Joshua chapter 2, beginning in verse 1. Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly saying, go view the land, especially Jericho. So they went and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho saying, behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.
So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab saying, Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country." Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went, I do not know.
Pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof. Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.
Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted. Neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you.
For the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 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 sister, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. So the man 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. Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall.
She dwelt on the wall. And she said to them, get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way.
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. So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.
Then she said, according to your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window. They departed and went to the mountain and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned.
The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over. And they came to Joshua, the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. And they said to Joshua, truly, the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands.
For indeed, all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us. Amen.
Introduction
Well, what we have here, we've mentioned last week, is a display of God's grace and God's kindness and God's mercy to this woman of Jericho, this harlot, this Gentile, this one who by all appearances would be the last one to be a recipient of the kindness of God. But here, before they get into the conquest, before they actually go into the promised land to enter the land, to take the land, possess the land, and retain the land, God shows mercy to Rahab the harlot. And I want to consider three things this evening.
The Reconnaissance Mission
First, the mission itself, the reconnaissance mission in verses 1 to 7. Secondly, the central portion of the passage is found in verses 8 to 14. confession of God's sovereignty, which incidentally, this is the longest, one of the longest sections of uninterrupted dialogue by a woman in the entirety of the Bible. So the verses that she speaks are quite unique in that she reveals many things about God and His mercy and His glory. And it's unique in the sense that there's not a lot of extended dialogue from women in the Bible itself.
So the second point is
Rahab's Confession of God's Sovereignty
the confession of God's sovereignty and then thirdly the agreement made with Rahab and that finishes the chapter in verses 14 to 24 and then also we'll look at chapter 6 verses 22 to 25 to see the fulfillment of this particular agreement or this promise that was made. So first of all the mission itself in verses 1 to 7
Joshua's Strategic Wisdom
There is precedent for what Joshua does here. Some commentators speculate that Joshua was out of line. Joshua shouldn't have done this. He should have just obeyed God.
Well, there's nothing in the text whatsoever that suggests that what Joshua did here was wrong. The Bible speaks well of it. As I said, there was precedent in Numbers chapters 13 and 14. If you remember, Moses told twelve spies, or had twelve spies go in and spy out the land of Canaan to survey the situation, to look at the enemies, to look at the fruit, to look at all those things.
The twelve spies returned. Joshua was one of them, of course. It was Joshua and Caleb who were the faithful ones. The other ten were unfaithful men.
They said the land was not a good land. The land was filled with giants. There was no way that they would be able to take that particular land. Caleb says, we must go at once.
Joshua's right there with him. Of course, the assembly listens to the ten. This is at Kadesh Barnea, and God brings judgment to bear upon them. It is as a result of that particular instance that the people of Israel, the first generation, die in the wilderness, and it's the second generation that then enters in.
So there is precedent. So Joshua sends these two specific men from Acacia Grove. They're on the east side of the Jordan. He wants them to take one of the fords.
As Gil says, it is fordable. I don't know if that's a word, but Gil says that at certain times of the year. You can't pass through the River Jordan. When we get to chapter 3, it describes that it was not a fordable time.
And it's probably a lot easier for two men to get through a particular river than thousands and thousands with women and children. That's a whole different ballgame. That's why God enables them miraculously to cross in chapter 3. So anyways, they cross the Jordan.
They go to view the land, especially Jericho. When they enter or when they pass through the River Jordan, they're going to, first of all, defeat Jericho. So it's important. that we investigate. One man says, Joshua thus justified the character of Joshua as a leader concerned for his people, for he gathers intelligence before leading them into hostile territory.
This is a wise and a strategic and a very judicious move that Joshua does. Go view the land, especially Jericho. Then it goes on to say, so they went and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho saying, behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.
We all, I think, know the particular story.
Three Observations on Rahab
Three things to consider with reference to Rahab. Notice her livelihood. She's identified here as a harlot. She's identified here as a prostitute.
Some have tried to weaken this particular term and said that she's an innkeeper. But the specific word in the Hebrew that is used, zona, refers to a prostitute. The word applied to Rahab in the New Testament is the word porne, which means prostitute in the New Testament scripture. She was just that.
She made her money. She had her livelihood by having relations with men for money. As I said, some are offended by this or they think it's unseemly and they translate it innkeeper. I think it is all the more marvelous that God's grace comes to Rahab the harlot.
It comes to Rahab the prostitute, or in the language of Dale Ralph Davis, the shady lady of Jericho. Notice the threat. Notice what she's engaged in. She is engaged in treason.
This is a capital offense in most countries. The person's lodged there, the king gets wind of it, so the king of Jericho sent to Rahab saying, bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country. Again, Hess says, it was treason against Jericho and its king to aid these men. Rahab's helpful deeds indicate her renunciation of allegiance to the Canaanites of Jericho and her acceptance of the rulership of Joshua and his agents.
I think it says something, too, about these two men. They really trusted her. I mean, they really put their necks on the line. The city gate is closed.
All she had to do is say, they're right upstairs on the roof, and they would have been dead. just as soon as you could imagine. So this woman is acting in faith. She is acting in terms of treason to her own country. But I think he's right.
She is renouncing allegiance to Jericho or the Canaanites of Jericho. And she is demonstrating her acceptance of the rule of Joshua and his agents. And then note. her particular plan. Verse 4, we could translate it, she had taken them.
This is not necessarily chronological. The steps are all related, but I don't know that we're to read them specifically chronologically. When we get to 17 to 20, I don't think the guys are rappelling down the wall while they're still telling her, you need to have a scarlet cord, you need to bring your whole family to your house, and by the way, you gotta make sure... I don't think we're to read it that way.
I think these events happen, they're structured in such a way as to bring emphasis to particular points. So she had taken them and she said, yes the men came to me but I did not know where they were from and it happened as the gate was being shut when it was dark that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know, pursue them quickly for you may overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.
Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate." So what was her particular strategy to throw these men off of the track?
The Question of Rahab's Lie
She lied to them, right? She misled. We would never say in today's political climate, she lied. She stretched the truth.
She misled them. She told them a non-truth. And this presents certain persons with a lot of difficulties. In fact, a lot of people come to this particular passage and instead of getting verses 8 to 14, which we are supposed to get, we get hung up on this particular ethical question.
Just a couple of things that we need to remember as we consider this lack of precision with reference to the truth, if we could call it that. The Bible often reports things without necessarily condoning them. In other words, when the Bible describes David's activities, it is not giving us a go thou and do likewise. The Bible reports details without at times condoning them or giving a judgment call upon those things.
Now, the people who get hung up on this particular lie seem to neglect the treason. I mean, treason is terrible. Treason is a capital offense. I mean, she lied to these men.
Yes, in the context of a greater crime, if we could say, the act of treason. Now, I particularly do not think that what she did was wrong here. And you ask me, why is that? Because the Bible only ever treats her positively.
In Matthew chapter 1 at verse 5, we read that Rahab is in the lineage, in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus. Now, if you ask the question, well, Jim, based on this, are there instances to lie? I don't think this is the passage we are to go to to discuss ethics in terms of battlefield ethics, reconnaissance missions. I think there's other portions of scripture we ought to go to to inform our ethics.
But in terms of Rahab the harlot, Matthew 1.5 puts her in the line of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 31. She is in the Hall of Faith, according to the book of Hebrews. And then as well in James 2.25, along with the patriarch Abraham, this prostitute Rahab is mentioned as an example of faith which yields or produces good works.
In other words, what she is doing here in the context of James' argument is a good work. It is a manifestation that saving grace is operative in her heart. So it's hard to say that what she does here is bad when James uses it as a very proof that there is grace operative in her heart. Dale Ralph Davis says this, it is tragic when people snag their pants on the nail of Rahab's lie, quibble endlessly about the matter, and never get around to hearing Rahab's truth, which the writer has conspired to make the center of the whole narrative.
Davis structures it. He shows how what we have in verses 1 to 7 are preliminary and what we have in verses 15 and following are summary statements. But 8 to 14, literarily, is what we are supposed to take away from this particular passage. It is a confession concerning the living and the true God of Israel that is to consume the reader.
It's not this issue of her treason and her lack of precision with reference to the truth concerning these spies. Hess says the ethical issue is not the concern of the narrative. The Bible says you are not to lie. The Bible says in the ninth commandment do not bear false witness.
If you want to talk ethics, go to the Decalogue. When we survey this instance concerning Rahab, we remember and we realize that God operates in the midst of sinners. God operates and overrules all things to bring about his glory and his eternal plan. Hess says the ethical issue is not the concern of the narrative, It stresses the deception, not in order to condemn Rahab, but to magnify her personal risk in hiding the spies.
So all of this is to cause the reader to bite their fingernails. Well, not this one, because I don't have any fingernails. I'm getting down to the nubs here. This is built and it's structured in such a way to create tension.
She is literally telling Jericho policemen that, yes, these men stopped by, but they've departed. If you engage in hot pursuit, you should be able to locate them. All the while, these men are up on her roof. I mean, just imagine this.
Most policemen would say, well, ma'am, would you mind if we took a quick look around? I mean, that seems to be the bare minimum response of any policeman worth his salt. Perhaps the Lord God is restraining these men and keeping them from journeying up, which probably wasn't difficult. I don't think we're dealing with, you know, a 12-story high rise.
They wouldn't have to shimmy up the side of the wall themselves. They could have quickly popped their head up, moved a few stalks of flax, and seen or verified that these men weren't there. There is tension being created in this particular narrative so that the reader is poised and ready for what's coming in verses 8 to 14. Let's move there, the confession of God's sovereignty.
Notice,
Fear, Power, Majesty, and Mercy
she highlights four particulars. The first thing, she speaks of the fear of God. Notice in verse 8, Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. This is an incredible admission, an incredible statement from this Canaanite harlot who occupies or lives in the city of Jericho.
Remember what we have seen working our way through the book of Deuteronomy. Remember how many times it's mentioned in Joshua chapter 1 that God is gifting the land to Israel. She understands something of that gift. She understands something of that grace.
She may not have a Pauline-developed idea about the grace of God, but she knows this. Israel's Lord is giving Israel this parcel of land. She has heard this, she understands this, and she says as a result that the entirety of the land, or that terror rather, has fallen on us and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. She then deals secondly with the power of God.
It's the power of God that has communicated this message to them and has promoted or produced in them this fear of God. Notice in verse 10. For we have heard how the Lord... Notice she's using the covenant name of the Lord all the way.
She's using Yahweh. That capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D is the covenant name Yahweh. This is what Rahab has on her lips. This is what she is speaking.
This is how she is communicating. For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. And what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroy." So Rahab refers to the great redemptive event wherein God delivered his people from Egypt. We have heard.
We have listened. We know the story. Israel was in bondage to a superpower. Israel was in bondage to Egypt.
Not just any nation marches out of Egypt while the Egyptians are throwing gold at them. That's simply not heard of. This is unique in the history of the world up to this particular time. The Exodus was to produce, it was to promote fear in the hearts, not only of God's people, but fear in the hearts of those who were not God's people.
In the Song of Moses in Exodus 15, verses 14 to 16, it says, the people will hear and be afraid. 30 Sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. 31 Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed. 32 The mighty men of Moab trembling will take hold of them. 33 All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. 34 Fear and dread will fall on them. 35 By the greatness of your arm they will be as still as a stone. 36 Till your people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over whom you have purchased. So this powerful display of God's redemption, God's deliverance of Israel, seen in the exodus. But as well, God's power displayed in their conquest over these two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, remember those particular instances. where the children of Israel decimated these enemy armies. And this is what she reports in this instance.
So the fear of God has seized her heart. She acknowledges the power of God. Notice then, thirdly,
The Majesty of the One True God
she highlights the majesty of God in verse 11. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you for the Lord your God he is God in heaven above and I'm sorry he is God in heaven above and on earth So, and on earth beneath. So what she takes in her heart, in her mouth, is Israel's confession and hope. Deuteronomy 439, remember back in that context, Moses is encouraging the people, this is how you are to function, this is how you are to live in the land.
Deuteronomy 439, therefore know this day and consider it in your heart that the Lord himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath there is no other." The pagans had a God for everything. The pagans had a God for the storms. The pagans had a God for the sun. The pagans had a God for rain.
The pagans had a multitude, a plethora of gods. Now she is taking Israel's confession of the uniqueness, the majesty, the solitariness of the one true and living God. In fact, in this instance, John Calvin says, here the image of Rahab's faith appears as if reflected in a mirror. When casting down all idols, she ascribes the government of heaven and earth to the God of Israel alone.
You've got to understand this as we move through this. This isn't the Philippian jailer, you know, with all of the information he had in terms of Paul and Silas talking to him about Jesus, the cross, and the atonement. Based on what she had heard concerning the redemptive act of God in the Exodus, concerning their victory over these kings of the Amorites, her heart had feared. She understood something now concerning God.
She realized there is one God who is over heaven and who is over earth beneath. Calvin says, for it is perfectly clear that when heaven and earth are declared subject to the God of Israel, there is a repudiation. That means a putting away of all the pagan fictions by which the majesty and power and glory of God are portioned out among different deities. And hence we see that it is not without cause that two apostles have honored Rahab's conduct with the title of faith.
Hebrews 11.31 and James 2.25. These men are not reading in to the section here in Joshua chapter 2. What she is demonstrating really is incredible. For a harlot living in Jericho in Canaan to make these statements is absolutely amazing and it bespeaks the power of God's grace at work in her heart.
And then notice, fourthly,
Casting Herself on God's Mercy
this whole idea of the mercy of God. The mercy of God. The fear of God is prevalent. The power of God, she understands.
The sovereignty, the supremacy, the majesty of God, she recognizes. Now, notice the mercy of God is what she casts herself upon in verses 12 and 13. 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. So she shows concern for others.
This is always a good sign in the heart that is being dealt with by God the Lord. But what we are to see is that she's casting herself upon the mercy of Yahweh. The fear of God, the power of God, the majesty of God, now comes the mercy of God. based on who he is, please spare us. You see, theology is not meant to be simply an academic pursuit.
Theology isn't supposed to just settle on the brain. Theology is to move us Godward. Theology is to promote in us this pursuit of God. Davis says, genuine faith never rests content with being convinced of the reality of God, but presses on to take refuge in God.
Just read that again. Genuine faith never rests content with being convinced of the reality of God, but presses on to take refuge in God. This is precisely what she does here. She knows the fear of God, she knows the power of God, she knows the majesty of God, and now she says, Lord God Almighty, show mercy through these, your servants.
She moves from this place of understanding to embracing the Lord God Most High of Israel. It truly is a blessed confession of faith that we witness here on the lips of Rahab the harlot. And then
The Agreement Made with Rahab
notice thirdly, the agreement made with her. The spies make a promise, verses 14 and then 17 to 20. Verse 14, 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.
Verse 15, then she let them down by a rope, and then that dialogue in 17 to 20 follows again. I don't think they're shimmying or rappelling down the road making these final arrangements. I think the point is there was some dialogue back and forth. There might be some proleptic reading here.
The bottom line is that these men make a promise to her. Specifically, they say, our lives for yours if none of you tell this business of ours. In other words, secrecy is paramount. These are spies.
They cannot successfully carry out their mission if their cover is blown. Remember what is in view here. Perhaps at this time, well, it wouldn't seem at this particular time that Joshua knew how they were going to take Jericho. Because why the recon mission, right?
I mean, if you're going to march around the city and it's going to fall down, it seems a bit odd that you would spend time. So at this particular point, this is normal strategy. This is warfare. We have to go in and destroy this particular city.
Two men go in, check it out, see the lay of the land, see where the resources are, see where the strength is, see where the problems lie, come back, report to us so that when we cross that Jordan, we go into Jericho, we can destroy them. So these men are operating under this idea of covertness and secrecy. They said, it shall be when the Lord has given us the land that we will deal kindly and truly with you.
The Scarlet Cord and Its Conditions
The specific requirements, 17 to 20, the scarlet cord and the window. Now some have seen in this the blood of Jesus. Wouldn't want to press that one. You know, the scarlet cord and the window, She's sparing the church and all that sort of thing.
I mean, that makes for some cool allegory and all that sort of thing, but it was a scarlet cord in the window. I don't think it was the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ or anything like that. But just realize, if you read some of the older commentaries, you might see that interpretation come up. I don't think we should press it that way.
It was a sign. It was an emblem. It was something that they were to look for. all her family were to be gathered into her house and again absolute secrecy is stressed by the spies in this section at verse 20. And if you tell this business of ours then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.
And then notice her response verses 15 to 16 and then in verses 21 to 23. Verse 15, then she let them down by a rope through the window for her house was on the city wall. She dwelt on the wall. And she said to them, get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you.
Hide there three days until the pursuers have returned. Afterward, you may go your way. And then in verse 21, then she said, according to your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed, and she bound the scarlet cord in the window." And then notice, she agrees to the requirements, and then notice the Lord's faithfulness.
Verse 22, they departed and went to the mountain and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over. And they came to Joshua, the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them.
Now notice in verse 24, And they said to Joshua, Truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands. For indeed, all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us. If you got rid of Chapter 2, Joshua would still make sense. In fact, in many respects, Chapter 1 leads naturally to Chapter 3.
Now, if you didn't have chapters 2, chapter 6 verses 22 to 25 would be very puzzling. We'll look at that in just a moment. But chapter 6 verses 22 to 25 could actually be removed. I'm not suggesting we do that.
The point is that 2 is not crucial in terms of the narrative of a warring nation going into another nation. But it serves various functions, and one of them is to encourage the children of Israel. Remember, Joshua has been given his commission in Joshua chapter 1. Joshua then gives the commission to Israel in Joshua chapter 1.
These two spies go on their way And who do they happen to fall in with but the one faithful Canaanite in all of the land? The one who has heard of the Lord God of Israel and has responded favorably. You know, she says the nation is fainthearted, all of that. But she not only heard this, but she responds righteously.
She gives them this information that they in turn take back to Joshua. Verse 24 would come as a great encouragement not only to General Joshua but to the children of Israel. We have been in the land. We have been on the other side.
Here we've come back. This is completely opposite from Kedash Barnea and the ten spies who come back and whine and grumble and complain that there's no way we can ever take the land. That won the day with Israel. Here this wins the day with Israel.
They said to Joshua, truly the Lord has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us. Verse 1 chapter 3. Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they sent out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan. He and all the children of Israel and lodged there before they crossed over.
Probably with a spring in his step. probably with an encouragement, probably under the realization that these men went into the land, they met one of the inhabitants of the land, they successfully evaded the Jericho police, they have come back, and this is the report they had given. Much better than those ten spies in Kadesh Barnea who said the land is not good, the land is filled with giants, the land is not going to be hospitable to us, we shouldn't even bother. Again, Israel listened to those particular men. In this instance, the two men come back with this very favorable report.
Hopefully, it was to encourage the people of God that they would go upon their particular task and truly root out the nations in Canaan. And then
Fulfillment in Joshua 6
notice in Joshua 6, the fulfillment in verses 22 to 25. Joshua chapter 6, 22. 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 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." So you see, if you didn't have chapter 2, probably scratch your head at this, but really that is not crucial to the narrative, this section or to chapter two.
The Beauty of Yahweh's Grace
It highlights and demonstrates God's mercy, God's kindness, God's goodness to sinners, specifically to really bad sinners, at least in terms of human beings. We look at prostitutes and think, somehow, we're better than them. Well, God saves her by his grace and for his glory. One who's committing the act of treason, one who is not probably, or one who is risking her life to do these very things.
So when we survey this particular chapter, we should see, as Davis says, the beauty of Yahweh's grace. Hess says, in one of the most nationalistic books in the Hebrew Bible, I mean, look at what Josh was about. we are going in to dispossess the land of the Canaanites. In one of the most nationalistic books in the Hebrew Bible, does it not serve the purposes of the promise to Abraham that all peoples on earth will be blessed through you, Genesis 12, 3, to place side by side with the choice of a military leader and his initial preparations for battle the story of a foreign woman who believed and was saved without arms or bloodshed. It truly is an amazing picture of God's mercy and grace.
It really ought to cause us not to forget the Abrahamic promise and while Israel is going to go in and dispossess the land of the Canaanites, that does not abrogate, it does not militate, it does not do away with the promise that in Abraham all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Remember there was a punitive function in this conquest. The Canaanites were wretched. God is bringing Israel to bring judgment upon the Canaanites.
It doesn't mean there's not going to be Abrahamic blessing. It does not mean the nations of the earth will not be blessed. It does not mean that at all. And then as well, Ralph Davis makes this comment, and those of you who've heard me preach this sermon have heard this before.
He says, Rahab is a harlot, a pagan, and a disreputable one at that. Yet she is welcomed into the church, 622-25. But Rahab the harlot, Joshua saved alive, and she dwelt in Israel to this day. Now that can be offensive.
We say we can't have that. The church is only for respectable, clean, middle-class folks. But that is like saying that hospitals are only for doctors, nurses, and x-ray machines instead of sick people. Or it is like saying that only morticians and coroners belong in morgues instead of dead people.
Who then should be in church but sinners? The church is not a club, but a refuge for sinners who have been touched by the grace of God. Apparently, Rahab's past did not bother the writer of the first gospel. Rather, Matthew seemed to see in Rahab a trophy of divine grace.
Astounding, isn't it, that the shady lady of Jericho should be the ancestress of Jesus, the Messiah? Matthew chapter 1 and verse 5. So it truly is an amazing section of scripture that teaches us first and foremost about God. That's who the hero of Joshua chapter 2 is.
She is saved by grace. This confession of faith comes as a result of God's work in her heart. It's by faith, certainly, Hebrews 11.31, faith demonstrating itself in the works, James 2.25, but it's God the Lord who has indeed redeemed this particular woman.
Closing Prayer
Well, let us close in prayer. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. And we thank you for this account of your saving grace and mercy and your power. And we thank you, Lord Most High, that you have blessed us when we consider a woman like this, when we consider our own hearts, our own selves, and people that we know.
We thank you that the Church of Christ is made up of redeemed sinners. We ask, God, that you would continue to save, that you would continue to add to your church, that you would continue to take people from all walks of life and cleanse them in the blood of the Lamb Add them to your church. We pray through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.