Sermon notes from Sunday 26 August 2018
Joshua 2 verses 12 - 21, 6 verses 22 - 25
Many commentators have said different things about Rahab. Some of it has been in a derrogative maner. Some speak of the life she lived, the place she lived in and the things she did there in Jericho. I want us to consider today the passion Rahab had for her family. What was happening at this time? Rahab lived in the city of Jericho. The nation of Israel were on the move. They had come out of Egypt and were going into the Promised Land. God said he would give to them this land of promise. However, the city of Jericho stood before that blessing of promse. Sometimes there is an obstacle in the Christian way. Sometimes we try to get rid of the obstacle our way but it never works out. Then God comes and takes us through the obstacle. He didn`t take his children around Jericho but through it. There are some things that hold us back from the blessing of God and he takes us through those obstacles. Joshua very wisely sent his spies into Jericho to see what is happening. They came to the house of Rahab because she owned a house of entertainment. That is where the people all gathered together and heard snippets of convesation. When Rahab spoke to the spies she knew she was in danger, she knew she had to help the spies. What was on her mind most of all was her family. God has given us families we are responsible for. Rahab was heathen when we first meet her.
Rahab`s praises of God. She was willing to put God in his right place, happy to receive the God of heaven. God has his people in the right place. God always has his people where he needs and wants them to be. All that was in Rahab`s mind was her family. She asked these spies to save her father and mother, her brothers and her sisters - verse 13. All she wanted was to make sure her family were safe and sound. She told the spies in verses 9 and 10 "I know that the Lord hath given you the land. I know what the Lord can do." Wouldn`t it be great to be able to say "I know the Lord can do something very special for this person that is close to my heart." The Lord can save those we love in the presence of God today. This woman was following the nation of Israel, she had heard so much of the delivery out of Egypt when the blood of the lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts and that action saved millions in one night. She had heard how they had walked out of Egypt that night. Here`s this woman putting God first "we know something of what this God of yours has down, what he can do and will do She thought of how the Lord had opened up the Red Sea. Her heart is beginning to melt. Then she talks about the kings of the Amorites and what the Israelites did. What a great lesson there is here for us - to come to that place and ask God where he is in our lives. Is he number 1 today on the throne of our lives and nothing else matters? The author in Hebrews said "without faith it is impossible to please God." What was God doing here? She was placing God before her and was willing to prove that God was able to do more than she could think or feel. Remember Andrew when he heard John the Baptist saying "Behold the Lamb of God?" He immediately followed the Lord and the Lord turned to him and asked him "what seekest thou?" Andrew said "where dwellest thou?" He spent the whole day in the presence of the Lord, he knew that day Christ was the Lord and he went and told his brother Peter. Andrew thought of every sacrifice of the lambs on the altar and how one day God would send his son to be the sacrifice for the sin of the world.
Rahab`s prayers for her family. Verses 12 and 13 - she wanted to be sure her family would be saved. She sees the judgment of God close at hand. The wrath of God would fall on them. She was to see her family saved in light of what was about to happen. She prayed for her loved ones. As we look around us surely the day of the Lord is at hand. Surely the Lord is about to come for his family once more. That should give us urgency to pray for our loved ones. We looked at Nehemiah as he repaired and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. He gathered the people together and they began to build. Day by day he encouraged them as the enemy sought to persuade them to stop. The devil would still seek to discourage us today but we need to keep at it today. Nehemiah 4 verse 14 "be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses." The devil wants to hold them in his grasp from getting saved, the last thing he wants us to do is get a passion for our loved ones. Rahab realised there was nothing more she could do than to pray for her loved ones. Remember Hannah, she brought Samuel back to the house of God and said "this is the child I prayed for." What a testimony to have. Praying for our children and families. Job rose up early in the morning to sacrifice for his family because he feared that they might have sinned against God. Maybe you love the altar of prayer and God`s precious word - the enemy comes in and tries to attack you during such times.
The provision that was made for Rahab - verses 15 and 16. Rahab got a cord. She told the spies that they could not go out through the door again because there may be some watching for them. They told her to place the red cord in the window and when they came back into the land she and her family would be saved - verse 18. Her house would become a place of safety and salvation for her family. All that were behind this cord would be safe. Rahab would have to point them to that crimson cord. That cord speaks of Calvary. We have to point our families to that place of provision at Calvary. It as all that they needed, there was only place of safety - behind that crimson cord.
Rahab`s pursuit. She has an idea of who God is, now she has a different view point. There is a different way of looking at things. God becomes our friend when we come to Christ. He is the one we turn to. She prayed for her family. She pursued her family. She told them all would be well. The praying was over. She must go out and speak to her family, point them to the place of safety. There was a time when she prayed and pleaded but now she must put feet to those prayer and promise to gather her loved ones into the place that is provided for her safety. Verse 18 "thou shalt bring they father and thy mother and thy brothers and all thy father`s household, home unto thee." Remember Cornelius praying in his own house one day and the angel came down and told him to send for Peter in Joppa for he would tell him words whereby he might be saved. Then when Peter arrived at the house he found a household all gathered there. Cornelius had been at work when the angel came and told him to send for Peter. The Lord`s Spirit will tell you what you need to hear. May we be in pursuit of our loved ones today.
Rahab`s prize - chapter 6 verses 24 and 25. She had them all gathered in for that day. God looked on Rahab`s obedience and faithfulness and blessed her in the salvation of her father`s house. She proved the promise of the spies to her. When they saw the red cord they realised she had done her work and seized the opportunity to bring her family into the place of security.
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