Year 1, Day 187: Joshua 2

I absolutely love this passage.  It could be because the story of Joshua and Jericho was one of the first stories I ever learned as a child.  Maybe it is because the story is all about God’s power and God’s providence and therefore it is comforting.  I don’t know the whole reason, but I can tell you that this is one of my favorite passages in the Bible.

Rahab

Today we focus on Rahab the prostitute.  Well, Rahab the fornicator would be a more accurate title.  But I’m splitting a mighty fine hair and headed in a direction that I don’t really want to go except to say that she had an obvious sin in her life.  Here is a woman who is obviously entangled in sin, yet she finds herself available and willing to be used by God.

That’s the really cool part.  Believe it or not, in Rahab, we find a model for the walk of the Christian:

1. She is entangled in sin.  I think it is fair to say that all those who walk in Christ have been there.  We may not all be fornicators, but we all know what it is like to be entangled in sin before we got caught up with God.
2. She was absolutely under condemnation.  God had already judged her city, her people, and her land as people to be destroyed and smote in the presence of the Hebrew people.  She was living under divine condemnation – whether she knew it or not.  In her case, she did know it.  In the case of the Christian, we know it, too.  We are living under the general condition of God’s condemnation because we are sinners.
3. She was given a period of grace before judgment came to her doorstep.  The people of Canaan really should have been condemned 400+ years earlier when God brought Abraham into their midst, but God waited patiently for them to turn to Him.  God could also have destroyed the people 40 years prior to this story when He first brought the Hebrews out of Egypt.  But God did not destroy them then because of the rebellion of the Hebrew people.  Therefore in truth, Rahab – and all of her people, really – had been given the time of the wanderings in the wilderness (and the captivity in Egypt) as a grace period to come to an understanding about how great God is.  Though under condemnation, God was patient enough to allow them to come to Him.  Certainly we as Christians can say God has been more than patient with us, too.
4. She heard the word of God in judgment and believed the judgment.  In fact, she not only believed the judgment but believed in the judge!  She believed enough to call God “Lord” as she spoke about Him to Joshua’s spies.  She heard the message, repented, and believed!  Certainly we can say that this is true for the Christian as well.  We have heard about our judgment and have responded, too.
5. Her faith was not merely an internal faith but also an external faith.  Her faith was proved by her works.  Note that I didn’t say she proved her faith through her works – that would be works-righteousness.  Rather, her faith was proven by her works – much like we hear James speak about in the New Testament.  She did not turn the spies in.  She did tie a scarlet cord outside her window.  She responded appropriately to the invitation into grace.  So it is with the believer in Christ.  We are not saved through our works, but rather our works prove our faith.
6. Rahab sought the salvation of others.  In her case, she sought the salvation of her family.  So it is with those in Christ.  Those who are truly in Christ will seek a way to help others receive the same salvation that came to them.
7. As we shall read in the chapter to come, Rahab was saved from the judgment that God had pronounced upon her people.  The one in Christ will likewise be saved from the righteous condemnation that God has pronounced upon all of humanity on account of sin.

Want a great picture of the Christian life?  Look to Rahab the fornicator.  What began in sin actually ends up in the glory of God!  So should it be for all of us if we truly are God’s.

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