Today we’re going to dive into part two of Rahab the prostitute’s story. She was one of the most faithful people who ever lived, and were exploring faithfulness this week. It’s an incredible story, picking it up from last time. If you remember, Joshua and the Israelites were getting ready to take the city of Jericho. Joshua sent a couple of spies into the city to kind of test the water to see how the people were feeling, and check out the lay of the land. And Rahab the prostitute hid the spies. Lied to her king’s men to protect them, and in exchange the spies promised to spare Rahab, the prostitute and her entire family. All she had to do was hang a scarlet rope from the window in her home, and that would be the signal to the Israelites, when they came in to take the city, to spare her family. So, we’re going to pick it up today in Joshua chapter six, beginning in verse 15.
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Hi, I’m Erica. Welcome to the Bible for Busy People. Today we’re going to dive into part two of Rahab the prostitute’s story. She was one of the most faithful people who ever lived, and were exploring faithfulness this week. It’s an incredible story, picking it up from last time. If you remember, Joshua and the Israelites were getting ready to take the city of Jericho. Joshua sent a couple of spies into the city to kind of test the water to see how the people were feeling, and check out the lay of the land. And Rahab the prostitute hid the spies. Lied to her king’s men to protect them, and in exchange the spies promised to spare Rahab, the prostitute and her entire family. All she had to do was hang a scarlet rope from the window in her home, and that would be the signal to the Israelites, when they came in to take the city, to spare her family. So, we’re going to pick it up today in Joshua chapter six, beginning in verse 15.
On the seventh day, the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times, just as God had instructed them to do. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people shout! For the Lord has given you the town. Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab, the prostitute and the others in her house, will be spared for she protected our spies. Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you’ll bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.
When the people heard the sound of the Rams horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly the walls of Jericho collapsed and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords. Men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys. Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, keep your promise.
Isn’t that so key?
Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family. The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab. Her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel. Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house.
So, Joshua spared Rahab, the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua had sent to Jericho.
I love this part,
And she lives among the Israelites to this day.
Rahab was faithful to a God she really didn’t know. A God she only heard about, and her faithfulness to this God whose reports she had heard of turned to faith in the one true God. She joined the family of God. I love that last verse, verse 25.
She lives among the Israelites To this day.
I want to share one more interesting little tidbit about Rahab at the end. That’s really, really very special and I think we’ll encourage you a whole lot. God can use a prophet or a prostitute when their heart is in His hands. But I want to talk with you about something very special today. The scarlet rope that hung from Rahab’s house that saved her entire family, spared them, is symbolic of something very special. That scarlet rope was Rahab’s guarantee that she would be safe from the destruction of her city. She was greatly rewarded for lying to her king, and choosing the one true king and his people. But there is a scarlet rope that is hung out for you and I to grasp ahold of. It’s the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He died for you and he died for me. He died for the sins of Rahab and Joshua and all the Israelites who lived long ago, and he died for the sins that you and I have made in our lives. And the scarlet rope that we can reach is this free gift. We just have to accept the gift that Christ offers. We just have to say, Lord, we are so sorry for our sins and we believe that you died for us, that you rose again, defeating death, hell and the grave.
And we know that you have opened the way into heaven, and that when we accept it, it’s our guarantee. Our faith is our guarantee that we get to live with Jesus forever in a perfect place where there is no such thing as Kleenex. No tissues needed. So I encourage you, if you have never done this before, if you have never reached out and grasped the red rope, this scarlet rope that is your guarantee of life after death; of eternal life in a perfect place, I encourage you to reach out to that rope today and grasp ahold of it. It is your guarantee. And if you are ready to grasp ahold of that rope today, if you want that hope in your heart and in your life, if you want to choose faith and to join the family of God, it’s as simple as praying this prayer. Pray with me;
Father God, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I give you my life. I believe that you died for my sins and I ask you to forgive me of all the sins I’ve ever committed. I believe that you rose again too. I express my faith to you today believing that you receive me as your child. It’s in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
And now it’s just that simple. You are part of the family of God. And speaking of the family of God, if Jesus took a 23 in me back in the day, or one of those ancestry.com, things he would’ve learned as if he didn’t know because he knows all things that Rahab was one of his relatives. Do you know that Rahab, her name is in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. She was literally part of the Messiah’s family tree. How honoring God honored her faithfulness. Oh, it’s one of my favorite stories in the Bible. Until next time, you are really loved, really loved.
Thank you so much for listening to the Bible for Busy People. If you need prayer or you’re ready to go a little deeper in your faith, we’ve posted some resources for you in our show notes. We’d love for you to share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review. It helps us reach even more people with the hope of Jesus. This podcast is part of Purposely, a podcast network designed with practical podcasts to help you find and live in God’s purpose for your life.
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