BEYOND THE OBVIOUS: FAITH’S SECRETS
Hebrews 11:1-16
At the beginning of each year, the Queen of the United Kingdom bestows certain New Year’s honours on people who have made special contributions to their respective fields. Some receive the MBE, others the OBE. In doing so, these individuals are being recognised for their accomplishments and contributions.
In the USA, sports governing bodies conduct a similar exercise. From year to year famous players are inducted into a Hall of Fame relevant to that sport. Again, to find a name in the Hall of Fame speaks volumes concerning the standing of the player.
In Hebrews 11 we encounter faith’s Hall of Fame. In this roster we read the names of truly famous biblical characters such as Abraham, Moses, and David. The list is an extended one, as we would expect. Most of the names speak for themselves. However, there are a few names whose inclusion into this Hall of Fame raises a few eyebrows.
One such name is that of Rahab. We cannot help but ask: Why is Rahab in faith’s Hall of Fame? What is her claim to fame?
Rahab’s story is recorded in Joshua 2. That record itself lends credence to the ‘dubiousness’ of her inclusion in the list of Hebrews 11. Josh 2:1 tells us who Rahab was, a prostitute in Jericho. The term ‘inn keeper’ may suggest that she ran a brothel. We ask, “How could a prostitute be placed alongside Abraham?”
Josh 2:2-7 describes her assistance to the Israelite spies sent by Joshua. The story says that she hid the spies among some rooftop flax and then deliberately misled the king’s soldiers who ended up on a wild goose chase. We must ask ourselves: Was this an act of courage? Was this treason against her own country? Was this an act of revenge against a city that surely ostracised her as we do those in her profession today?
Josh 2:8-13 provides an account of her apparent profession of faith. She told the spies that she is convinced that God had given the city of Jericho to the Israelites. Yet we cannot help but wonder: Was this an expression of commitment and faith or was it self-preservation and fear at work?
We must restate our original question: Did Rahab really deserve to be in faith’s Hall of Fame?
Heb 11:31 emphatically answers: “By faith the prostitute Rahab . . . was not killed with those who were disobedient.” Rahab had faith! Her faith qualified her for Hall of Fame status. What an amazing proposition! That’s all it took. That’s all it ever takes.
Nevertheless, a question begs to be answered. What was this faith that Rahab had?
Confidence in Unconfirmed Reality
Heb 11:1 reads: “Now faith is being certain of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Faith is confidence in unconfirmed reality. Rahab faced an uncertain future. I am certain that she must have asked herself, “what if Jericho does not fall to the Israelites?” Rahab had heard about the amazing victories of the Israelites as they marched relentlessly towards Jericho. But all their victories so far had been largely fought against the desert tribes. Jericho was their first true test against a fortified city. Jericho was renown for its massive fortifications and double ramparts. The city was well-defended and well-stocked. It could last a fairly lengthy siege. Furthermore, the Israelites had no siege-warfare training. They had no weaponry capable of taking such a city. Why did Rahab think they could take Jericho?
I am reminded of what holocaust survivor Corrie Ten Boom once said: “Although the threads of life often seem knotted, I know by faith, that on the other side of the embroidery there is a crown.” Rahab had this confidence in unconfirmed reality. She had faith!
Reliance upon Unproved Knowledge
Rahab claimed that she knew about all the amazing exploits of Israel. This apparently convinced her that God was on their side. Let’s reflect for a minute. Rahab’s knowledge was all hearsay. She told the spies that “we have heard” what the Lord has done for Israel (Josh 2:10). However, she had no direct knowledge of any of the things she had heard. Her faith appears to be based on the reports of others. What if the reports were wrong? Did Rahab wonder about this?
Yet we cannot help but admit that our own faith works very much the same way. We are dependent upon indirect knowledge. We have placed our faith on the reports of others. These reports are recorded in the Bible but many people have found it difficult to accept their veracity. The simple truth is that we cannot prove any of the truly crucial facts of the biblical record. We believe in a creator God and in creation (Gen 1:1), but how do we validate this truth? Can we put God into a test tube, conjure up a formula, and then claim that we know? The Bible promises that Jesus is returning for his people and that he is right now preparing special residences for them (John 14:1-3). Yet none of us has been to heaven and none of us has seen any of these so-called mansions. We believe that Jesus lived, died and was raised for our sins, yet none of us has ever seen the risen Christ.
Christian writer William Ward reminds us: “Faith is knowing there is an ocean when you have seen the brook.” Rahab saw the brook. We can also see the brook. Faith is reliance upon unproved knowledge for “by faith we understand . . .” (Heb 11:3)
Allegiance to Unverified Relationship
We sense Rahab’s apprehension when she referred to God as “the Lord your God.” (Josh 2:11) Might she be asking herself, “what if this God does not accept me?”
All relationships in our world are verified in one way or another, usually by means of a piece of paper which certifies belongingness. And so we have birth certificates, marriage certificates, baptismal certificates, affidavits, passports, identification cards, driver’s licences, educational diplomas, and professional certifications. Each of these documents is designed to validate a relationship and verify its existence. So concerned are we with such verifications that we even issue death certificates. In a world obsessed with verified relationships, I ask, “Where is our verification for a relationship with God?”
Heb 11:6 reminds us that “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists . . .” Our allegiance to God is based upon faith and not upon some certificate.
As the allied soldiers swept through war torn Germany near the end of World War II, some troops came upon a bombed out house totally reduced to rubble. As they cleared the rubble, they discovered a somewhat intact basement. On the basement wall, an obvious hiding place of a holocaust victim, were etched a star of David and the following words: “I believe in the sun even when it does not shine; I believe in love even when it is not given; I believe in God even when he does not speak.”
This holocaust victim, like Rahab, had learned a simple truth: Faith is an allegiance to unverified relationship.
Trust in Unsubstantiated Promise
Concerning those in faith’s Hall of Fame we read: “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.” (Heb 11:13) Imagine that! All that they had were promises.
Rahab had only the second-hand promise of the spies. “Our lives for your lives,” they assured her. (Josh 2:14) What if the spies could not keep their promise? What if Joshua had overruled the spies? What if God had not accepted their promise? Rahab’s redemption was precariously contingent upon this promise of the spies.
As we stroll through faith’s Hall of Fame, we are struck again and again by the fact that all these men and women of faith trusted God’s promises and acted accordingly even when those promises were not immediately fulfilled. They, like Rahab, chose to trust God because he gave his word. As the late Mother Teresa once said, “God did not call me to be successful, he called me to be faithful.” Faith is trust in unsubstantiated promise.
Faith is only faith if it extends beyond the obvious. It enables us to have confidence in unconfirmed reality. It is about reliance upon unproved knowledge. It is about allegiance to unverified relationship. It is trust in unsubstantiated promise. This was Rahab’s faith. This is why Rahab is included in faith’s Hall of Fame. People who have such faith show that they are looking for a country of their own (Heb 11:14).
They realise that they are pilgrims in this world and faith gives them eyes to see the reality of God and his kingdom. With such faith they are perennially involved in the ‘pursuit of God’.
The ultimate compliment to such faith is this: “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.” (Heb 11:16) That is why God is not ashamed to include Rahab in faith’s Hall of Fame. This can be your faith as well. You too can be in faith’s Hall of Fame.
