The Faith Of Rahab (Mighty To Save)
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”
Hebrews 11:1-2, 31 NKJV
What can we learn about Faith from a former harlot?
Last week we had begun to look at the life of the woman Rahab (see last week’s post here) and we saw how a woman who was an outcast became grafted into the lineage of Christ.
Whatever possessed Rahab to make the deal that she made with the spies?
Why was she so bold as to ask:
“Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord , since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”
Joshua 2:12-13 NKJV
And her request was granted.
Rahab took a gamble with the God of Israel through her request to the Israelite spies.
She had never heard of a non-Israelite being accepted into the home of Israel but something in her must have been grasping for HOPE. Anything at all she could anchor her life on and hope for salvation from the destruction that was sure to come upon her country.
She knew that she couldn’t look to the king because every man in Jericho were afraid of the Israelite army; they had seen the wonderful works God did since He led out of Egypt and she knew that NO MAN COULD SAVE HER.
And so she turned to this God who had delivered His people with a mighty and outstretched arm; hoping that someway, somehow He would deliver her too.
She made a gamble.
“I have showed you kindness; please show me kindness too and save me from the destruction that will come to every one in this town”.
By that one act of a shaky request SHE BELIEVED.
Her hands reached out to grasp a God she had never seen but had heard of His mighty works and seen His might through the parting of the red sea.
She had heard of how He delivered His own people, perhaps if she aligned with His people too He would have mercy on her and save her?
She tried.
BELIEVING THAT SOMEHOW HE WOULD SAVE HER AND HE DID.
“So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”
So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you bind THIS LINE OF SCARLET CORD in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home.”
Joshua 2:14, 17-18 NKJV
The men threw the saving grace of a scarlet cord to her; little did they know that they were replicating shadows of what would be the BLOOD OF JESUS to us years later.
“But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, “Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.”
And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”
Joshua 6:22-25 NKJV
Rahab represents a lot of women today; drowning and sinking. They look to their country – friends, and loved ones and NO ONE CAN SAVE THEM.
They know that it is an hopeless matter. Even the king of thier lives who they think is powerful is powerless in the face of the oncoming destruction that’s about to happen to them.
What does the king of your life represent right now to you?
Your job?
Your wealth?
Your ministry?
Or your family?
They are powerless against the oncoming destruction – the destruction of the last days and end time and the destruction in your soul.
Some of you are drowning; drowning from pain and hurt.
Your heart cries out “WHO CAN DELIVER ME FROM THIS BURDEN OF DEATH?”
“What a miserable man I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death? I thank God for saving me through Jesus Christ our Lord!…”
Romans 7:24-25 NCV
Thanks be to Jesus Christ our Lord!
Just as there was a scarlet cord thrown out to Rahab in her time, there is a scarlet thread of the blood of Jesus being thrown out to us today.
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”
Proverbs 18:10 NKJV
You can be saved if you would run into the NAME OF THE LORD. HIS NAME IS MIGHTY TO SAVE.
In her day, Rahab had to do a gamble with God.
She wasn’t sure if He would hear her and saved her. But He did! And the conditions are even better today!
Today we are sure that He would save us because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross!
“For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13 NKJV
HIS NAME IS JESUS!
WONDERFUL!
COUNSELLOR!
PRINCE OF PEACE!
What do you need today?
Can you dare to have the faith of Rahab and just call upon Jesus today?
Pray:
“Lord I am heavy and burdened. I have tried to put my hope on things that do not help. I have tried to hope on men, love and money..even on my job and family.
Today I acknowledge that they cannot save me.
Lord I come to you in sincerity of heart.
Jesus…. save me!!”
***
From the depths of your heart, lift up your voice and heart unto the Lord.
Encounters that change our lives forever happen in secret places… Secret places of faith like the rooftop of a harlot’s house.
*****
If you would love to talk to us, please email us at 4thewomenatthewell@gmail.com
We would be glad to hold your hand as a sister leading you unto the FAITH that saves in the Lord.
****
You can also connect to us via our facebook page:
www.facebook.com/twtwinternational
Or via instagram: @twtwinternational.
God bless you.
