“RAHAB, THE HARLOT”

(Josh 2:1-22)

INTRODUCTION

1. Rahab the harlot was a rather obscure character in Old Testament History.

2. Time and time again she is mentioned in the New Testament.

3. She is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (Mat 1:5).

4. She is also mentioned in the connection of “heroic” faith (Heb 11:31).

5. She is also mentioned in (Jam 2:25) .. as being justified by her works.

6. Rahab was clearly a sinner .. an unclean person .. a harlot of for years.

7. She probably was a person many of us would not want to be associated with.

8. Her “heroic” faith is a lesson for us and is well worth the effort to learn more her.

I. Rahab - was a woman who would not follow the crowd.

A. The people of Jericho feared the Israelites but would not acknowledge their God.

1. Rahab did ... (v. 8-11).

B. There are many today that fear the judgment and the possibility of Hell.

1. They too .. will not acknowledge the word of God.

2. They are much like the Jews of the first century ..

a. Jesus warned them of the destruction of Jerusalem and told them to flee when the signs appeared. .... Very few escaped with their lives.

C. Each and every week .. we warn people of the destruction that is coming ..

1. Few will heed the warnings.

D. Who was it that was spared from the slaughter at the siege of Jericho?

1. Rahab - she feared and acted upon that fear.

2. It was her obedience that saved her ...

II. Rahab - is an illustration of the power of God to save the worst of sinners.

A. We remember Rahab today as “Rahab the harlot.”

1. She could have said .. “God will not save a sinner like me who is guilty of the awful sin of being a harlot.”

2. Being a harlot was so bad that God used that example to portray the total apostasy (falling away) of the Israelites.

a. This was a sin punishable by death!

3. We see that this fallen woman .. a harlot .. was delivered when she obeyed the Lord.

B. We must always remember that the reason Jesus came was for sinners only!

1. (1 Tim 1:15) .. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ...”

2. (1 Cor 15:3) .. “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures ...”

3. (Luk 5:32) .. Jesus said ..“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

4. (Luk 19:10) ..“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

C. Rahab’s life style of sin carried as much weight as any other sin of man.

1. Being a harlot is no worse than being a thief!

2. Homosexuality is no worse than murder!

3. Using foul language is no worse than idle gossip!

4. All sin is sin and will separate man from God.

a. It will keep the sinner away from God.

b. It will also separate the Christian from God as well.

D. The gospel has the power to save the worst .. like Paul .. “the chiefest of sinners”.

III. Rahab - is an example of justifying faith.

A. Her faith was not one of seeing is believing.

1. (v. 10) .. “For we have heard ...” .. Just by hearing .. she believed.

2. (v. 11) .. “.. for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and the earth beneath.”

a. Rahab believed because she heard with a tender heart.

3. Many today will not believe in God because they cannot see Him or hear Him.

B. Rahab - was a pagan woman .. simply hearing she understood that Jehovah was God of all heaven and all the earth.

1. Faith in the new Testament is not based upon just reading the word.

2. It is based on hearing the word. (Rom 10:17).

C. Rahab’s faith was one of action.

1. Many people of Jericho believed in God .. but failed to act upon their belief.

a. They were lost!

2. Rahab believed in God and acted upon that faith .. she was saved.

D. Something remarkable happened because of her acting upon her faith ..

1. She sought the salvation of her kinfolk (v. 12-13).

2. Because of her faithfulness .. the lives of her family were saved.

ARE WE SHARING OUR FAITH WITH OUR FAMILIES? ARE WE GIVING UP BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF RESPONSE? THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!

IV. Rahab - is a warning to us of the danger seeking salvation outside the place where God is. LET’S READ (V. 19) TOGETHER.

A. God has located the salvation of the world in .. Jesus the Christ. (2 Tim 2:10)

B. His body is the church .. (Eph 1:22-23)

1. Where are the saved added to? They are added to the church (Acts 2:47).

C. Rahab could not have been saved in the streets of Jericho.

1. She would have perished.

2. She had to first HEAR .. then BELIEVE .. then CONFESS .. then OBEY.

D. Man cannot be saved outside of the church.

1. They too must HEAR .. then BELIEVE .. then REPENT.. then CONFESS .. then OBEY God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ by being BAPTIZED for the remission of their sins(Mark 16:16) (Acts 2:38) (1 Pet 3:21).

V. Rahab- is a reminder that even the worst of sinners make strong Christians.

A. There are three qualities that Rahab possessed that all Christians must have:

1. She was industrious (v. 6) .. She hid the two spies among the stalks of flax ..

a. Which she laid in order upon the roof.

b. It produced thread like fibers that was later spun into thread to make clothing.

2. She was unselfish (v. 12) .. She cared for the salvation of her family when she bargained with the spies to spare her family.

3. She was honest.

a. She kept her promise to the spies when she did not reveal their hiding place.

VI. Why was the Paul such a fervent and zealous preacher after he obeyed the gospel?

A. I believe it to be the fact that he possessed the fervency of his obedience ..

1. Before he obeyed the gospel.

B. We cannot over-emphasize the power of the gospel.

1. It will make each of us strong Christians if we will only obey its precepts.

2. God will use the .. best of the worsted .. who are willing to obey Him.

CONCLUSION

1. No one can say they are not good enough to be a Christian.

2. Rahab is a reminder that God will use the worst of sinners to be a faithful Christian.

3. We need to continue doing the will of God even though it seems everyone around us refuses to do so.

4. We all need to have the kind of faith Rahab had. .. The kind that acts with obedience.

5. We need to remember that salvation is located in the body of Christ .. the church.

6. We need to do all we can to bring others into the place where they too may find peace in their obedience to the gospel.

7. It is not a choice we have .. it’s obedience to the Lord’s commands.

8. A harlot is an unlikely example of how to become a strong Christian .. Rahab .. was!

By Mike Cornwell

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