Rsbc
March 28, 2004
Sunday Night
Subject “ What Faith Did”
Text: Heb 11: 30-31
Intro: We will talk about Rahab first tonight because that is the order of the events that are recorded in this text. When we think of a harlot we think of a woman who sells herself for money. We think of a woman that is wasting her life.
Most of us here tonight would not give the time of day to an harlot, to a drunkard, to a whoremonger, and yet these people have souls, they can be delivered. They are sinners, and they need Christ as much as any sinner needs the Lord.
What good could find in a harlot? That question will be answered in the sermon tonight. Just in case you did not know, this woman was in the lineage of Christ.
Matthew 1:5‑6 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her [that had been the wife] of Urias;
The story is surrounded with the wars that Joshua had to fight to claim the land that God had given him, Jericho was a fenced city, protected by the walls that surrounded the whole. The people felt safe and secure. Jericho was located in the plain of Moab near the river of Jordan.
I.. “ THE SPY’S SENT INTO THE LAND”..VS 1-3
You must remember that God could have taken this whole land destroyed all the enemies of his people without using one man in the performance of it, but he chose to use the means he wanted to.
Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
The King of Jericho finds out they are in his city, and he knows exactly where they went. He sends for Rachab and instructs her to bring the men to him. Man plans and God disposes.
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Just remember what Solomon said: Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart [is] in the hand of the LORD, [as] the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
II.. “ THE FAITH OF RACHAB”...VS 4-24
1ST. That her faith caused her to disregard the word of he King...vs 4
Through out the Bible we are told to obey God rather than man when man’s rules disregard what the Lord teaches us. Peter was told not to preach in the name of Jesus any more and here is what he said.
Acts 5:28‑29 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
2nd. That her faith caused her not to fear what the king would do to her..
To disobey the word of the King meant punishment and death in most cases. You will see later she fear the KING OF KINGS rather than this king.
3rd. Her faith causes her to acknowledge some things...vs 9-12
(1.) She acknowledges his actions...vs 9 “ the Lord hath given you the land”
(2.) She acknowledges the fear of the city...vs 9 “ Terror is fallen upon us”
2 Corinthians 5:11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
(3.) She acknowledges the means through which this fear came about..vs 10
“We have heard” The events of the Bible no matter how old they are they are still means through which we learn meaning things. It was Paul who said: Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
(4.) She acknowledges the internal effects it had her and the men of the city.. Vs 11
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a. God’s word has a melting effect on us and those who will hear it...vs 11
It was those two Emmaus disciples that said this of Christ word: Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
We know from years of studying of the great effects the word of the LORD has on his people and even upon sinners who have not yet been saved by the grace of the LORD.
b. God’s word took away all courage that they had previously had..vs 11
When we take to heart what God’s word says to us and other it will likewise remove in pride, any arrogance, any self abasement that might come up in our hearts. It has a way of putting us in our rightful place and does it for our own good.
(4.) She acknowledges the sovereignty of the Lord...vs 11
She acknowledges what most theologians admit freely today. Oh yea they will admit it, but they will make man’s will and power of his destiny greater than God’s. Not Rachab, she seen that the eternal God he is GOD.
Two places...
a. In heaven..
Deuteronomy 4:39 Know therefore this day, and consider [it] in thine heart, that the LORD he [is] God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: [there is] none else.
In the worship and dedication of the Temple Solomon offered this prayer before the Lord and his people...
1 Kings 8:22‑23 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
23 And he said, LORD God of Israel, [there is] no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: This woman did not do this of her own accord she did as the result of what the Lord had done to her
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b. In the earth...
Psalm 135:6 Whatsoever the LORD pleased, [that] did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.
The vastness and the inclusiveness of the work of the Lord. All that moves and breathes all that rules and reigns, God is so powerful that he is guiding them to a right conclusion...even the wrath of man.
Psalm 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
4th. Her faith causes her to negotiate a deal with the spy’s for her life and her families life..vs 12-13
She not only had faith in the LORD, but she had faith in the men that came into her house. She knew that they knew the LORD, and they would treat her right and her family.
They obliged her with conditions: vs 14 also vs 17-20
(a.) Hand a scarlet thread outside the window: vs 18
When the Lord instructed Joshua to take the Land note what he said to them through Moses...Deuteronomy 7:2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, [and] utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:
Here we see the exception, most of the time there will an exception somewhere in God’s dealing with men.
This binding of the scarlet line was for them to identify...
A.W. Pink said of this: When the spies gave her instructions, they did not know that the Lord would make a miracle, and the walls of the city would fall down without assault upon them by Israel.
Luke said in Acts 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. He declares the end from the beginning... he must know all things before they occur for he has purposed them.
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God knows all of this but he does not permit us to know them. John 13:7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
(b.) The condition of their safety...vs 19-20
Two things the spires tell her, if anyone goes out of your house into the street, this covenant is no good. When Paul was in shipwreck he told them that the Lord said no life shall be loosed, and when the soldiers wanted to abandon ship... Paul cries except ye abide in the ship ye cannot be saved..
We had better pondered in our hearts all the if’s that are in the Bible... Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
The nest thing he tells them: “if anyone tells our plans” vs 20 never let the enemy no of the plans was a great test of her faith and she past the test.
III... “ THE SUBMISSION OF RACHAB ..VS 21
Note how promptly she did this... “ so be it”... vs 21
1st. A complete trust in the word of the men which were the messengers of the Lord to her.
2nd. A reliance upon what they had agreed upon...
IV.. “ THE REPORT OF THE MEN”..VS 23-24
NEXT
We will study the fall of Jericho..