RAHAB – THE WOMAN WHO TRUSTED GOD
Joshua 2:1-24
Read at beginning of service:
James 2:14-26 (NIV)
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. 20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 25 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? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
INTRODUCTION
For the last two weeks we’ve been looking at the stories of some unfamiliar people found in the Bible. People that we don’t hear about too often. I have found this to be an interesting venture because there has been some very important lessons I have learned from their lives – important lessons that I hope we have all learned!
Lot, the man who compromised, taught us the dangers of pitching your tent in the wrong place! We saw by his life the things that he compromised (or placed in danger) because of his obsession with "looking out for number one".
Last week, we looked at the story of two brothers, Nadab and Abihu, and their offering of "strange fire" in the presence of God. In this particular story, holy fire came out from God’s presence and consumed the two men. From their lives (and their deaths!) we encountered the importance of having a respectful reverence for God and His holiness – how important (vital!) it is to never take Him for granted – lest we start bringing our own "strange fire" before Him!
Today we’re going to look at a woman named Rahab. Perhaps some of you have heard of her, perhaps not. I’ve called Rahab, the woman who trusted God. Rahab is twice celebrated in the New Testament as a great believer – in Hebrews 11:31 she is listed in the great "hall of faith" – and is described as one whose faith proved itself by good works (James 2:25 – read earlier).
So Rahab is obviously a woman worth studying. We’ll begin this morning by looking at her story as recorded in Joshua 2:1-24
Read text: Joshua 2:1-24
Context surrounding Rahab’s story:The Bible doesn’t have a whole lot to say about the life of this woman. It seems that the only account we have of her is found here in Joshua. Initially, it seems that Rahab isn’t exactly heroine material. She is first introduced as a prostitute – not someone you would expect to be praised in the scriptures! Yet she is… The story of Rahab is located right in the midst of the biblical account of the launch of Israel’s military campaign to conquer the Promised Land (Canaan). The Israelites are camped by the Jordan River waiting for the orders to cross and take possession of the land they had been waiting so long for. Joshua, their new leader, sends in two spies to help in the planning of his strategy.
These spies come to Jericho, the first city in the path of the coming conquerors, and we read that their first stop was the house of the prostitute Rahab. Wait a minute here! I thought they were told to look over the land not look over the people…well anyway... The question that immediately comes to mind is, why would the spies go to a prostitute’s house? Disregarding the obvious and perhaps more immoral answers for the Bible would have mentioned these possible answers if they were true – I believe…It was a good place to gather information and no questions would be asked in return. No doubt Rahab’s house would have been a frequent stopping place for travelers from other parts of the land and therefore much news would have been exchanged.It was in an ideal location for a quick escape because it was built into the city wall (Joshua 2:15)
God directed the spies to Rahab’s house because He knew her heart was open to Him and that she would be instrumental in the Israelite victory over Jericho.The New Testament describes Rahab as a woman of great faith and trust in God. And the basis for these statements rest in this short event recorded in Joshua 2. As we zero in on this event today I trust that we will find God often uses people with simple faith to accomplish His great purposes, no matter what kind of past they have had or insignificant they seem to be! Remember, one of the slogans we use here at HPC is "ordinary people who are part of an extraordinary plan". And that phrase was developed out of this simple belief – God will use ordinary people for his extraordinary plans when ordinary people have simple faith in Him!
So, What is it that stands out about Rahab?Her faith was based on who God is not who she is (v. 1, 9-11)
Joshua 2:1 (NIV)
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 2:9-11 (NIV)
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.
Let’s think for a moment what would have been going through Rahab’s mind as these spies entered her "inn" and she found out whom they were and where they were from? We already know that the city (and the surrounding countryside) was trembling in fear at the prospect of the Israelites knocking on their doorstep. No doubt there were some rather exaggerated stories floating around about this people from the desert but as exaggerated as they were there were too many collaborations from different sources to attribute it all to myth or legend.
It seems as though Rahab wasted no time in befriending these men and providing cover for them when her fellow countrymen came to arrest them. Perhaps as Rahab saw these spies she saw her chance for escape – what is important to recognize in this story is the fact that Rahab believed Jericho was doomed. It was not a question of whether it would happen but merely when.
Rahab was placing everything she had at risk for these complete strangers! These spies weren’t from a land or people known to Rahab. All she had heard was stories. How was she to know that these two men would help her in any way? By hiding them and aiding in their escape – Rahab clearly drew her line of loyalty. If any of the people of Jericho found out about what she had done then Rahab would lose everything. And yet, Rahab believed that if she didn’t side with the Israelites and their God then she would definitely lose everything. And therein lies the crux of the matter – Rahab wasn’t trusting in these spies for her salvation – she was trusting in the God of these spies!
Joshua 2:12 (NIV)
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
Everything that Rahab had heard reinforced the fact that this God of the Israelites does what He says He will do. It was her hope that if she could somehow come under His people’s protection that she would escape the coming destruction of Jericho.
Rahab knew that the only way she could obtain this protection from destruction was to risk everything about herself. In order to have faith in God, she had to lose faith in everything else! Rahab could have turned the spies in and then benefited from the reward of being the one who captured them. She could have discounted the many stories she heard about the Israelites and their God. But Rahab based her faith not on who she is, a woman of Jericho, a prostitute, a woman living on the outside of the city walls – Rahab based her faith on who God is – the God who does what He says He will do, who keeps His promises, and who protects and saves His people. And in doing so, Rahab willingly surrendered everything she had to His mercy!
This is why Rahab’s faith was honored so much later on in the New Testament – for this is the kind of faith that moves the heart of God. When a person surrenders everything, places everything they know, love, and trust on the line and at the mercy of God. When a person willingly trusts God with their very life – not trying to control it in any way themselves. Then God marvels at and rewards their faith. The kind of faith that can move mountains.
Why do people resist surrendering themselves to Christ? For many, the reason they give is that they don’t really trust God to handle their lives to their suiting. They’re afraid of the outcome – God will make me do something I don’t really want to do…
A young lady stood talking to an evangelist on the subject of consecration, of giving herself wholly to God. She said, "I dare not give myself wholly to the Lord, for fear He will send me out to China as a missionary."
The evangelist said, "If some cold, snowy morning a little bird should come, half-frozen, pecking at your window, and it lets you take it in and feed it, thereby putting itself entirely in your power, what would you do? Would you grip it in your hand and crush it? Or would you give it shelter, warmth, food and care?"
A new light came into the girl’s eyes. She said, "Oh, now I see, I see. I can trust God!" Two years later she again met the evangelist and recalled to him the incident. She told of how she had finally abandoned herself to God – and then her face lit up with a beautiful smile as she said, "And do you know where God is going to let me serve Him?" And there was now a twinkle in her eye – "in China!" (Autoillustrator.com, "FAITH")The point of this story is not to get you thinking that whatever you fear most about trusting God will become a reality in your life if you abandon yourself to Him! The point is that when you abandon yourself to God the things He ends up doing in your life will be things you want to do.
I believe there are many Christians who are not experiencing the abundant life Jesus talked about in John 10 because their faith is still based on who they are rather than on who Jesus Christ is, who God is, who the Holy Spirit is. Oh yes, they believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour but they still don’t trust Him with their life!
Rahab not only believed that the Israelites were coming to conquer and destroy Jericho and that God would fulfill what He told His people He would do, but Rahab placed her trust in this very same God and had faith that she could place her life in His hands.
Her trust in God arose out of what she had heard about Him, not what she had personally witnessed (v.9-11)
Joshua 2:9-11 (NIV)
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.
Notice that Rahab had not personally witnessed any of the miracles of God – she had only heard of what happened. Yet she was willing to trust Him. This too is another reason for why her faith was celebrated in the scriptures. She could have said, "How do I know these stories are true – sure the Israelites have conquered two kings and escaped Egypt -– but they could have just had some excellent people in charge. When they crossed the Red Sea it probably was during low tide and they only had one foot of water to wade through. There is no way they can cross the Jordan River during flood season…" But Rahab didn’t say this.
A man once told this story about some time he spent with his daughter:
The day was warm and sunny, and after lunch I took Tricia into the woods behind the house to explore with her the places I remembered from my own childhood. A dark stream ran through the woodland, and leaves were yellow-green against the fast-moving clouds and blue sky. I pointed out, as my father had to me, the warblers darting among the oaks and maples. The stream swirled lazily over rocks and sodden logs, and for a while we sat upon a boulder and watched the water flow. "Did you know there are tiny creatures in that water?" I asked. "Animals that you can’t see?"
Tricia lowered her face toward the pool beneath us. "Are there?"
My father had demonstrated the existence of the invisible teeming life by taking a sample of creek water and showing me slides under a microscope. I remembered the elaborate bulbous forms of protozoa and the bizarre wriggling cilia that waved in the droplets of water. "How do you suppose we could tell whether such creatures were there?" I asked.
Tricia continued to stare into the water. "By the fish," she said.
"The fish?"
"I can see fish, and the fish have to eat something smaller than they are, and those things must eat something smaller…"I nodded and laughed at what seemed so logical, and at myself for thinking I should believe only what I could see with my own eyes.
Even though her own eyes had not seen what God had done – Rahab trusted in what she had heard about Him. Why? Because she simply put two and two together. "No matter what anyone says, there is no way the Israelites could have gotten this far and lived so long in the desert by chance – they had to have God with them."
Sweeping across Germany at the end of Word War II, Allied forces searched farms and houses looking for snipers. At one abandoned house, almost a heap of rubble, searchers with flashlights found their way to the basement. There, on the crumbling wall, a victim of the Holocaust had scratched a Star of David. And beneath it, in rough lettering, the message: I believe in the Sun – even when it does not shine; I believe in love – even when it is not shown; I believe in God—even when he does not speak. (Autoillustrator.com, "FAITH")The kind of faith that Rahab had and the kind of faith that this unknown victim had is the kind of faith that gives rise to hope no matter what circumstance you find yourself in. It is the kind of faith that lifts you up and carries you through the darkest and bleakest times. For, it is during those times that it isn’t always easy to see the light, feel the love, or hear the voice of God! But that doesn’t mean that He isn’t there!!!
That’s why Jesus said as recorded in John,
John 20:29 (NIV)
29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
You are blessed (as Rahab was!) when your faith allows you to believe what your eyes have not seen, or are not seeing! When you are able to trust God because of what you have heard about him, not necessarily what you have personally experienced!
Her faith led to action
James 2:25 (NIV)
25 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?
Rahab’s faith stood out because it motivated her to actually do something. But we need to remember something very important here. It was her faith in God that motivated her to action – not in herself or anyone else.What did she do?
…she hid the spies (v.4-6)
Joshua 2:4-6 (NIV)
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.)
…she identified with God’s people (v. 11,18,21)
Joshua 2:11 (NIV)
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 2:18 (NIV)
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.
Joshua 2:21 (NIV)
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.
The way she identified with God’s people was by her confession that she believed in the Lord, and the hanging of the scarlet cord in her window. Isn’t it interesting that on the night of the Passover when the Israelites were saved from Egypt they were to wipe the scarlet blood of a lamb on the threshold of their doors and windows and that would be a signal to the angel of the Lord to pass-over their homes and thus save the lives of their firstborn. Here we have Rahab required to hang a scarlet cord that would signal the Israelites to pass over her home which would save the lives of the people within. I don’t think the comparison is coincidence. There is a connection between the blood of the sacrificial lamb and the scarlet color of the cord Rahab was to leave displayed. In a similar way, as Christians, it is the blood of Jesus Christ and our identification with Him through faith that brings our salvation.
…she worked for the salvation of her relatives and friends (v.12)
Joshua 2:12 (NIV)
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
Notice that Rahab’s faith wasn’t selfish, but instead selfless. She was not only concerned for her own salvation but she worked to obtain the salvation of her family and friends as well. That is the nature of faith or trust that is placed in God. When someone trusts God and abandons their life to His mercy then God opens their eyes and their hearts to those around them who need salvation as well.
Friends as Christians, does your faith motivate you to work for the salvation of your relatives and friends – indeed anyone that God brings across your path? What do I mean, "work for their salvation"? I mean, do you plead in prayer for their lives before God that somehow their hearts would come to Him? Do you take the opportunities as God presents them to share the love of Jesus with them and the testimony of what He has done in your life? Do you invite them to church, to the place where they may receive the invitation to a life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ – and where they can experience the power of the Holy Spirit at work in their lives? This friends is working for the salvation of others. It is simply allowing the life of Jesus Christ to work through you into the lives of everyone you encounter. And begins with total and complete trust in Him!!!
A man was walking along a narrow path, not paying much attention to where he was going. Suddenly he slipped over the edge of a cliff. As he fell, he grabbed a branch growing from the side of the cliff. Realizing that he couldn’t hang on for long, he called for help.Man: Is anybody up there?
Voice: Yes, I’m here!Man: Who’s that?Voice: God
Man: Lord, help me!
Voice: Do you trust me?
Man: I trust you completely, Lord.
Voice: Good. Let go of the branch.
Man: What???
Voice: I said, "Let go of the branch"
Man: {after a long pause] Is anybody else up there?
Bill was sitting in his house during a torrential downpour. As the floodwaters reached the bottom of his front door, some friends came along in a rowboat and called to him to climb in. But Bill said, "No, I’m trusting in the Lord. I’ll be O.K. I’m staying here." The rain kept coming, and the floodwaters kept rising, until Bill was on the second floor, and then he was soon sitting on the roof. Along came a helicopter. The pilot dropped down a rope ladder and called to Bill to climb aboard. But Bill said, "No, I’m trusting in the Lord, I’m staying here." The waters kept rising, and old Bill drowned. Arriving in heaven, Bill said to the Lord, "Lord, I just don’t understand it. I trusted in you, and I still ended up drowning." And the Lord replied, "Well, Bill, I don’t understand it either. First I sent you a boat, and then I sent you a helicopter, and you didn’t take either one!"Friends, with Rahab, her faith, her trust in God, led to action!! Trusting in God is something that is not only said but practiced!
CONCLUSION
So these three things stand out about Rahab’s faith in this story. Her faith was based not on who she is but on who God is, her trust in God arose out of what she heard about God not necessarily from what she personally experienced, and Rahab’s faith led to action!!
It is interesting to note that Rahab is one of two women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 1:5. Imagine, Rahab, a prostitute, listed as an ancestor of Jesus? And then twice she is praised in the New Testament. A woman who didn’t even initially belong to God’s people. A woman that initially belonged to the people that God told the Israelites to destroy in their conquest of the Promised Land. And yet, this same woman received so much honor among God’s people and in the scriptures because of her FAITH, her TRUST in God.
Friends, I believe that this is the kind of trust God would have us place in Him this morning. Remember, I said earlier that in order to have faith in God Rahab had to first lose faith in everything else. I believe that there are many people in this world today who have not placed their faith in God because they have faith in anything but Him. Maybe even some of you here today! Don’t you know that unless you trust Him with your life then everything and anything else you do trust in will fail you – even in leading to the destruction of everything you hold dear?Washing my son’s hair in the bathtub has been a bit of a problem sometimes. He will sit in the bathtub while I put shampoo on his hair. Then, when I pour on the water to make a lather, he will tip his head down so that the shampoo runs into his eyes, causing pain and tears. Of course this makes it that much harder to rinse the soap out of his hair!
I kept explaining to him that if he just looked straight up at me, he could avoid getting the shampoo in his face. He would agree; then, as soon as I start to rinse his hair, his fear will overcome his trust, and he’d look down again. Naturally, the shampoo runs into his face again, and there are more tears.
During one of our sessions, while I was trying to convince him to lift up his head and trust me, I suddenly realized how this situation was like my relationship to God. I know God is my Father, and I’m sure he loves me. I believe that I trust Him, but sometimes, in a difficult situation, I panic and turn my eyes away from Him.
This never solves the problem; I just become more afraid, as the "shampoo" blinds me. Even though my son knows I love him, he still has a hard time trusting me in a panicky situation. I know I can protect him but convincing him of that isn’t easy, especially when all he can see is water coming down. His lack of trust hurts me, but it hurts him more. He’s the one who has to suffer the pain.
I’m sure my lack of trust hurts God very much, but how much more does it hurt me? Often in the Bible, we are told to lift up our head to God when problems come. He knows how to protect us if we remember to listen to Him.
Now, when I find myself in a situation where it would be easy to panic, I picture my son sitting in the bathtub, looking up at me, learning to trust me. Then I ask God what I should do. Sometimes the answer may seem scary, but, one thing I’m sure of – He’ll never pour shampoo in my face!
This sermon was preached by Darren Ethier at Hanover Pentecostal Church on August 5, 2001. This message is Part 3 of the sermon series: Who’s That: Stories of little known people of the Bible!. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, Copyright © 1873, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
