I am born, but not withdrawn,
For in the Christ, the blood of Jesus, Precious heart of love
untold. Well, we finally got it at the
fourth verse, haven't we? It's too good not to learn. Joshua chapter 2, go back there. Now you can't accuse me of saving
the best messages for Sunday morning. I thought about it. I wish everybody could hear this,
but there's no promise that we'll be here Sunday. I hope the Lord gives us ears
to hear. Rahab is mentioned three times
in the New Testament. Paul mentions her in Hebrews
11, that great chapter we call the Hall of Faith. She is mentioned
along with the likes of Abel, Noah, Moses, Joseph, James, in
the book of James, James spoke of only two great believers,
two believers whose works proved they were justified, Abraham
and Rahab. And her name is only one of three
names listed in our Lord's genealogy there in Matthew chapter 1. Rahab,
the harlot. He was a harlot. So what does
this prove? Truly, the Lord saves sinners. The chief of sinners. He tells
us many times in the New Testament alone of his mercy and grace
to this chief of sinners. Now, there are some principal
characters here. Yes, Joshua. Joshua represents the Lord Jesus
Christ. He represents the Lord. Then
there are these two spies whom Joshua sent into the land. They
represent God's Word, the Law and the Prophets, or the Old
Testament and New Testament. God's Word. Preachers of the
Word. Rahab represents every sinner
whom God has chosen, called, and saved by his sovereign Great. So let's look at it. Back to
chapter 1, verse 1. Here's God's decree. All things are given into Joshua's
hand. Joshua 1, verse 3. Every place, now the Lord is
saying this to Joshua. Every place that the sole of
your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you. as I said
unto Moses. Go over to verse 5 and 6. There
shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days
of thy life. As I was with Moses, so I will
be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee. Be strong and of a good courage.
For unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the
land which I swear unto their fathers to give them." So God
promised Joshua that everything had been given into his hand,
and that he himself would bring the people into the promised
land. His name means Savior. His name is the Old Testament
name for who? Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ, and God
said of Joshua, everything I've given into your hand. Psalm 24
speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. The earth is the Lord's
and the fullness thereof. The world and the inhabitants
thereof. God has given all things into
the Lord Jesus Christ's hand. And it said, He has highly exalted
him and given him a name which is above every name. God said
that no one shall be able to stand before thee. And of Christ
the Lord said that the name of Jesus every knee should bow. All will bow the knee to the
Lord Jesus Christ. So Joshua, the command was given
that Joshua All things are delivered into his hand. Joshua sent out
two spies. Go into chapter 2 now. Joshua
sent out two spies into the land, messengers of Joshua. Chapter
2, verse 1. Joshua the son of Nun sent out
of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even
Jericho. And they went. Psalm 19. of which you are familiar, speaks
of two books, the two books of God. The first part of Psalm
19 speaks of God's creation. The heavens declare his glory. The firmament showeth his handiwork.
Day unto day uttereth speech. There's no language where that
voice is not heard. All men, women, and young people
throughout the world can clearly see the things that God hath
made which reveal his eternal power and Godhead, Romans 1 said. So that's a book that God has
written that every man can read. But there's another book that
speaks of the law of the Lord is perfect. The testimony of
the Lord converts the soul. That's the written word of God.
The written word of God. So these two books, God has spoken
once, yea twice, the scripture said. But men perceive it not. They don't hear it. God's written
word was made flesh. God has the written word, the
word was made flesh. So you see all the parallels
here. Two spies. Two spies. God's Word, like these
spies, is sent to spy out the heart. Doesn't it say that? The Word of God discerns the
thoughts and intents of the heart. It will let you know the secrets
of your own heart. God's Word. It will reveal it
to you. Spy it out. But though the land, listen to
me, though the spies were sent into the land in general, they
were sent to save someone in particular. They came, in verse
1, of all places. They came into Enharlot's house. Now, you know they didn't go
there for any lewd purposes, but they came sent by the sovereign
purpose of God into this chief of sinners' house. They lodged
in a harlot's house named Rahab and lodged there. Of all people,
this was no accident, this was no random thing, but this is
a picture of God's sovereign, particular saving mercy and grace
in hiding the gospel from the wise and prudent and revealing
it to sinners. The chief of sinners, the harlot,
says they came and they lodged with her. Do you notice that?
They lodged with her. Our Lord said this, listen, if
you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what
you will, and it shall be done unto you. So these men abode
with her. They lodged there. And she's
going to ask them something. And she's going to get it. So
Joshua's enemies sought to slay these men. But Rahab hid them. Look at verses 2 through 4. He
was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men
in hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country,
the Shpire. The king of Jericho sent to Rahab,
sent word, telling her, Bring forth the men that have come
today. They have come to search out the land. The woman took
the two men and hid them. So the enemies of Joshua, those
who hated Joshua, those who hated His reign and rule sought to
destroy these two spies. And so it is with all those who
hate the reign and rule of the Lord Jesus Christ, of the sovereign
God. They hate His Word. They seek to do away with it.
They've tried to destroy it over the years, but could not. God's
people don't, though. Nevertheless, the Word is hid
in their heart. The Word. Now, look at this. Here's grace before grace. You've
heard my pastor speak of that. Grace before grace. So that is,
before the Lord reveals Himself to you, before He saves someone,
there are things that take place in bringing you to where you
are. Bringing you to hear the gospel and various circumstances
take place. Grace before grace. Apparently. Rahab had already heard of Joshua,
hadn't she? She'd already heard of Joshua
and Joshua's God. Somebody told her. She heard
the story from someone about Joshua and Joshua's God, Jehovah. When she said the Lord, that's
Jehovah. Jehovah's name is only known
by the children of Israel, but Rahab knew it. Now, she heard
of and had some amount of fear for God before she knew for a
fact that Jericho was going to be destroyed. Did you hear me? Before any traumatic
event, before any fire fell, she heard and she believed somewhat. And so
it is that true repentance and faith does not come from any
kind of calamity or disaster. I've told you that before, that
this world, there's not going to be any worldwide calamity
or anything that men and women see in order to make them repent
and then God to have mercy on them. No. It's going to be like
the day of Noah before the rain fell. Now the door of the ark
was open for seven days, was it not? But not one drop of rain
had fallen. Noah and his house, all that
went in the ark went in before one drop of rain fell. And that's
important. Salvation. Conversion comes when
you find out who God is. That's who she had, the fear
of the Lord. Fear of the true God. What you are, deserving
to be destroyed like everybody else. Who Joshua is. And you
hear about that token, the only token, sure token that will save
your life. More about that later. Alright,
so it's the sin issue. Here's Rahab's confession. Rahab's
confession. She hid these men. And she said
unto the men in private, verse 9, she said unto the men, verse
9, I know that the Lord hath given you the land. Given who
the land? Joshua. Joshua had been given
all. She knew that. She heard that.
I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror
is fallen upon us, and that all inhabitants of the land faint
because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried
up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt,
and what you did under the two kings of the Amorites that were
on the other side of Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly
destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these
things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any
more courage in any man because of you." The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom. That's what the Scripture said,
the fear of the Lord. It's not hearing the love of
God It causes men and women to repent of their sin. Perfect
love tests out fear, the Scripture said. But the fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom. We come to understand the terror
of the Lord. Isn't that what Paul said? Knowing
therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. He didn't say,
knowing therefore the love of the Lord, we persuade men. Knowing
therefore the terror of the Lord, We persuade men. And Rahab had
heard of the judgment of God against the enemies of God's
people. The judgment of God. God is a
just God. And a Savior. But He's first
and foremost holy and just. And a Savior. She heard that.
Read the next line. I lived it. She said in verse
11, The Lord your God. The Lord. That is Jehovah. Your
God. The one you call Jehovah, He
is God in heaven and above and in earth beneath. You've heard me say so many times,
you know, that most people's God to that, the one they call
God, is really not God. That is in absolute control over
all things. He's only God if they let Him
be God. That's what they say, don't they? Let God Be God. That's what they said. Make Jesus
Lord. Well, if you have to make him
that, that means he's not it, is it? But the God of the Bible is God.
They asked David, those people who had their little idols, those
little gods whom they let do what they wanted their gods to
do. They asked David in Psalm 115,
they said, where's your God, David? You remember his reply?
He said, my God is in the heavens and he hath done whatsoever he
hath pleased. That's the difference in the
God of the Bible and the God being preached today. The God
of the Bible, the true and living God, does as he pleases in the
armies of heaven, this is Daniel 4.35, and among the heavens of
the earth, and none can stay his hand, and so you can't do
that. He does exactly as he pleases, with whom he pleases, because
he pleases, and doesn't give an account, Job said, to anyone
of any of his matters. That's what makes him God. An absolute sovereign gives no
account of himself to anyone, does he? He has no one to give
account to. He's God. He's God. Sovereign. And so she heard, you're God,
he is God. He's not just trying to be. He
is God. He reigns, he rules among the
armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. He
does as he will. He doesn't depend on man's will. He does according to His will. Your God is God. Is God. She heard that. Now is that salvation? She heard this upon these fires
coming into her house. And so do we. We'll hear of the
living and true God only when God sends His word to our house. Only when he sends his word to
abide where we are and teaches us of the living and true God,
God who is God, then we'll know for a fact, for a certainty,
the fear of the Lord and understand that God is indeed God. And that Joshua has been given
all things, Christ has been given all things by this God of heaven
and earth. And look at her plea now. Realizing
this, realizing Knowing the terror of the Lord, the fear of the
Lord, realizing God is God and that Joshua is coming through.
Verse 12, she asks for mercy. Now therefore I pray you, swear
unto me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, that you
will also show kindness unto my father's house and give me
a true token. I've just noticed something. I didn't notice before. Who did
she pray for first? Who did she ask for first? Her
father's house, not even herself. How many times have I told you
that the Lord delights to answer intercessory prayer? That when
you pray for someone else, He'll bless you. It might bless them,
but He'll definitely bless you. That's weighed up. Christ who
prayed not for himself but others, the Father blessed him above
all others. But she prayed, or she asked
them, she pled to these men, will you please show me kindness,
show kindness to my father's house and give me a token. Now this is the plea of every
awakened sinner. This woman has been awakened. You read there in 1 Thessalonians
5, let us not sleep as do others. God's people have been awakened
from this sleep of death. The world is asleep to God's
word. They don't hear it. But God's people have been awakened
by his word. And this is the plea of every
awakened sinner, everyone to whom the Lord sends his word.
Everyone to whom the Lord reveals the true and living God, everyone
whom the Lord causes their heart to fear him and cry for mercy,
and to every sinner who cries for mercy, God through his word
gives them a sweet token. A token of his love, his mercy,
his grace, a token, a sure and certain token that he will be
true to his promise. that all he hath said concerning
sinners will indeed be carried out. Blessed assurance is what
he gives them, a sweet token of his saving grace. Do you know
what it is? She asks for just one token,
something that will prove to me you will indeed show kindness
to me. All right, look at verse 14. You see, verse 13, she says,
that you will save alive my father and my mother and my brethren
and my sisters and all that they have and deliver our lives from
death. She say, we're dead men unless
you are pleased to save us alive. So give us a token. And the man
answered, verse 14, our lives were yours. if you utter not this our business,
our life for yours. And it shall be, not might be,
it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the Lamb, that we will
deal kindly and truly with thee. The scripture says, as many as
received him To them gave he the right to be the sons of God. As many as received him. You
receive God's word, you receive him. She received these spies
in Joshua's name. She received Joshua. The spies
went back and told Joshua, and Joshua said, we'll save her. You receive God's word.
As many as received him. As many as received the love
of the truth. 1 Thessalonians 2 says, the love
of the truth. Those that hear of his sovereign
word, they'll hear of his kindness to them. They'll hear of the
good news that is the gospel of their salvation. They'll hear
how that God doth undertake to save them. How he will be true
and kind to them as we sung that song. They will hear his oath,
his covenant, and a sweet token they will receive. I'm building
this up. They will receive a sure token
of that oath and that covenant that God hath made. What is it? What's the token? Look at verse
15. So she let them down by a cord
through the window. Her house was upon the town wall,
she dwelt upon the wall. Verse 17, as the men apparently
were below the window, and she's up in the top, up in her house,
you know, and they're speaking back and forth in hushed tones,
you know. They're about to leave. And verse
17, the men said, We will be blameless of this, thine oath
which thou hast made us swear. In other words, we are going
to do exactly what we said we would do. Verse 18, behold, now here's
the token. When we come into the land, and
they're still holding on to this cord hanging down this window. They'd just been let down by
this cord. And they said, when we come into
the land, verse 18, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread
in the window, the one which thou didst let us down by. And
thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren,
and all thy father's household home unto thee. And it shall
be that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into
the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be
guiltless. But whosoever shall be with thee
in the house, the house we find this scarlet thread from the
window, his blood is on our head." If any man touch him. What is
that token? Here's the token. Scarlet line
in the window. Because of the scarlet thread.
Not blue, not green, but scarlet. Red. Scarlet line was that line
by which these two men descended. The scarlet cord. Do you know
what that is? That's the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. It is the blood that makes atonement for the
soul. Our Lord said to every sinner,
to everyone whom he sends the word to, to every awakened sinner,
to everyone who calls unto him for mercy, for kindness, for
grace, for salvation from certain destruction, he says, when I
see the blood, I'll pass over you. And all in the house, all
that are under the blood, just like in Exodus. To every seeking sinner, every
sinner seeking mercy and kindness, salvation, God shows them the
sure token of his purpose to save, the blood of the Lamb.
The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all
sin. The blood, it is that starlet
line from which all the law and the prophets hang. The blood Did you get that? They hung. Everything hangs on the blood.
The blood is, I told you before, I've always been tempted to drill
a hole through this Bible and put a red thread through it. So that every page you open up,
you'll see that red thread. Because the blood runs through
this book. Every page. The blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ, because it's the blood that makes atonement
for the soul. The blood is that sure token
of God's mercy and grace. There is no token but that. Jesus,
thy blood and righteousness. Bold shall I stand in that day.
Whosoever believeth, whosoever, no matter how great a sinner,
chief a sinner, even a harlot, whoever seeks mercy and grace
from God Almighty, receives the blessed assurance and sweet token,
the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses from all sin. When I see the blood, no matter
how great the sin, well, she believed, didn't she? Is that
it? You don't need any more than
that. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
It's God that justifies. Who shall, who is he that condemneth?
Christ died. Christ died. That's all the token
we need, the blood of Jesus Christ. So she believed. Look at verse
21. And she said, according unto your words, so be it. We've never seen the blood of
Christ, have we? Like the children of Israel who
were in those houses in Egypt, and the elders put the blood
on the doorpost and the lintel. The children of Israel on the
inside. But God didn't say, when you
see the blood, did He? He said, when I see the blood.
The blood was on the outside. Only God could see it. She had
this line on the outside of the window. She never could see it.
She knew it was there, though, didn't she, Kelly? She knew it
was there. And that was her hope. That was the token. She took
them at their word. And so it is that we just take
God at His word. We've never seen the blood of
Christ. We've never seen Christ. But God through His word says,
if you'll look to my Son, His blood redemption, I'll have mercy
on you when I pass through the land. I'll have mercy on you
and take you home. She said, so be it. You know
what the word Amen means? So be it. She said, Amen. Well, that is, I believe it.
According to your words, amen. And she sent them away and they
departed. And what did she do? Just as quick as she could, she
bound the scarlet line in the window, tied it tight, laid fast
hold on it, tied it tight in that window. And so it is that
we, we believe We believe, and by faith we look to the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have hope. It's a sure hope,
it's a good hope, and it's sure because God who cannot lie promised
all who look to Christ and his blood redemption will be saved. And I believe, I'm quite sure,
that she told her whole family about it, didn't she? You know
she did. She told the whole story to her
family. And the thing she majored on
more than anything was, there's a scarlet line out that window. And they told me, whoever's in
this house with me, where that scarlet line is, that when they
come through to destroy this land, When they see that line,
everybody in this house with that scarlet thread will be saved. Did you hear mama? Our hope is
in that scarlet thread. Did you hear dad? Dad, don't
be outside of these walls, dad. Did you hear husband, or not
husband, but brother and sister? She was not married this time.
Did you hear nephews, nieces? There's one hope. There's one
hope. Don't get out of this house now.
You've got to be where that scarlet line is. And so I say to everyone
in here, young and old, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children,
there's only one hope, and it's under the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. Be under the blood. Keep yourselves,
Peter said, under the mercy and love of God. So, chapter 6. Chapter 6. Joshua is a judge, a destroyer. His name means savior, yes. He
didn't come into this city to save it. He came to destroy it. people, but he'll destroy all
else. Is that right? When the Lord
named his son, he named him Jesus. Call his name Jesus, for he shall
save his people from their sins. But he's a judge and a destroyer
of all else. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. The first time he came, he came
to save his people, to seek and to save the lost. The next time
he comes, he's to destroy all flesh. except those for whom
he shed that precious blood, that scarlet thread. Joshua Kahn
is a destroyer, a sovereign destroyer and savior. He's true to his
word. He's true to his word, the word of the step-ones. He sent these men to tell the
harlot that he's coming. Did he? Yes, he did. Chapter
6, verse 17. The city shall be accursed, even
it and all that are therein, to the Lord. Only Rahab the harlot
shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because
she hid the messengers that we sent. I mentioned this Sunday morning,
you just need to see this. Verse 18. If you and any wise
keep yourself from the accursed thing, talking about the idols. That's what I mentioned Sunday.
So there's one mention of it. But anyway, Joshua came in and
destroyed the land, verse 21, and they utterly destroyed all
that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and
ox and sheep and ass, with the edge of the sword. But Joshua
had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go
into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and
all that she hath, as you swear unto her. And the young men that
were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and
her mother, and her brethren, and all that she hath." That
is, all that were under that scarlet line, right? Everybody,
just as they promised. Just as the Word had promised,
the Word of Joshua. And they brought out all her
kindred and left them without the camp. They were saved without
the camp. Scripture says in Hebrews, Let
us go therefore unto him without the camp. And they burnt the
city, verse 24, with fire, and all that was therein, only the
silver and the gold, the vessels of brass and iron, they put into
the treasury. of the house of the Lord. And
Joshua saved Rahab the harlot of all people. Rahab the harlot,
alive, and her father's household and all that she had. And she
dwelleth in Israel even unto this day. You mean today? Yes, it's today. Heavenly Israel. because he hid
the messengers which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. Oh my, God's
true to his word. He's true to his word. All that are under the blood,
all that look to Christ for salvation, everyone, the chief of sinners,
even a harlot, the harlots and publicans, they'll all go in. They'll all be taken without
the camp first and say, but I'll go to that new Jerusalem with
Joshua. Joshua took—this is not the end
of the story. This is the beginning of God's
purpose. See, this story in God's sovereign
purpose and his matchless wisdom. as with everything, concerns
the Christ. The story of Rahab concerns the
Christ. She enters into this story of
the Christ. Joshua took Rahab with him, Rahab
and her family with him, into Canaan, the fair Canaan, into
the promised land. All the people went with Joshua.
Rahab did too. Years later, she married. She married a man named Salmon,
and they're living in a town called Bethlehem. Salmon and
Rachel. They're living in Bethlehem,
and she has a child. And one day, this is true, this
is a true story. One day, she's talking to that
child. The child is sitting on her lap.
What do you reckon she's telling him? She's telling that child of the
story of God's sovereign mercy and saving grace to her, the
chief of sinners. She's telling that child how
that she once entertained strangers that were angels unaware. She tells that child of God's
great salvation, of his mercy, his love, his grace, his kindness
to her. And I believe above all else
he told the story of that scarlet lion, that sweet token of God's
salvation that he told her to tie to bind in the window of
her abode. Of God's mercy and love and grace
and kindness and a scarlet lion, a token of his promise and redemption
to her, the chief of sinners. And she says to that child, look
to the Lord. Fear the Lord. Look to the blood
of God's Lamb. That's what that scarlet line
represents. Be careful to entertain strangers. Be merciful and kind, son. Look for God's people. Be merciful
to God's people. You don't know who they are,
but be merciful and kind to them. It was a boy she had on her lap.
Do you know the boy's name? Boaz. The kinsman redeemer. the grandfather of David. And
I might preach on that Sunday morning, the kinsman redeemer. Son, be careful to entertain
strangers. He did. Be kind and merciful,
son. Look for the poor, look for the
destitute, look for the down and out, son. and might be one
of God's people. Oh, he did. Her name was Ruth
Boaz, a kinsman of Redeemer. And God's purpose, God sent his
so great salvation to the home of one woman, a harlot at that, to be the one who would carry
the seed of David. Oh my, God's purpose is amazing,
isn't it? All right, stand with me. I hope
that was a blessing. Our Father, thank you for your
sovereign mercy to the chief of sinners. We plead the blood
with Rahab of old. Thank you for telling us of that
redemption, a sure redemption, the blood token. Thank you for
giving knowledge and understanding of yourself through your Word. Thank you for sending your Word
to us. Reveal yourself, ourselves, and
your Son to us. Thank you, Lord, for the blood
that makes atonement for the soul. And it's in Christ's name
we're met here tonight. Amen. Yeah.