Rahab

RAHAB - "She bound the scarlet line in the window." Joshua 2 verse 21

Rahab is a women mentioned in the Old and New Testaments.  James selected her as an illustration of the fact that faith is always attended by good works and he asks "was she not justified by works when she had received the messengers?".  Hebrews quotes her as an instance of justification by faith - "by faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not."

Rahab was the woman who welcomed the spies from the Children of Israel when they arrived in Jericho, one of the first cities they planned to conquer in Canaan.  When the city officials came looking for the spies Rahab hid them under flax.  In return she asked that she and her family be spared with the destruction of the city.  She was instructed to hang out a scarlet line in the window, the same one she used to let them down from her home to escape the city.  The scarlet line would identify her house in the day that Jericho's walls fell.

First notice - her obedience.  It was exact.  It wasn't just a particular piece of rope in any colour but a scarlet one.  Such a simple direction and yet it was the saving of Rahab and her family one day.  What a lesson - when God asks us to do something do I obey?  How can I know what God is asking me to do?  By reading his word.  Many people make this mistake - they depend on what a minister teaches from God's word but they do not open it up to see if what is said is true.

Rahab might have decided not to have tied the scarlet line in her window.  She might have thought that there was another way to be saved - perhaps in her saving the spies from being captured when they first arrived.  Another lesson - I need to learn to obey in all things - not to compromise or believe I can do things my way and not God's.

This line had significance - the colour was symbolic.  Remember when the Israelites were in Egypt and on the night of the Passover they were told to apply the blood to the lintel and side posts of the door.  When God seen the blood he passed over that house and everyone was saved. God's commands may seem small but they are great in symbolic teaching.

Rahab's obedience also arose out of real faith in God.  When she tied the scarlet line she expressed her confidence in the fact that Jericho would be destroyed and she would be saved because she had received a promise to that effect.  She obeyed in faith.  It is because I believe in Jesus Christ that I obey.

The spies made a covenant with Rahab that she could have her life spared and the lives of her family if she kept quiet and tied the scarlet line in her window.  We claim God's covenant - the shedding of his Son's blood on Calvary by simple faith.  He is the Bread of Life and provides me with all that I might need to live on from day to day.  Unless I accept Jesus for myself he is not my Saviour.  It is a personal choice and decision.  Imagine all the treasures Jesus has prepared for me are mine if I would just claim them for myself.

Once Rahab had tied the line in the window she brought in her family to her own house and waited.  She was not afraid.  She was secure in the knowledge that she had done all she could.  A reminder of the assurance we have in Jesus when we accept what he has done for us.

Rahab tied the line in the window.  It was a public declaration of faith.  Maybe no-one else knew or understood why she was doing it but she did.  Am I afraid to tell others about my faith in Jesus?  People should know by my conversation that I belong to Christ.

All inside Rahab's house were saved.  Rahab loved her household and was prepared to ensure they were saved.  She thought of others before herself.  Do I?

Rahab had heard so much of God and she gathered her family around her. She realised there was a time coming when the Israelites would come and takeJericho captive. In verse 1 of chapter 2 she asks the spies to promise her that she and her family would be saved.

The character of Rahab - a soul winner - verse 1. Her house was frequented by men for entertainment. Hebrews 11 verse 31. Her name and particularly her description didn't drop even after she was saved, she was still a harlot.

The conversion of the soul winner - it was genuine in Rahab's case. The spies were led to her house and she told them what she had heard of God, particularly the Red Sea crossing and the defeat of 2 kings. The result of hearing these stories was "our hearts melted". Conversion comes through hearing the word of God. Rahab didn't just hear, she also believed.

The commitment of the soul winner - Rahab was ready to take her stand with the people of God. She was not fighting against them but taking a stand with them. She could have been killed for hiding the spies but she risked all to send them out of the city another way. Rahab also waited to ensure her family were all saved when the Israelites returned.

Rahab lived in Jericho, one of the most powerful city states of her day. The people of the city had heard of God's miraculous judgments on the Egyptians and others who had dared to challenge God's people. Yet only one woman - a prostitute - responded in faith and fearlessly gave shelter to the Hebrew spies sent to check out the conditions in Jericho, an act of treason punishable by death. Rahab alone asked 3 men of Israel to save her and her family from the coming destruction. In the end Rahab and her family were the only townspeople spared when the walls of Jericho came down. What was the difference between Rahab and the rest of he people of Jericho? God says it was "by faith. Rahab was willign to give up everything to turn her back on her country and her pagan gods, to even risk her life to follow the true God of the Israelites. By doing so she aided in accomplishing the purpose of God in Jericho.

What are you willing to risk, give up and endure to follow the true God by faith? Look to god for courage. Trust in him. Believe in his ability to deliver you. You can boldly travel through life and its trials with God as your ultimate guide.

Rahab lived in Jericho, one of the most powerful city states of her day. The people of the city had heard of God's miraculous judgments on the Egyptians and others wh had dared to challenge