Rahab’s story beautifully illustrates how someone comes to a “saving” faith in the Lord. My understanding of how a person comes to be saved is this: (1) Like Rahab, we come to a sense of fear, a reverence for God, repentance, and our need for Him. (2) We confess or acknowledge Him as the one true God. Rahab did this when she said, “The Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and earth below.” Joshua 2:11. And (3) We follow our confession with an act of trust in the Lord, such as baptism, testimony, and/or an action that demonstrates our commitment to the Lord. Today, we will discover what she did to follow through on her confession.
Rahab’s fear led her to seek God’s help, and she openly confessed her conviction that the God of Israel is the one true God of heaven and earth. But one thing remained to do to confirm her faith in God and save herself and her family from destruction. Last week’s blog https://www.cosdavis.com/rahabs-faith/ sets the stage for the act of faith that will save Rahab and her family.
“Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours.” After the spies made this pledge, she lowered them by a rope through the window and told them to go into the hill country and hide for three days until their pursuers returned, and then return to their camp. Joshua 2:14-16.
After the spies were safely on the ground, they looked up at her and left instructions to seal their agreement. They reminded her of her oath to keep their secret and how to gather and protect her family, but they needed a way to identify her house from others that were on the city wall. What would they need to identify her house to spare her family? What did she need to do to show her faith in God?
“And the men said to her, ‘ We shall be free from this oath to which you have made us swear, unless when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down…”‘ Joshua 2:17-18.
What did Rahab, this woman of faith, do? “And she said, ‘According to your words, so be it.’ So she sent them away, and they departed, and she tied the scarlet cord in the window.” Joshua 2:21.
What happened to the spies Rahab had saved? Joshua was probably wondering why they had been gone so long. Were they lost? Had they been captured or killed? Remember, he told the people to be ready to cross the river in three days; time was running out, and he wanted to hear their report.
Here’s what happened after the spies left Jericho:
“And they departed and came down to the hill country, and remained there for three days and until the pursuers returned. The pursuers had sought them all along the road but had not found them. Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all that had happened.” Joshua 2:22-23.
Can you imagine what went through Joshua’s mind and heart when he heard this amazing story of how God had saved these men? Do you think God was using this event as yet another confirmation that He would be with Joshua as he led the people into battle? Isn’t our Lord amazing!!
What about the spies’ report about the land and its people? Do you remember how the spies from forty years ago went into detail, even bringing a large amount of grapes to show Moses how desirable the land was? Then, ten of them protested that they could not take the land as God had promised. The land was everything God had promised, but their faith and courage failed them.
Now, forty years later, the two spies Joshua sent into the land returned without a detailed report; no grapes, no word about giants or walled cities. What they learned from their experience with Rahab was: “Surely the Lord has given all the land into our hands, and all the inhabitants of the land, moreover, have melted away before us.” Joshua 2:24
Often, like Joshua, we have a “sensible” plan, but God rearranges circumstances to accomplish His will, as He did in saving Rahab, while providing what we need to obey Him. God is so wise and so good!
As the second chapter of Joshua closes, Rahab is gathering her parents and other family members into her home and waiting for the arrival of the Israeli army. The scarlet rope has been hanging from her window for three days. How much longer will they have to wait? Will the spies and Joshua honor the agreement? Will God really save a non-Jew who has put her trust in Him?
Stay tuned…