JOSHUA CHAPTER 2, “Rahab The
Harlot: A Woman With Saving Faith”
By
Jim Bomkamp
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. In our last study, we went
through an introduction to the book of Joshua, and then we studied through
chapter 1 of the book
1.1.1. Introduction to the book of
Joshua
1.1.1.1.
We took a look at what the scripture tells about the man Joshua
1.1.1.1.1.
We saw that he is first mentioned as a ‘victorious warrior’ (Exod. 17:8-11,13)
1.1.1.1.2.
We saw that he was originally named ‘Hoshea’ but that Moses named him
‘Joshua,’ which means “Jehovah saves,” the identical name given to Jesus
1.1.1.1.3.
We saw that Joshua is a type of Christ in the scripture
1.1.1.1.4.
We saw that Joshua was one of the twelve spies whom Moses sent into the
land of Canaan to spy it out before the children of Israel were to go in, and
that only he and Caleb gave a favorable response to the invasion, and then
because of the unbelief of all of the people after the spies’ reports, all of
that generation of people 20 years and up, except Joshua and Caleb, had to die
in the wilderness before the children of Israel could enter the land. Thus, the children of Israel wandered for the
next 40 years prior to their entering the promised land under Joshua
1.1.1.1.5.
We saw that Joshua was commissioned by the Lord Himself to be Moses’
successor in leading the children of Israel
1.1.1.2.
We saw that the book of Joshua symbolizes in God’s plan “the walk in
the blessing and victory that the believer can have in Christ”
1.1.1.2.1.
We saw that erroneously many in the church throughout history have
thought and taught that the book of Joshua symbolized the rest that the
believer will have in heaven, however this cannot be the case because the book
of Joshua is a book that details the children of
1.1.1.3.
We saw that the land of Canaan was given unconditionally to Abraham and
to all of his descendants after him, and that God’s plans and calling for the
children of Israel always involved their entering into the land of Canaan
1.1.1.4.
We saw that though the
1.1.1.4.1.
We saw that this parallels the fact that for the believer that we have
been given many promises and positional truths concerning us in Christ, however
that in order for us to realize the full blessing of each of them we have to
step out in faith and claim and appropriate those for ourselves
1.1.1.4.2.
We also saw that just as the Israelites under Joshua and those who
followed him never conquered all of the land that they had been given as an
inheritance by the Lord, so most Christians do not walk in all of the blessings
and promises that they have been given in Christ as their inheritance as
children of God
1.1.1.5.
We saw that three times the Lord told Joshua to be strong and
courageous and not to fear, and that the fact that the Lord repeated this to
Joshua so many times is because he was fearful, timid, and mealy-mouthed, and
thus Joshua becomes our encouragement that the Lord can use regular people who
do not have great natural abilities and who are beset with weaknesses
1.1.1.6.
We saw that the Lord told Joshua that none of the inhabitants of the
land would be able to stand before them when they went into the land directed
by the Lord to conquer it
1.1.1.6.1.
We saw that this was symbolic that we as Christians have been
guaranteed success in all of the battles that we go through and that we don’t
have to battle up to the place of victory, we already stand in it because Jesus
has already defeated all of our enemies:
sin, hell, death, the grave, the Devil, and the flesh
1.1.1.6.2.
We saw that we Christians too must take it to heart that the Lord wants
us to be strong and courageous and to have no fear except fear itself
1.1.1.7.
We saw in chapter 1 that Joshua was mustering the people of Israel to
get them ready to go into the promise land and to conquer the inhabitants as
the Lord had told them to do and promised them victory in doing, and, that Joshua
admonished the people to take three days and count the cost of following the
Lord and going into battle.
1.1.1.8.
Joshua also told the people to take some practical considerations and
prepare food for themselves for their journey into the land
1.1.1.8.1.
We saw that though we walk by faith in the Lord that we still must have
practical considerations in our lives, and I suppose we have all heard of a man
who, “was so heavenly minded that he was of no earthly good.”
1.1.1.9.
Finally, we looked at the tribes of Reuben and Gad and how that even
before the children of Israel were ready to go into the land of Canaan to
conquer it that those two tribes decided that they liked the land on the other
side of the Jordan because it had lots of green grass and they had many
livestock.
1.1.1.9.1.
Moses allowed these two tribes to do this only out of concession for it
was never God’s perfect will for their lives.
1.1.1.9.1.1.
Moses allowed them to take this land as their inheritance, but only if
they would come and fight all of the battles with the rest of the tribes in the
conquering of their land and inheritance.
This they agreed to do
1.1.1.9.1.1.1. We saw the parallel in this
story of Reuben and Gad that there are many Christians who once were used by
God, who once had a vital ministry and were greatly used by God, who once used
their spiritual gifts in the church and were walking in the center of God’s
blessing, yet now they have become content to settle for something less in
their lives and their Christian experience is relegated mainly to the things
that God did through their lives in the past
1.1.1.9.1.1.2. We saw then the parallel
that we Christians can many times cause ourselves to get into God’s
“permissive” will for our lives instead of His “perfect” will for us. We can settle for something that is less than
God’s best for us
1.1.1.9.2.
We saw that the tribes of Reuben and Gad paid a huge price for their
decision to stay on the other side of the Jordan for they were always the first
to get attacked by Israel’s enemies, and they also were the first to go into
Assyrian captivity and then were never heard from again
1.1.1.9.2.1.1. Christians also pay a huge
price when they place themselves outside of God’s “perfect” will for their
lives
1.2. In our study today, we are
going to look at this woman Rahab the Harlot, who was a resident of the city of
Jericho, located just on the other side of the Jordan, and we will see that she
was a woman who had saving faith in the Lord
1.2.1. The city of Jericho was a
strategic city in God’s plans for the children of Israel to conquer the land of
Canaan, for it was just on the other side of the Jordan and having conquered
the city the children of Israel could go straight through the city and begin to
divide and conquer the rest of the land
1.2.2. The city of
1.2.3. We will see today that
before the children of Israel could cross the Jordan River and conquer the city
of Jericho on the other side, that the Lord first had to rescue the one
righteous person in that city, and by righteous I mean the one person who had
true saving faith in the Lord
1.2.3.1.
From all of the Biblical accounts of the life of this woman Rahab the
Harlot, we see that she had saving faith in the Lord before the spies came into
the land
1.2.3.2.
We see from this account yet another instance in the scriptures where
God delivers the righteous before He judges the wicked in His wrath
1.2.3.3.
Though Rahab was known as one who was a “harlot,” or “prostitute,” as
she is named in the New Testament, from her conduct as well as the fact that
she had flax on her roof which was used for industry, that she no longer was
living as a prostitute because of her faith and commitment to the Lord
1.2.3.3.1.
There can be no genuine faith without repentence from sin and
repentence towards the Lord
1.2.3.4.
In the New Testament we find that there are several references to Rahab
as being a woman who possessed true saving faith in the Lord:
1.2.3.4.1.
Rahab’s name and deeds are listed in Heb. 11:31, in the chapter that
has been called the Old Testament “Hall of Faith,” where the saints of old who
had exceptional faith are listed, “31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not
perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies
in peace.”
1.2.3.4.2.
We also see also in James 2:25-26, that Rahab is listed there as an Old
Testament saint who by her actions demonstrated that she had true saving faith,
the kind that produces works, “25 And in the same way was not Rahab the
harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them
out by another way? 26 For just as the
body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”
1.2.3.4.3.
In the genealogy of Christ in Matt. 1:5-6 we find that Rahab is listed
as being one who was of the descendants of David through whom Jesus came, “5 and
to Salmon was born Boaz by Rahab; and to Boaz was born Obed by Ruth; and to
Obed, Jesse;6 and to Jesse was born David the king. And to David was born
Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah;” Rahab’s name being found in Christ’s
genealogy is amazing for a few reasons, including the following:
1.2.3.4.3.1.
In Jesus day and among the Jews, it was always men whose names were
listed in a genealogy
1.2.3.4.3.2.
Considering the fact that Rahab had been a prostitute, we see yet
further evidence that Jesus was a man who was known for being with sinners, and
that it is only true saving faith in Christ for righteousness
1.2.3.4.3.3.
We see yet another reminder that salvation comes about only through the
grace and mercy of God, none deserve it
1.2.3.4.3.4.
Rahab the Harlot was honored by the Lord for her genuine faith, for she
became King David’s great grandmother
1.2.4. We will look at this story
of Rahab then from the perspective of how her life and actions parallel those
of a person in our day who truly has come to have saving faith in Christ, and
thus is headed for heaven and eternity with the Lord
2. VS 2:1 - “1 Then Joshua the son of Nun
sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, “Go, view the land,
especially
2.1.
We see here
that the hand of the Lord was directing these men for they came directly to the
house of the only person in
2.1.1.
In preaching to
the people of
2.1.1.1.
The Lord led
the spies directly to Rahab’s house.
2.1.2.
Psalm 37:23 tells us that the Lord is actually directing the
steps of a man, “23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord; And He delights in his way.”
2.1.3.
Psalm 127:1 tells us that it is vain for the wicked to think that
they can protect a city themselves, “Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it; Unless
the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.”
2.1.4.
Many times we
Christians can mistakenly think that the Lord does not hear or know what is
going on in our lives or in the world, however we need to realize that He is always working
behind the scenes manipulating situations to bring about what He intends in
our world.
2.1.5.
These men were
just spying out a city before a battle, but the Lord was orchestrating the
rescue of one of His people.
2.2.
When the children
of
2.2.1.
We should not
think that the Israelites were wrong in sending the initial 12 spies into the
land because the scripture tells us in Numbers 13:1-2 that the Lord told Moses
to send the men.
2.2.2.
We should also
not think that sending these two spies came about as a result of Joshua’s
unbelief, rather every wise general
tries to spy out a land before planning a battle.
3. VS 2:2-7 - “2 And it was told the king of
3.1.
The big debate
that always comes up at this point is whether or not Rahab was justified in
lying to the king’s men about the
whereabouts of these spies who came to her.
3.1.1.
Those who
believe that Rahab lied have the following arguments:
3.1.1.1.
It has been
pointed out that for us as God’s people that “the end does not justify the
means.” Lying in that case could not
be justified.
3.1.1.2.
Also, Rahab
could have instead of lying just invited the men to come in and search
the house for themselves knowing that the Lord would be able to hide the spies
from the king’s men.
3.1.2.
Those who
believe that Rahab was justified in lying have the following arguments:
3.1.2.1.
Though we as
God’s people are to be in submission to the king and government that is over
our lives, when obeying our government would cause us to disobey a direct
command of the Lord, then we must defer to the obeying the Lord. Rahab knew that the Lord was going to judge
and overthrow the people of the city of
3.1.2.2.
If Rahab had
been guilty in lying to the king’s men, she must also have been guilty in
hiding the men from the king as well, which
we know is not true.
3.1.2.3.
Rahab could
have brought about the death of the spies had she not protected them by lying.
3.1.2.4.
If Rahab’s deeds
in welcoming the spies are listed in Heb.
11:31 as being works that display exceptional and saving faith, then she
could hardly be accused of sinning in the process of hiding these men.
3.2.
We see here genuine saving faith in the life
of this woman Rahab, after all because
of her faith she was willing to risk her own life in order to place
her lot with that of the people of God.
3.2.1.
In James
2:14-26, James goes into a dissertation about the fact that if a person has
genuine faith that it will and has to express itself in a person’s works, “14 What
use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can
that faith save him?15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need
of daily food,16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be
filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what
use is that?17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.18
But someone may well say, “You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith
without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”19 You believe
that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.20 But are
you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is
useless?21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up
Isaac his son on the altar?22 You see that faith was working with his works,
and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;23 and the Scripture was
fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as
righteousness,” and he was called the
friend of God.24 You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith
alone.25 And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works,
when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?26 For just
as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”
3.2.1.1.
Works are not
the means for obtaining salvation,
for we know from verses such as Eph. 2:8-9 which tell us that salvation is by
grace through faith and not as a result of works. Rather, good works are produced by genuine
faith.
3.2.1.2.
If a person
does not have any works befitting one who has truly been saved by Christ, then we must question his salvation
experience and whether he has the kind of faith that saves.
3.2.1.3.
Rahab denied
herself, risked her very life and was courageous because of the faith that she
had in the Lord, for if she had been
found hiding the two Hebrew spies she would have been killed.
3.2.1.4.
Arthur Pink has written about how saving faith affects the conduct
of the one possessing it, “Saving faith necessarily involves the
relinquishing of what previously occupied the heart, the repudiation of what
formerly was trusted in, the abandonment of all that is opposed to the thrice
holy God. It therefore involves the
denying of self and the forsaking of old companions. It was thus with Abram, who was required to
leave his old situation in
3.2.2.
Saving faith
must bring about some transformation of a person’s character through the fruits
of the Spirit working in their lives,
and also because Jesus taught us that we would know true believers by their
fruits.
3.2.3.
Note that true
saving faith in a person’s life always works within him to seek to do good to those who are God’s people, and to also throw his
lot in with God’s people, as happened with Rahab.
3.2.3.1.
Those who have
come to have true saving faith in Christ and yet who do not remain in
fellowship with the God’s people, make their salvation experience
questionable. This is because always throughout the scriptures you
see that those who have saving faith in the Lord in common join together
corporately as the people of God.
3.3.
Before we leave
this section, I want to ask a question, “If Rahab had saving faith in the
Lord prior to the spies coming into the city of Jericho on this day, who was it
who led her to have that faith?”
3.3.1.
The story of
Rahab shows us that the Lord Himself can bring people to have saving faith
in Him apart from the witness of any other believer. This story should silence the skeptics who
question how a good God could condemn a person to hell for not believing in
Jesus though they had never had a chance to hear the gospel message of
salvation through Christ. The Lord can
reveal Himself directly to someone if no one else is available to be His
witness.
4. VS 2:8-14 - “8 Now before they lay down, she
came up to them on the roof,9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has
given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all
the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you.10 “For we have heard
how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of
Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the
Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.11 “And when we heard it,
our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you;
for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.12 “Now
therefore, please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you,
that you also will deal kindly with my father’s household, and give me a pledge
of truth,13 and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters,
with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death. 14 So the men said to her, “Our life for
yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when
the Lord gives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.””” – Rahab cohersed the spies
into enter into a covenant with her to spare her life and the life of her
family
4.1.
Look closely
at the confession of Rahab which reveals her faith in these verses:
4.1.1.
Though she has
always known and lived amongst the
pagan Canaanites and their multitude of gods whom they worshipped, notice
that she confesses that, ‘the Lord you God, He is God in heaven above
and on earth beneath.’ She believed
that there was just one God who is over all.
4.1.2.
She confesses
that the Lord is the “God of the Jews” for
she calls him ‘your God.’
4.1.3.
She confesses
that she knows (knowledge that comes from faith) that the Lord would give the
Israelites the
4.1.4.
She pleads for
the salvation not only of her own life but that of her family.
4.2.
Rahab’s
accounts to the two spies shows the fulfillment of scripture for in Deut. 11:22-25, we read that the Lord
told Moses that He would give them victory over all of the inhabitants of the
land of Canaan and that the dread of them would fall upon all of the
inhabitants of the land, “22 “For if you are careful to keep all this
commandment which I am commanding you, to do it, to love the Lord your God, to
walk in all His ways and hold fast to Him;23 then the Lord will drive out all
these nations from before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and
mightier than you.24 “Every place on which the sole of your foot shall tread
shall be yours; your border shall be from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from
the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea.25 “There shall no
man be able to stand before you; the Lord your God shall lay the dread of
you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken
to you.”
4.2.1.
Rahab tells
these two spies that everyone knew about the victories that the Lord had given the Israelites over the Egyptians in delivering them,
and that the people were fearful of the Israelites and their God.
4.2.2.
The scripture
says that the demons believe in God and tremble, just as the Canaanites in
4.3.
We see also in
these verses that Rahab, having come to saving faith herself,
immediately becomes an evangelist as she pleads for the life of her family to
be spared as well as her own.
4.3.1.
In doing this, Rahab
became just like Andrew in the gospels who upon coming to Jesus immediately
went and found his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus.
4.4.
The Israelites
had been given the command to destroy all of the inhabitants of the land of
Canaan, and yet now we see the
Lord working in the lives of these spies as they out of gratitude, as well
as realization that Rahab truly belonged with the people of God, enter into
a covenant for the sparing of her and her family’s lives.
5. VS 2:15-20 - “15 Then she let them down by a
rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall, so that she was
living on the wall.16 And she said to them, “Go to the hill country, lest the
pursuers happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days, until the
pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way.” – Rahab let the spies down
the wall of the city by a rope through a window in her house and they escaped
5.1.
We see
here the Lord’s hand in several details that enabled the escape of these spies
from Rahab’s house:
5.1.1.
Rahab must
have lived on the edge of the city not
in the center of town where the spies would have been seen leaving through her
window.
5.1.2.
The spies
did not know that the Lord would cause the walls of the city of
5.2.
Note that though
the spies were trusting in the Lord their God to protect them, they
none the less did not tempt Him to have to act on their behalf by not
hiding out in the hill country as Rahab wisely directed them.
6. VS 2:17-21 - 17 And the men said to her, “We
shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear,18 unless,
when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window
through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your
father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household.19
“And it shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house
into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but
anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if a hand
is laid on him.20 “But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free
from the oath which you have made us swear.
21 And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them
away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.”” – The two spies tell Rahab
the terms of the covenant they will make with her in guaranteeing the salvation
of her and her household
6.1.
All throughout
history the people of God have come to be His people by entering into a
“covenant relationship” with Him, one
that defines terms that must be kept on their part in order for them to become
His people. Here we see that Rahab
enters into a covenant for salvation for her and her family based upon these
terms which she was required to fulfill:
6.1.1.
She must keep
a scarlet thread in her window to distinguish her house and identify her.
6.1.1.1.
Note the
parallel with the fact that it is the blood of Christ that is our
identification as Christians, for it is through His blood alone that we are
saved.
6.1.1.2.
If we
Christians are to be saved today, we must also identify ourselves with the Lord
and confess Him before men.
6.1.2.
She and her
family who are to be saved must remain in the house.
6.1.2.1.
Note the
parallel in this with the necessity for those who are being saved of separating
themselves from this world that is in rebellion against God.
6.1.2.2.
This act
implies repentence.
6.1.3.
She must not
reveal her business in spying out the land to anyone.
6.2.
If Rahab did
not keep these terms of the covenant
then the spies were relieved of their responsibility to fulfill their
part of the bargain.
6.3.
Theologians
have always pointed to this ‘scarlet thread’ because of its bright red color as
symbolizing the blood of Christ by
which men of all generations have come to salvation through it’s cleansing
power.
6.3.1.
The sacrifices
for sin in the Old Testament always involved the blood of a lamb, a lamb which symbolically pointed forward to the
coming of Jesus, the lamb of God, who by the shedding of His blood would
take away the sins of the world.
6.3.2.
The ‘scarlet
thread’ also reminds us of the blood that was to be placed upon the doorposts
of the children of Israel in Exod.
12:21-22, which the angel of death would see and then pass over those in
the house as he was going through the land of Egypt and taking the lives of the
firstborn in every household. This
blood on the doorposts was also a symbol of the blood of Christ that saves us
of our sins.
7. VS 2:22-24 - “22 And they departed and came to
the hill country, and remained there for three days until the pursuers
returned. Now the pursuers had sought them all along the road, but had not
found them.23 Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and
crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all
that had happened to them.24 And they said to Joshua, “Surely the Lord has
given all the land into our hands, and all the inhabitants of the land,
moreover, have melted away before us.”” - After
three days hiding in the hill country the two spies returned to Joshua and the
children of Israel and gave a favorable report concerning the conquer of the
city of Jericho
7.1.
We see that
these two spies were men of faith for they believed that the Lord would give
the people victory over the
inhabitants of
7.1.1.
The city of
7.1.2.
Again, we must
remember that these two spies did not know at this time that the walls
surrounding the city of
7.1.2.1.
These spies
were looking at things through eyes of faith and saw that the Lord was
preparing the way for victory for the children of Israel and that He was
capable of giving them the victory no matter how great the foe they faced.
8. CONCLUSION:
8.1. Rahab the Harlot was a woman
who had “saving faith.” We have seen
that the scriptures even use her as an example of faith and of how that the
genuineness of her faith is revealed by her works in sheltering and protecting
the Jewish spies and pleading for herself and her family to be saved.
8.2. However, do you today have
genuine “saving faith” in your life?
8.2.1. Are you denying yourself and
your desires in order to serve the Lord as Rahab did?
8.2.2. Have you repented of going
your own way and yielded your will to the Lord to follow His path for your
life?
8.2.3. Are you courageous in your
faith as was Rahab who was willing to risk her life in protecting the spies
because she knew they were God’s people?
8.2.4. Are you honoring God’s
people as did Rahab and throwing in your lot with Christ’s church as Rahab
threw in hers with the Hebrew spies?
8.3. Is your life truly covered
by the “scarlet thread” of the blood of Christ?
8.3.1. Have you trusted His sacrifice
upon the cross of
8.3.2. Have you by faith asked
Jesus to come into your heart and cleanse you from your sins through His blood?
8.4. If you realize that you do
not have true “saving faith” in the Lord, I encourage you today to take this
step…
8.5. If you commit your life to
the Lord today as a result of this study, we at the church would like to hear
from you, please contact us at:
webservant-greenbay@calvarychapel.com