Hebrews chapter 11, verse 31. You know, we've been reading through
this blessed book, blessed chapter, chapter 11 of Hebrews, talking
about those that the Lord has granted faith to. And you know, that men are not
born with faith. It's given unto men to believe.
Faith is not something that's exercised in order to be saved. Faith is the evidence of life
that's been given. When God gives life, He gives
faith. And that's when a person believes.
Life comes first, then faith. Not faith unto life, but life
and faith. And how often we are reminded,
we read those blessed words, when our Lord spoke to Moses,
and this was what God had to say. When Moses asked the Lord,
show me your glory, the Lord said, I will have mercy on whom
I will have mercy. And I will have compassion on
whom I will have compassion." And then the Spirit of God moved
on the Apostle Paul. When Paul was reciting that statement
made by the Lord back in the Old Testament, Paul in Romans
9.15 added this under the inspiration of God's Spirit. He said, So
then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but
of God that showeth mercy." Salvation is not of the will
of man, but it is according to the will and purpose of Almighty
God. Salvation is not attained by
the efforts of the flesh, but it is accomplished by the will
the power and purpose of Almighty God by the Holy Spirit blessing
the hearing of the gospel of God's free grace to the new heart
that is given in regeneration. God saves those that He will. God has a people and He is going
to save them, every one of them. He's always had them. He chose
them and gave them to Christ before the foundation of the
world. Christ died for those elect. That's the only ones He
died for. He said, I lay down my life for
the sheep. And the Spirit of God is going to call them out.
There's absolutely no doubt. I've got God's Word on that.
The Lord Jesus Christ said in John 6.37, shall come to me. And he that
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. We've been studying
different ones through this chapter right here. Faith. By faith. Faith is not like a hurricane
that just picks up a leaf and just blows it, that leaf just
doesn't have any control whatsoever. Faith is the movement on a new
heart by the Spirit of God that makes that person willing, desiring,
longing to, follow after, directing by the hearing of the gospel,
that new man. And that new man is enabled by
God's grace, God Almighty providentially ordering things and moving things. He said, I raised up nations
for you, put down nations for you. Faith is that grace by which
Almighty God imparts into His people a willingness to follow
after Him. They hear the voice of the Master. Man, that's a deep subject. I know it is. But God's people
hear. They hear in their hearts. They
offered, the Scripture says, unto God a more excellent sacrifice. By faith, Abel did that. Translated, Enoch was that they
should not see death. Noah, being warned of God of
a flood, he moved with fear. He believed God. You that know
Him, you know this. One of these days, we're going
to stand before God. It's not going to be long either. You say, how long is it going
to be? I don't know. It's not going to be long. I
can tell you that. In light of eternity, I know it's not going
to be long. What if it's another hundred years? What if it's twenty
years? What if? What if? in the light
of eternity. That's not long. But you know
this, the books are going to be opened in the book. And those
whose works are found written in the books, they're going to
be judged out of those books. Oh, but for those who by the
grace of God have been called out of darkness and revealed
to them that their name was written in the book of life Himself,
Christ, from before the foundation of the world. You know what they
have to answer for? Nothing. Nothing. There is no
condemnation to them that be in Christ Jesus. Sin is not imputed
to them. Are they without sin? Well, in
themselves, no. They know what they are. Paul
says, I know in me there dwells no good thing. Sin is present
with me. But in Christ, and that's how
God sees them, there's no guilt. There's no charge. Justified. Law looks at them. The law says
there's no charge here. There's no charge. Faith. Now, many have we found to be
the examples in this blessed book of those that believe God. We think about the Moses and
the Noahs and the Abrahams and Enochs. But tonight, I want to
look at one that the Holy Spirit was pleased to record that walked
by faith, that believed God. A woman named Rahab. And the Scripture says this was
her reputation. Now, let me just say this and
then we'll go on. That woman, no matter how... I mean, I've read some accounts.
They said that the word harlot there meant like innkeeper. And
it meant this. The Scripture, the word right
there, she was a harlot. But when God called her out of
darkness, and I'll tell you what the later lineage of this woman
was, who she was after the Lord saved her. But I don't doubt
for one second, after the Lord called her out of darkness, she
wasn't a harlot anymore. But this was the reputation that
this woman had. She lived on the wall. She had
a house on the wall of Jericho. And the Scripture sets forth
concerning this woman, that this woman, according to this word,
by faith, the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not,
when she had received the spies with peace." Now I want you to
turn, if you had a chance, to read in Joshua chapters 1-5,
and we're going to take, and Lord willing, next week we'll
look at another section, but Joshua chapter 2, Just chapter
2, I'd like to read the 2nd chapter of Joshua. This is the account
of the meeting of the spies with Rahab. Joshua 2, verse 1, And
Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim. Now let me tell you
where this city Shittim was. Shittim was on one side of the
Jordan River. It was about four or five miles
on one side, Jordan River, about four or five miles in Canaan
with Jericho. And these spies now are going
to have to get across the Jordan River. The Scripture doesn't
bear how they got across. I just looked it up on a map.
I wanted to know where they were. They were on one side. They were
on the other side. And when they go across next week, I'm going
to tell you how they got across. But nonetheless, Joshua the son
of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying,
Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went and came into a
harlot's house named Rahab and lodged there. It was told the
king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither. Tonight
of the children of Israel to search out the country, and the
king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that
have come to thee, which are entered into thine house, for
they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took
the two men and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto
me, but I wist not. whence they were. And it came
to pass by the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark,
that the men went out, and whether the men went, I want not. Pursue after them quickly, for
ye shall overtake them.' But she had brought them up to the
roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax which
she had laid in order upon the roof. And the men pursued after
them the way to Jordan, to the fords, and as soon as they which
pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate. And
before they had laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof. She said unto the men, I know
that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror
is falling upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land
faint because of you. For 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 to the two kings
of the Amorites, which were on the other side of Jordan, Sihon
and Og, which you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these
things, our hearts did melt. Neither did there remain any
more courage in any man because of you. For the Lord, your God,
He is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. 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, and that you will save alive
my father and my mother and my brother and my sisters and all
that they have and deliver our lives from death. And the man
answered her, I lies for yours, if you ought not this our business.
And it shall be when the Lord hath given us the land that we
will deal kindly and truly with thee. And she let them down by
court through the window, for her house was upon the town wall,
and she dwelt upon the wall. And she said unto them, Get you
to the mountains, lest the pursuers meet you, and hide yourselves
there three days, until the pursuers be returned. And afterward may
you go your way. And the men said to her, We will
be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line
of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down.
And thou shalt bring thy father, thy mother, the brethren, 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. We will be guiltless whosoever
shall be with thee in the house. His blood will be on our head.
If any hand be upon him, and if thou utter this our business,
then we will be equipped of thine oath which thou mayest assure
us." He said, according to your words, so be it. She sent them
away and they departed. She bound the scarlet line in
the window. They went and came to the mountains
and bowed there three days until the pursuers were returned. And
the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.
So the two men returned and descended from the mountain and passed
over and came to Joshua, son of Nun, and told him all things
that befell him. And they said unto Joshua, Truly,
The Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land, for even
all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us." Now,
this woman Rahab, she was a Canaanite. She lived in the land of Canaan. But she was a member of a cursed
people, an alien from the commonwealth of Israel. But let me ask you
this. Is it not a wonderful type of
all that God has been pleased to show mercy to? The Lord passed
by when the nation of Israel came out of Egypt. All the people that were 20 years
old and older, except for Joshua and Caleb. Everybody that came
out of Egypt. As I said before, I know that
there was Moses, but of the people that came out, save for God's
elect, perished. Why? because of unbelief. They did not believe God. Now
here is the way that it is. The Lord passed by some that
were natural descendants of Abraham. They were of the lineage of Abraham.
They were national Jews. He passed by them. And He let
them perish in the wilderness. And He chose in electing grace
to show mercy to this Gentile harlot. I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy. Here was one out of every nation
and kindred and tribe and tongue that Christ would surely redeem
by His shed blood. God Almighty chose to show mercy
to this woman. What was there in Rahab that
would have merited the favor of Almighty God? Nothing! Nothing! This woman was a harlot. Could God Almighty show mercy
to one such as I? How can it be that God would
love one like me? Lord, You say in Your Word that You
have mercy on whom You'll have mercy. If Almighty God gives you a heart
to believe that, and to cast yourself upon him, God has had
mercy on you. I want us to consider the mercy
of Almighty God in this woman's deliverance. This woman, according
to Hebrews 11, the scripture says, by faith. By faith. This woman believed
God by faith. This woman did not perish with
those that believed not. She believed God's Word. I want you to consider with me
just a few things concerning this woman. I want you to consider
the providence of Almighty God. in her deliverance. Two spies
were sent by Joshua to Jericho. Spy, the Scripture says, the
city secretly to view the land. And the Scripture says they went
and came into a harlot's house named Rahab and lodged there. Now let me tell you what the
Scripture doesn't say. It doesn't say how they knew to go there. Joshua didn't tell them. There's a woman that lives on
the wall. She's a harlot. No. How did she get there? How did they get there? Psalm 37.23 says, The steps of
a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his
way. Almighty God has set forth in
Ephesians chapter 1 that God Almighty has predestinated His
people to the adoption of sons. Do you want to know how you got
unto the sound of the gospel? God brought you here. You say, well, the reason I came
here is because I was born here. My mom and daddy came here. I did here. I was seeing somebody. God put you here. Whatever means
He was pleased to use, that's God's business. had a destiny with that woman. And the Scripture says that they
came to the harlot's house. The Lord's hand powerfully directed
these spies to the very place, to the very one that Almighty
God had chosen to deliver out of darkness. God knew that Rahab
was there. Just as surely as when the Lord
Himself said, I must needs go through Samaria. Why? There was
a woman there that He was going to meet at the well of Sychar.
And He was going to talk to her. And He was going to call her
out of darkness. And He did. 2 Timothy 2.19 says, Nevertheless,
the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, God knoweth
them that are His. The Lord purposed that Rahab
was going to be spared on the day of Jericho's demise. So what
does He do? He sent a couple of spies to
that place. to her house to talk to her so
that she might be assured of her safety. That's just like
as he sends the gospel to every one of his elect. I'm going to
tell you something. God's going to save His people. She was a woman that obviously
was a believer. When they got there, This woman
believed God. The Scripture says, by faith. The harlot, Rahab, perished not
with them that believed not. When she had received the spies
with peace, she received them peacefully, graciously, lovingly,
by faith. This woman already knew God. What was the ground then for
faith? How did it get there? This woman was in Jericho. Romans 10.17 says, Faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. By the hearing of
the gospel. Almighty God must give unto the
sound of the gospel of Christ, gospel of God. He gives understanding. He gives a new heart. The Lord
gives faith. Now, I want you to listen. When
did this woman hear? She heard. When did she hear? Let me read Joshua 2, 9-11 for
you again. This woman said to these spies,
and she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you
the land, that your terror has fallen upon us, that all the
inhabitants of the land faint because of you. How the Lord
dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out
of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites
that were on the other side of Jordan, Sihon, Og, whom He utterly
destroyed. As soon as we heard these things,
our hearts did melt. Neither did there remain any
more courage in any man because of you. For the Lord, your God, He's God in heaven above and
earth beneath. You know, that's the speech of
a believer. That's how a believer talks. Who is God? He's God. He does as He will
in the army of heaven. He sends strong east winds and
parts the Red Sea. And His people walk across on
dry ground. And when His people get across,
He closes in on the Egyptians and kills them. He's God. Our hearts melted. They heard
all the people of Jericho. That's what she said. We heard.
We heard. It was common knowledge in Jericho
what God had done. They heard. They heard. But there
was a big difference between this woman and obviously everybody
else. God gave her faith. God gave
her a new heart. God called this woman out of
darkness. God broke her and left the others to themselves. Their hearing was not by faith. It wasn't mixed with faith. Oh,
they heard it. Oh, the difference. She said,
our hearts did melt. Neither did there remain any
more courage in any man's heart because of you. But you know
what? This woman was speaking out of
her experience. Obviously, those that heard and
didn't believe, they were just wayside hearers. A sower goes
to sow. The seed is sown. And some hear
that the seed just kind of falls by the wayside. Birds come and
snatch it up. Some will hear this message,
and they'll walk out of this service, and it didn't more make
any difference to them than man to man. But if God brings this
message in power and might and purpose, Almighty God gives a
heart and breaks the center. God calls them. Then there's
life. But you know what happened? They
heard, but nothing happened for a while. Maybe it won't happen
to us. We heard what He did to the kings
in Sihon and Og. I heard what happened to the
Egyptians over there. I heard about that. But you know,
maybe they'll miss us. Ecclesiastes 8.11 says, Because
sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore
the heart of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil. Remember when the children of
Israel went around one time. Jericho one time. Every day for
6 days. But on that 7th day, nothing
happened. They just went around. But on
the 7th day, 7 times on the 7th day, and even after they completed
the 7th time, nothing happened. Until Joshua told those that
were blowing those horns, you blow those ram's horns with a
loud blast. He told the people to shout.
And when they shouted, those walls came down. With them, the rest of the city,
their conscience was stirred for a while. But with Rahab,
just like Lydia, the Lord opened her heart and gave that woman
a heart after Christ. And she knew it was true. She said, I know that the Lord
has given you the land. I know God is going to bring
this city down. I know God's going to send judgment. Secondly,
look at the effect of her faith. She received the spies with peace
as God's people. Her faith, by faith, fruit was
produced by the Spirit of God to God's glory. I'll tell you,
false faith Let me tell you an example of false faith. It's a faith that gives an intellectual
assent to God's existence. I believe there's a God. The
Scripture says that the demons believe there's a God. Devils
know there's a God. Even a false faith gives agreement
To the doctrines of grace, people can say, you know what? Ephesians
1, I quoted that a while ago. According as He hath chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will. Well, says it. Says it. So, I guess it's true. But there's no heart for it.
There's no desire for it. It's one of those things where
you could take it or leave it, and then when something comes
up that's just a little bit more important, that's more important
than this. Just an intellectual thing, but
not with her. This woman believed God. And how did she evidence her
faith? She received those spies with
peace. Did you notice the king didn't
do that? Even those that came to ask her about it didn't do
it. And no one else was mentioned. When God's men got there, she
received them with peace. James 2.17 says, even so, faith,
if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. God's people absolutely
walk in accordance with the light that they have. They believe
God. Their life is governed. They
walk according to faith. The Lord gave this woman a heart
to receive those spies. Why? Because she believed God.
She knew it was going to happen. God has said it. Thirdly, the
miracle of the singleness of her faith. I say the miracle of the singleness
of her faith because As far as I can tell, she's the only one
in the city that God called out of darkness. There's no telling how many people
live in Jericho. They all heard the reports of
the Hebrews. But no one but Rahab possessed
a heart given by God. to ask for mercy. One city, one person. How many
times have we seen within the scriptures that God shows mercy
to one and passes by the rest? By and large, you're going to
find this so. There may be some, maybe you.
There may be one. Maybe two. Out of any family
that God is pleased to show mercy to, you may be the only one in
your family. God may give you mercy, have
compassion on you, and may pass by the whole rest of your family. But you know what? He's God. And He does as He will in the
army of heaven. This woman alone preferred the
will of God before the safety of her city. And she did ask
if her family would be spared death. But nothing is said concerning
her family having faith in the Lord. She treasured, guarded
God's servants. before pleasing her fellow citizens. She exalted the Lord of glory
to be God in heaven alone and in earth beneath. There is something
that I would like to consider as we begin to close this message
concerning this woman Rahab, because there is a point that
I I want to carefully consider, and I've given much prayer to
what I'm about to say. And I believe it's so. I believe
it's scriptural. I've got God's Word. I can back it up. When it came to answering those
men from the king, Those men came and said to Rahab,
the king wants you to come and talk to him, tell him where those
men are. There's some men that's come to spy out the city. And this woman, now I'll tell
you what, why don't you just go back and turn to Joshua 2
again. Let's just read it. I want you to look at exactly
what this woman said. Joshua 2. Joshua 2, verse 3, the king of
Jericho, Senator Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are
come to thee, which are entered into thine house, for they are
come to search out all the country. The woman took the two men and
hid them and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist
not, I know not, whence they were. It came to pass about the
time of shutting of the gate when it was dark that the men
went out, she says. Whether the men went, I know
not. I want not. Pursue after them quickly, for
you shall overtake them." Now listen, listen to me. What this woman said was absolutely
a lie. Had no doubt about it. There's
no doubt. She lied. The scripture says concerning
Rahab in James 2, verse 25. And here I'm going to read this
scripture to you, and I'm going to tell you that what Rahab did
was commended by God. Now, somebody would say, are
you advocating lying? No. No, I'm not. You're going
to say, well, what about this woman? I'm going to tell you
what Almighty God said about this woman right here. James
2.25, James writing under the inspiration of God's Spirit says,
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when
she had received the messengers and had sent them out another
way. Everything that this woman did, Almighty God was pleased
with. When it came to answering the
king's demand as to the whereabouts of the spy, she told them exactly exactly
what they wanted to hear. Really? Yes. Turn with me to 2 Thessalonians
2, verses 10-12. 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 10-12. When these people, while you're
turning there, 2 Thessalonians 2, 10-12, when these people,
these men, these women of this city, when they heard the report
that was given of when God delivered the nation of Israel through
the Red Sea, destroyed the Egyptians, when God destroyed the kings
of Og, Sihon, how God had given Jericho to the nation of Israel,
that God was going to destroy them. Nobody but Rahab believed
God. Nobody but Rahab had faith. They all heard. They all heard. They all heard. But they would
not receive the love of the truth. This woman did. Everybody else
didn't. 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 10
to 12. And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish, because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for
this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should
believe a lie. that they all might be damned
who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." According, I could not make this
statement. I could not make this statement
that I'm making right now without James 2. Likewise also was not Rahab the
harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers
and sent them out the other way?" This is what James said under
the inspiration of God's Spirit. Everything that this woman did
was ordered and ordained and approved of by God. Here's what happened. These people, because they would
not, Receive the love of the truth. God sent judgment to everyone
except Rahab. John 12.40 says, "...He hath
blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, that they should
not see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts,
and be converted, and I should heal them." By faith. She opened her mouth wide, appealing
to the mercy of Almighty God. These people in that city that
heard the truth and would not receive it, would not have it,
you know what God gave them? A life. They came to that woman. because they would not receive
what they had heard concerning the God of Israel. And God said,
this is what they wanted. This is what they wanted. They
wanted a lie. And God gave it to them. God
Almighty used the mouth of that woman and told them a lie. And they went off on a wild goose
chase. And God judged them. My friend, the problem is that
man by nature does not realize who he's dealing with. Men think that they can manipulate
God. Men and women that sit under
the sound of a false gospel, a gospel that is absolutely a
lie on God are receiving exactly what they want. And that's what
God's given them. And unless Almighty God in mercy
and compassion calls them out of darkness, they're going to
die. And God's going to put them in
hell. Now, let me ask you this. What's the difference? And me,
or you, or anybody else, nothing but the grace of God. That's
it. These men got what they wanted. And then the reward of her faith
in closing. By faith. The harlot Rahab perished not
with them that believe not. gave their word. And when they
came through, they said, now you let us down by that red thread,
a rope. You put that rope in the window.
And when we come through, everybody in your family that's in your
house with you, we're not going to touch them. If they're outside
this house, their blood is going to be on their hands. The Scripture
sets forth that the reward A faith that God had given her was that
Almighty God spared this woman. And I'll tell you this, the reward
of the faith that God gives His elect that believe Him, He's
going to save them. I give eternal life. My sheep shall never perish. This woman laid half by faith. And in closing, let me tell you
what happened to this woman, the lineage of this woman. There
was a woman that was a harlot that God called
out of darkness. Saved her. And judged the whole
city. Gave them what they wanted. You
want to lie? You want to believe a lie? I'm
going to give you a lie. And God Almighty justified her for
it. She was justified. Here again,
I couldn't say that, but God said it. And God's Word stands. Let me tell you what happened
to this woman. After the Lord lifted her from the dregs of
sin and despair, saved her by grace, She married a man named
Salmon. And Salmon, her husband, he was
a prince. Salmon and Rahab had a boy, and
his name was Boaz. And Boaz married a woman named
Ruth. And Boaz and Ruth had a son named
Jesse. And Jesse was the daddy of David. And fourteen generations later,
through the lineage of this woman right here, Rahab, the Lord Jesus Christ was born. Oh, the grace of God. They called
this woman. Who is this woman? I'll tell
you who she is. She was an object of God's mercy.
And God Almighty spoke mightily through her and of her. Lord,
have mercy on me. My word shall not return void. It's going to accomplish the
purpose for which it was sent. Bless these words to our heart
for Christ's sake. Amen.