Rahab's Faith - Bible Baptist Church

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Hebrews 11 is highlighting one thing – faith. That’s made clear by the diversities of situations and people spoken of there. Rich people, poor people, mighty people, lowly people, all sorts that had this one thing in common – faith. The differences are the applications of faith. Righteousness comes by faith, but before the cross there are various applications of that faith depending who you are, when you are, where you are. After the cross, faith in Jesus Christ is essential, but you could even say that faith in Jesus Christ looks different in some ways for an American in south Texas than it does for an Iranian in Iran.

Faith is responsive

By faith the harlot Rahab…
Faith is hearing and believing
Rahab believes the word of God that she knows. Joshua 2:1-12 she explains her belief and why she is doing what she’s doing. Because she believes the God of Israel.
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. God said it and Rahab responded in faith to His words.
What is faith? Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
- The substance of Rahab’s belief in God’s words is that she hides the spies. This is faith. The evidence that Rahab trusts what God said about Israel and the future of her town is that she hides the spies. That act is faith.
- Faith is substance meaning someone’s belief in the words of God takes on form – it’s substantive.
- And it must be substantive or else it is dead and has no value. Or as Paul would say you’ve believed in vain.

Faith brings rescue

God’s words are life, faith in God’s word brings life
She perished not (Hebrews 11:31 & Joshua 6:25)
The words of God are life like a life preserver is life. And if a person trusts the life preserver by grabbing hold of it, they’re life is preserved. Grabbing hold of the life preserver is the connection like faith is the connection to life.
When God knocked the walls of Jericho down, Rahab and her household were saved by faith. When Israel came in and destroyed the people of Jericho according to God’s words, Rahab and her family were spared by faith. That sounds like the words of God are life to some, but death to others. True. God’s words are death to the world, but had Jericho repented and turned to the God of Israel there would’ve been no destruction of the city.
Rahab’s house on the wall (Joshua 2:15) and the walls come tumbling down (Joshua 6:20), except Rahab’s house. The spies tell Rahab to hide all her family in her house (Joshua 2:19)

Faith that renews

A faith that made all things new
Rahab is saved from destruction. We find out her life of prostitution is over. Her old life is physically gone. Her old life is literally burned to the ground (Joshua 6:23-24).
1 Corinthians 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Rahab’s old life is gone.

Faith that rends the faithful from the unfaithful

Rahab perished not with them that believed not… (Hebrews 11:31)
Separated from the perishing people, but whosoever would’ve believed could be like Rahab.
There is no difference between Rahab and the perishing people of Jericho. In fact, if you were to ask the general population, Rahab was lower class; but she pleased God by faith. If you were to consider the life of Rahab before the walls came down you would say she was one of the more corrupt people of Jericho, at least one of the baser sort.
The faith that separated her from her culture also put in her in a new family.
Colossians 1:12-13 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Faith regardless of consequences

Rahab’s faith in God’s words ignored the threat it produced. Rahab commits treason against Jericho at the risk of her own life. She sacrificed her life to trust God’s words (Joshua 2:1-6).
The irony of sacrificial faith is it appears more dangerous going into it, but looking back on it proves that unbelief always proves more dangerous.

Faith that reconciles

Rahab is brought into God’s fold.
Ephesians 2:11-17
Rahab goes on to marry one of the spies.
Look at Matthew 1:5-6 – Rahab goes on to become the great great grandmother of King David.
- Rahab’s son is Boaz, the kinsman redeemer in the book of Ruth.
- Now, do you think Boaz knew something about redemption with a mom like Rahab whose life had been completely changed as a result of God’s grace and her faith in what God said.