord did down through the blood line.
We’re told in Joshua 6:25 that Joshua saved the harlot, and Rahab is alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had, and she dwells in Israel, and even unto this day her family tree is alive all because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Look at what came from the linage of a harlot, and if it can happen for Rahab you to can be Delivered.
Because of her faithfulness she has been rewarded, and now Rahab is hanging out on a different street corner.
Instead of handing out her home address, she is now handing out Holy tracks. And Now She is now hanging out with the people of God.
And it only gets better. Here is a woman who was once a harlot, now she meets a Prince by the named of Salmon, who sees Rahab and falls in love with her and marries her. And I heard that Salmon is believed to be one of the two spies that Rahab hid on her roof.
They have a son named Boaz.
Boaz sees Ruth, in the fields gleaning the grain & falls in love with her.
They have a son named Obed, Obed fathers Jesse & Jesse fathers David. Rahab becomes a great- great grandmother of King David. here’s the good part.
Jesus was born from the household of David: that shows us that not only does God change what appears to be hopeless. But God also knows who to use for his glory and his honor.
Closing point:
I’m closing after I say this. What was once a shameful piece of thread is now become a glory clothe
The cord of scarlet thread:
There was already this scarlet cord in Rahab’s house. In the red light district. It was a symbol of her trade. When men saw the red cord hanging they knew that there was a harlot to be found there. But the spies told her to hang the same cord out, but this time not for men to see but for God to see, and when God sees it, it is a confession of Rahab’s sins:
So that makes me think about the song:
What can wash away my sin nothing but the blood of Jesus,
What can make me hold again nothing but the blood of Jesus
Oh how precious is the flow that.
So can I tell you that, God can Deliver You.
Lord Deliver Me Because All I Seem To Do Is Hurt Me, and I’m tired of hurting myself, Lord Deliver me! I know that he can do it because since he was tried and convicted.
They hung him after lunch, he died before dinner, but he got up before breakfast.
I said he died one Friday evening, but he got up one Sunday morning then I know that he can Deliver Me. So, Lord Deliver Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
