Hebrews 11:31
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READ HEBREWS 11:31
It is inevitable that we find our attention sharply arrested by this text.
We have seen faith illustrated in remarkable ways by great personalities – Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the national of Israel leaving Egypt and entering Canaan.
Now quite suddenly, quite definitely, with almost startling brutality, “Rahab, the harlot.”
Such an amazing statement demands consideration.
Those who are most exalted are of no consequence before God unless they have faith.
Here is a marvelous picture of the amazing grace of God. In singling her out as a recipient of grace, God makes it clear that He is no respecter of persons. There was nothing whatever in this poor fallen woman to commend her to God. Where sin abounded, grace much more abounded.
The emphasis in Hebrews 11:31 is saving faith.
She was saved before the spies came into her house. Their arrival only gave the opportunity for her salvation to be seen.
READ THE STORY IN JOSHUA 2 AND 6.
Joshua 2:1-21; 6:17, 22-23
I. THE CONDEMNATION
A. Rahab was a condemned woman living in a condemned city. God’s commission to Israel was that they utterly destroy Jericho. READ DEUTERONOMY 7:1-6; 12:1-3. It was not a question of whether or not the citizens of Jericho felt condemned, they were condemned – according to the Word of God.
B. Spiritually speaking, everyone in the world already stands condemned before God. READ JOHN 3:18, 36.
II. THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH (Joshua 2:8-11)
A. The basis of her faith was that she heard the reports of the work of God. Romans 10:17: “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” READ JOSHUA 2:8-11.
READ JOSHUA 2:9-11: We heard about the Red Sea… defeat of Amorite Kings. When we heard we were terrified. Your Lord is the true God.
B. Saving faith involves our entire soul.
1.Saving faith involves the MIND.
There were certain facts that Rahab knew and believed. Joshua 2:8-11.
She knew that Jehovah was the true God… Israel was His people… He had delivered them from Egypt… she was condemned… her only hope was to fall on the mercy and grace of God.
2.Saving faith involves the EMOTIONS.
The fear of God was in her heart. Joshua 2:11.
One of the obstacles to saving faith is “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:18). “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 1:7).
Is fear a proper motive for salvation? Of course it is! Fear of injury, sickness, death, play an important part in all of our decisions.
What is there to be afraid of? Jesus preached about God’s wrath. Jesus even preached about the fires of Hell.
READ MATTHEW 3:7-12; 25:30. REVELATION 21:6-8.
But, it takes more than an enlightened mind and a stirred heart for a sinner to be saved. Rahab’s saving faith also involved her will.
3.Saving Faith involves the WILL.
Because she believed the truth, she acted upon it. She saved the spies and made them promise that when the city was taken she would be spared.
The color of the scarlet thread was not chosen by chance. For in the spies’ deliverance with it, and in Rahab’s salvation by it, we find a precious picture of the blood of the cross of Calvary.
Its very presence is Rahab’s window reminds us of the sprinkling of Blood of the Passover.
III. THE CONFESSION OF HER FAITH-Joshua 2:9-11
Her confession is quite a comprehensive one. She did it at the first opening that she had. She placed her faith in God and renounced the idols of her past life.
By placing the scarlet cord in her window, she publicly declared her colors.
It is the nature of true faith to immediately declare itself in profession before men.
READ ROMAND 10:10: “With the mouth confession is made unto righteousness.”
Our confession is inseparable from our faith. Jesus Christ lays the same weight on confession as on believing itself. READ MATTHEW 10:32-33; LUKE 9:26.
IV. THE EFFECT OF HER FAITH
Her faith produced fruit to the glory of God.
In receiving the spies by faith, she showed that she had a heart for the people of God.
READ JAMES 2:25. This doesn’t mean that her good works saved her. It means that her faith was proved by her actions.
Nobody is saved by works, or by faith plus works. We are saved by a faith that results in works. The fact that she hid the spies is proof that her faith is real.
V. THE REWARDS OF SAVING FAITH
1. Her own escape from terrible judgment. Joshua 6, Rahab was saved as the city burned.
No matter how one may twist scripture, there is a fire in the future. There is a wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; 2 Thess. 1:7-8)
Rahab and her family escaped the fire because they had saving faith.
2. Rahab actually became part of Israel.
3. She also later became the honored wife of a Prince of Israel – Salmon… the great-great-grandmother of David… included in the genealogy of Jesus.
There is a miracle here of the restoration of her worth. She is not called Rahab, the Harlot. She is called Rahab, the wife of Salmon. Her dignity is restored.
Rahab’s faith certainly rebukes unbelievers today. She had only a meager amount of information, yet, she believed and was saved.
No one in Jericho to encourage her.
Today we have an entire Bible, not just fragmented rumor. The message we hear is one of love and salvation, not wrath and condemnation.
The experience of Rahab makes it clear that nobody is too bad to be saved, or too ignorant to be saved; but, you can be too late to be saved.
