In our humanistic thinking we at times try to become a god ourselves and figure things out according to our reasoning. While doing this, we also minimize how powerful God is in the area of love, grace, forgiveness, and many other pure and perfect attributes of God Almighty. Point in case, is Rahab the prostitute used her in a very powerful way. Rahab took in two spies and protected them at a very important part of Israel's conquering of the land of Canaan. She demonstrated that she believed God was real and her faith prompted her to show her faith. First, Rahab asked for them to promise to spare her and her family when Israel attacked, Her second way of showing her faith was shown in her helping the spies escape. It is important to note that Rahab had heard all that God was doing for His people and that drew her to believe. May we be that city on a hill that shines God's light to a lost world that needs to SEE that God is moving among His people and God will draw others to Him as well through what they see and hear.
Rahab exhibited a changed life that was centered on believing in God and she was used by God to help the Israelite spies. The following verses show how she protected the spies. Joshua 2:3 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.
If we look only at the sin of Rahab we will miss the changes in her life that resulted in serving God. If we shun Rahab in our thinking and say, "Oh she was just an old prostitute!" The key word is WAS. Her changed heart was evident in how she believed that God was going to protect His people and she believed. God's forgiveness is so hard to understand and even though we get it we almost get joy in being able to "peg" people for their sins and the very ones who are forgiven will not forgive others. Human judgment comes from this attitude and not loving people as God loves them will cause this type of judgment to pop up. It usually becomes a "thing" among those who are trying to live a "good" life that makes them better than others in their own eyes. Our attempt to live a "righteous" life can become a god to us and lead us into a very judgmental way of thinking. As parents, we begin to pass this attitude down to our kids as they see us wanting them to be the "best" kids they can be and thus be "better" than other kids and miss the whole point of God's forgiveness.
Jesus encountered people where they were and His love was evident in every case. Luke 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” 6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. 8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man[a] came to seek and save those who are lost.” Once again, Zacchaeus had heard of Jesus and what He was doing and it drew him to investigate and the rest is history. Oh church be active!!!
If it was up to some who have this self-righteous attitude about the faith they would question Jesus about who he was hanging around with and especially forgiving. Jesus did not let a person's present condition stop Him from loving them and forgiving them and it opens up a whole new way for us to think about those who need salvation. The term "hate the sin, but love the sinner" is applicable here and the example of how God used Rahab makes that important truth an example for each of us. Let God be the judge as He already is and keep this self-righteousness out of the mix and let God be God and not us!
Here is the result of Rahab's help for the spies. Joshua 2:17 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. 20 If you betray us, however, we are not bound by this oath in any way.” 21 “I accept your terms,” she replied. And she sent them on their way, leaving the scarlet rope hanging from the window.
Jesus also gives us a way of escape from the judgment of God through His blood. Rahab put out a scarlet rope so they could know where her home was and that she was to be spared. Jesus is our scarlet or blood-red thread and because of His sacrifice, we are also spared from God's judgment, no matter our sins. Jesus forgives all who come to Him and thus we receive His righteousness and do not try to live in our self-righteousness, because our righteousness is like filthy rags. No one is better than the other, no matter how good we hope to look, because we are all sinners saved by GOD'S grace. Acts 10:30 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me. 31 He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God! 32 Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.” 34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.
If Peter can see it clearly, surely we can as well. Don't try to hold back the full forgiveness and grace of God by condemning certain sinners or sins over others. We just believe in God. We are not God!! Let Him Go and let Him be God!! God will take someone we might think unforgivable and unchangeable and change them and turn their lives into something wonderful and righteous. Don't let us get our thoughts into the mix and that process will be made complete. Here is the result of what God did in Rahab's life. Hebrews 11:1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. 31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed by the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
The Pilgrimage Continue
David Warren
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