The Choice Of The Prostitute Series

THE CHOICE OF THE PROSTITUTE

JOSHUA 2:1-24

INTRODUCTION

TELLING OF THE STORY IN JOSHUA 2:1-24

1. Be dramatic

2. Be funny

3. Be complete

I. WHO IS RAHAB? à THE PROFILE OF A LOST PERSON

A. Rahab is described as a prostitute living in the walled city of Jericho. She most likely

was the owner of a hotel / brothel and this is how the spies came into her house.

1) We would consider Rahab a person of low moral standards. Her business is

expressly condemned in Scripture and her life was filled with sin.

a. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 condemns prostitution as wicked and mentions

that they will not inherit the kingdom of God.

b. Prostitution is the only sin mentioned: sexually immoral, idolaters,

adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, liars, or cheats. None of these

will be welcomed into Heaven.

c. We must understand that our sin separates us from God and we need a

Savior to pay the price because we cannot.

2) We would also think that Rahab, being a prostitute, would not have a spiritual

bone in her body and would never think about eternity or the things of God. Yet

she does.

B. Rahab was a citizen of the city of Jericho.

1) Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world. Some of the earliest findings of

archeologists place buildings and other items at 7000 BC. This means that

Jericho was a very old town with lots of history.

2) This most likely meant that she worshipped an idol most of her life, most

likely the sun and moon. Jericho was not a city filled with God-fearing people,

but rather wanted to seek out and destroy the people of God.

C. I think Rahab is a perfect picture of the lost person in our world today.

1) People we might seek to share the Gospel with might have already thought a

lot about God and spirituality. They may have many questions about God and

will want to know where to go to find the answers.

a. Some people who are lost may have found something else to take the

place of the Truth in their lives. It might be another religion. It might be a

charismatic person.

b. Some people who are lost may not have had the opportunity to meet a

genuine Christian with a powerful message of faith… who are God’s

messengers to them.

2) I also think that the spiritually seeking person may be following some kind of

idol and be lost because of it. Money, success, family, addictions, entertainment,

etc all can lead a person away from God and His desires. They are citizens of this

world and do not have in mind the life God has for them.

3) * I have prepared a small handout in the welcome center if you would like one.

It is a chapter from the book Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary by

Lee Strobel. I think you would benefit from this read. *

II. THE INSIGHT OF RAHAB IN 2:9-11 à CONFESSION OF FAITH

A. Matthew 16:13-20: The disciple Peter confesses, “You are the Christ, the Son of the

Living God.” This was not something Peter just said, but Jesus says this was revealed to

him by God from Heaven.

B. John 1:49: The disciple Nathanael declares Jesus to be “the Son of God; [you are] the

king of Israel.”

C. John 11:27: Martha answers Jesus, “Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the

Son of God, who has come into the world.”

D. John 20:28: Thomas exclaims after seeing Jesus’ hands and feet, “My Lord and My

God!” Thomas confesses not only did He believe that Jesus was the Savior, but that He

was God in the flesh.

E. Verse 11: “For the Lord your God is God in Heaven above and on the earth below.”

This was Rahab’s confession of faith. This was not just something she said flippantly,

but believed it. Like Peter, this must have been revealed to her by God and she must

have opened her heart to Him.

1) Rahab is confessing that the God if Israel is supreme in Heaven and on Earth.

This meant that she knew idols to be false and that there was only One God.

2) In the context of the verse, she also believes that the will of God will be done

in Heaven and on Earth and that the Israelites were His people. She cites miracles

and victories that are ascribed to God.

III. WHAT DID SHE DO? à FAITH IN ACTION

A. Rahab was faced with a decision. She knew that these men were Israelites and that

they most likely were spying out the land. This was confirmed when the king sent

messengers to her looking for them. What would she do?