Lesson 056
MEMORY VERSE
JOSHUA 2:24 “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.’”
Ask them
How far they think that God can see.
How well can He see?
What does He need in order to see into our hearts?
RECAP!
The week before last Moses died in the wilderness never entering the promised land a land flowing with milk and honey…
But before he died, he turned the reins over to Joshua.
Now Joshua is leading the children of Israel.
Jos 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Jos 1:7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Jos 1:8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Jos 1:9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua’s name means: "Jehovah is salvation" it is the same name as Jesus in Hebrew.
The children of Israel were ready to possess the land God had given them.
Jericho would be the first city in Canaan that God would allow His children to capture.
Jericho was a wicked city that had rejected God and His ways.
Yet in their midst, there was one lone woman who turned from her sinful ways into the gracious love of a heavenly Father who would rescue her from the destruction which was to come.
This woman’s faith was revealed by the actions she was willing to take.
Her name is Rahab
Rahab’s name means Proud;
she was a Canaanite: —woman.
Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So, the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.
Joshua sent two spies out into the city of Jericho.
God led these two men to stay at an innkeeper’s dwelling, the house of Rahab, a harlot.
Although Rahab was leading a sinful lifestyle in rejection of God’s ways, God led His servants to her to lead her to Himself.
God desires to use us as lights in this world of darkness to draw others to His salvation.
2 But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.”
4 Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. 5 They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” 6 (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.) 7 So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut.
The people of Jericho discovered the two spies and sought to capture them.
Because Rahab knew God sent them, she hid them in her home and did not reveal their whereabouts.
She actually lied to the king’s guard.
This is one of those times you might be thinking it is okay to lie.
But the bible says no liar shall inherit the kingdom of God in Proverbs 19:9
A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.
8 Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. 9 “I know the LORD has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. 10 For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. 11 No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.
Rahab told the spies that the people of Jericho feared God.
They had seen their faith exhibited in the lives of the Israelites.
The Canaanites saw God’s power and might, and they feared Him, yet this rotten city was doomed for destruction.
It is not enough to recognize there is a God or to acknowledge that He is powerful.
It is vital to turn from sin and repent to the gracious love of Jesus.
Rahab acknowledged that the Lord God is above all.
She made a confession of faith as she committed her soul to God (Romans 10:9,10).
God looked down into her heart and saw her love and desire for Him. God forgave Rahab of her sins and saved her from His judgment.
Though we are sinners, when we confess the Lord as our Savior, trust that our sins have been forgiven because of the sacrifice of Jesus, and put our faith in Him alone, we shall be saved.
John 3:16
12 “Now swear to me by the LORD that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that 13 when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.
Rahab desired that her family would be saved because she loved them. As the spies were lowered out of the city and fled to hide in the mountains, they revealed the way she and her family could be saved.
14 “We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the LORD gives us the land.”
15 Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. 16 “Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.”
17 Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. 18 When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house. 19 If they go out into the street and are killed, it will not be our fault. But if anyone lays a hand on people inside this house, we will accept the responsibility for their death.
Rahab immediately obeyed the command to mark her home with the scarlet cord.
Her faith was shown by her obedience.
When we have genuine faith in God, it will be seen outwardly by our obedience to His Word (James 2:25).
Rahab and her family were only made safe as they stayed there in their home marked by the scarlet cord.
This story is a picture for us.
For, in the same way, we as Christians are made safe on the Day of Judgment only when we Live in Christ and trust that His sacrifice has purchased our forgiveness.
He alone is our Savior and Lord, our hope of salvation.
21 “I accept your terms,” she replied. And she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window. 22 The spies went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men who were chasing them searched everywhere along the road, but they finally returned without success. 23 Then the two spies came down from the hill country, crossed the Jordan River, and reported to Joshua all that had happened to them. 24 “The LORD has given us the whole land,” they said, “for all the people in the land are terrified of us.”
God confirmed His Word to His people assuring them of His dominion and favor.
Remember God’s promise?
Believe Him and by faith.
Rahab was made righteous by faith.
God even included her in the lineage of the Messiah!
Believe in God and the salvation He has provided for you in Christ Jesus.
As Rahab, let your inward faith be shown by your outward actions.
PRAYER
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