Go with me if you would back
to Joshua chapter 2. Joshua chapter 2. Don't you love this story? There's
some stories that as soon as you realize where we are, it's
just, oh man, you don't even really have to preach it. You
just read it. There's a song that most every
person knows. Most every person, uh, in this
country anyway, but most of the world, it says, amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved
a wretch like me. You know, when God reveals to
us what absolute wretches we are, that's the moment that grace
becomes amazing. You know that. When God reveals
to us how absolutely wretched we are, that's when grace becomes
amazing, absolutely amazing. That God would show grace to
such a wretch like me, a wretched person, a wretched person. We're about to see this story
of this woman named Rahab and the scripture makes no bones
about it. She was a wretched person. She was a harlot. Something happened though to
her. Something happened in her and
something happened for her and it's called salvation. It's called
salvation. I believe after we look at this,
number one, we're going to relate to this woman. Number two, I
believe we're going to rejoice with this woman. And number three,
I believe we're going to find hope the exact same way she found
hope. The exact same way. I titled
this message, A Harlot's Hope. A harlot's hope. Now, look with
me at verse 10. Joshua 2 verse 10. She said, For we have heard how
the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you
came out of Egypt. We've heard all about it. We've heard all about it. This
nation of people, this entire nation of people, were slaves
to another nation of people for 430 years. God's people, Israel, were slaves
to the Egyptians for 430 years. And you know that information
got out. That is almost twice as long
as this nation has been a country. And it feels like this nation
has been a country a long time. So you know that information
got out. That was common knowledge. The Israel, they're all the slaves
of the Egyptians. They're all bound in Egypt. Well
then Moses went to Pharaoh and he said, God Almighty says, let
my people go. And all of these great plagues
came on Egypt and you know that got out. Those were amazing plagues. You know that that was common
knowledge. And then the day came that God
delivered his people. They literally walked right out
of Egypt. They could not for 430 years. They were under hard bondage,
hard taskmasters. They were beaten. And then one
day they just walked out. And the Egyptians started giving
them all their stuff. Here's some gold. You might need
that. They just walked out. Pharaoh went after them with
his army though. God opened up the Red Sea, amazingly
dried the ground, led all of his people safely across, and
then closed up the sea on the Egyptians. Killed every single
one of them. Killed every single one of them. After that, you know people started
asking, where's Pharaoh's army? What happened to that army? All
those men, all those chariots, where are they? God killed them. I mean, God killed them. What
if God killed an entire nation's army today? Men would not be
saying God killed them, I guarantee you that. They'd say, oh man,
they were so unlucky. But I tell you what really happened.
God killed them. God closed the sea on them, drowned
them in the sea. Well, after that, Israel continued
traveling on their journey and they came up to another country. They came up on another nation.
So Moses sent a messenger to the king of that nation. You
can read about all this in Numbers 21. Moses sent a message to this
king and this king's name was Sihon. And Moses said, let us
pass through your land. Let us pass right through it.
We won't take anything out of your fields. We won't take anything
out of your vineyards. We won't drink any water out
of your wells. We will literally stay on the
highway and pass right through your borders." And Sihon said, So Sihon got his army together
and he went out to meet Israel face to face. And God said, start
killing them. And they did. They slew them
with the edge of the sword. They smote every single one of
them. And then they took all the land.
They said, we won't touch it. We'll pass right through and
be gone. They took it all. They killed them all and took
it all. Then they continued on their way and this king named
Og, they weren't even passing through his land. He just heard
about it all and he decided he wanted to go pick a fight with
them. So he brought his army up and God told Moses, fear him
not. I've delivered him into your
hand and all his people and all his land. He said, you're going
to do the same thing to him you did to Sihon. So Moses told all
of Israel, start killing him. And Israel started slaying with
the sword and they did not stop until there was none left alive. That's what it says. As these
accounts became known, you know this became known, men are bringing
their armies out and gone. Armies come out, gone. Israel's
passing through these cities and it's wiped out. Gone. As these things became known
and word started to spread, city after city, it was like a map. You could see where they're going.
You heard what happened to that city and then you heard what
happened to the next city. And it became pretty clear Israel's
headed to the Jordan River. We can see they are coming this
way. They are coming straight towards
Jericho. God in all of his purpose, God
in all of his glory, in all of his victory. Is coming right through here. And this sinful woman knew that
she had heard about this. And she knew the God who holds
life and death in the palm of his hand. is coming to this city. And I feel like getting ahead
of myself right now. That same God is coming to this city. I'm telling you, He's coming
to Kingsport. Oh, gentle Jesus Meek and Mild
is coming. I'm telling you, God is coming. God is coming. Now look with me at verse 1. Joshua 2 verse 1 says, And 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 an
harlot's house named Rahab and lodged there." You talk about
the good providence of God Almighty? They came straight to this harlot's
house and lodged there. Joshua, the captain of the host,
the one who represents the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is
ordering and controlling this whole thing. He sent two servants. Righteousness and peace. Grace
and mercy. I want you to go into this land.
You go spy out what I'm about to take and conquer. And they came straight into that
sinful harlot's house named Rahab. And again, I feel like getting
ahead of myself. This is us. This is our story. And when God sent his servants
straight to that center, it struck fear in her. She had heard some
things. And the fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom. This woman realized they're here. They're here. We've been here
and he's coming. They're coming. They are here. God is here. He is on to us. He has found us out. Verse 2
says, And 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 are come to thee,
which are entered into thine house, for they be come to search
out all the country. They said, Turn those men over. They're here to kill us. But do you know what God had
convinced Rahab of? Through what she had heard, she
was convinced of this. See if you can relate to this
woman. She was convinced, we're dead anyway. You can account us as dead men
and women. If God has purposed to take this
land, He's taken it. And if I try to resist His will,
then He's just going to kill me with the rest of them. Isn't
that right? I have one need in this matter. I have one hope in this matter. Verse 4 says, And the woman took
the two men. God's servant. God's message. And it says, she
hid them. She hid them. And said thus, she told the king
of Jericho, there came men unto me, but I knew not whence they
were. And it came to pass about the
time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men
went out. Whither the men went, I know
not. Pursue after them quickly, for
you 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 unto the fords. And as soon as
they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the
gate." You know what? She just flat out lied. Didn't
she? She just flat out lied. There's
no hiding it. She is a sinner. This woman is
a sinner. Everything she tries to do, sin
is mixed with all of it. Isn't that right? They were about to take away
from her though, the only hope she had. She could not let that
happen. When this hope comes, the kingdom
of heaven suffers violence, and the violents have to take it
by force. They have to. They have to. She had one hope. She had one
need. At all costs, she had to have
it. Can you say the same thing? Jacob
could. Do you remember when Jacob went
to Isaac to get that birthright blessing? He lied, didn't he? He had to have it at all cost. David went to God's priest for
bread and he lied, didn't he? He had to have it. He had to
have it. Rahab knew her life was on the
line here. Her life was on the line. So
she lied to the king of Jericho and she hid God's men and she
bowed to God's will and God's purpose. Whatever God is doing. Oh, dear Lord, put me on the
side of the Lord, my God. Well, she went and laid down.
And the men were still hiding on the roof, and you think about
this, you think about this story, she started thinking about the
reality of the fact that God is coming. Have you ever done
that? Have you ever done that? Do you ever think about the reality?
You know, the Trump is going to resound. The Lord is going to descend. Have you ever thought about that?
You know, here we are marrying and giving in marriage and life
is good and let's just keep on rolling. And I'm telling you,
God is coming. God is coming. And here she is
laying there thinking God is coming. What's going to happen
to this place? What is going to happen to this
place? What's going to happen to my
loved ones? The fear of the Lord set into
her. She started realizing every soul in this city is going to
have to deal with this God. I realize that from time to time. It makes me want to pay our money
to get on another radio station. Every soul in this city is going
to have to deal with this God. He is coming. He is coming. Rahab was laying there thinking,
I don't have a hope. I'm not one of His people. And
of all people. I'm the harlot. If he saves anybody,
it's not going to be me. I'm the harlot in town. This is what the woman knew.
God's men are in my house right now. They may not ever be again. They may not ever be again, but
they're here right now. My only hope is to go right now
and beg them for mercy. That's my only hope. They may
say no. They might say no, but if I don't
beg, I know there's no hope for me. It sunk into her heart that
today is the day of salvation. When the fear of the Lord comes
to a sinner, that'll sink in. I mean right now. So this woman got up out of her
bed. She went up to that roof. Verse 8 says, And before they
were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof, and she said
unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land,
and that your terror is fallen 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 unto the two kings of the Amorites
that were on the other side 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. For the Lord your God,
He is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. Your God, the
God of Israel, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of
Jacob, He is God. And that is crystal clear. when a sinner hears. He is the
sovereign God. He is going to do as He will,
with whom He will. Won't you let God, every sinner
who truly sees God says, fooey on that. He's going to do what
He will, with whom He will. This woman said, I know that.
I've heard the truth. I bow to it. I realize this is
my only hope. I'm going to beg this almighty
sovereign God for mercy. I'm going to beg Him to have
mercy on me. God have mercy on me. 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, and 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. Because I fear this God. And because outside of His mercy,
I have no hope. I'm begging. I'm begging, please
spare my father, spare my mother, spare my brethren, my sisters,
all that they have. Please deliver our lives from
death. Please. Once a sinner sees this
sovereign God, that is what he will start crying. Lord, please,
please, please save my father. I'm not even going to pretend
that I have something to offer you. I have something to give
you. Please just save my father, save my mother, save my brethren. All the little ones they have.
I see it. I see the truth. I see the destruction of this
place. Please. Verse 14. And the man answered
her God's servants, righteousness and peace. Grace and mercy answered
her our life for years. will be your surety. If you utter not this our business,
and it shall be when the Lord hath given us the land, we will
deal kindly and truly with you." We're going to do it for mercy's
sake. This is a God of vengeance. There's one God. There's not
multiple gods. There's one God and he is a God
of vengeance. He is a God of wrath. He is a
God of sovereignty, but he is a God of mercy. Oh, he is. This is today's warning. He is still taking cities. Still. And He's coming through
in all of His wrath. But this right here is a God
of mercy. Verse 15, Then she let them down
by a cord 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 mountain, 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 unto her, We
will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us
swear." They said, You can count on this oath. You can take this covenant to
the bank. As the God of truth liveth, it
will be upheld. You have our word. And they said,
this is your token, verse 18. Behold, when we come into the
land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window,
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. They said this red way of deliverance, this bright red line of escape,
they said put this in your window. Lift it up for everybody to see. They didn't say Find you a box
in the corner and you hide this. You find you a bushel and you
hide it under a bushel. No, they said claim it. Put it
in your window. Confess it. Cling to it. Holler it to everybody. What
does that scarlet line represent for harlots like you and me?
The blood of Jesus Christ. That scarlet red way of deliverance,
the only hope that any sinner has is for that blood to be bound
in the window of the heart. Oh, may everybody see it. They said, this is your token.
This is your surety. This is your hope. This is your
hope. You cling to this scarlet line. Do not let it out of your sight.
Verse 18, Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind
this line of scarlet thread in the window that 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." They
said the only safe place to be is in the house that has this
scarlet line. That's it. That house is Jesus
Christ. This is still God's message for
his people. God is coming to this city. The only safe place to be is
in Jesus Christ. That's it. They said when we
come through, if you or any member of your family is found outside
of this house, they will die and we're going to be guiltless
and killing them. But they said in verse 19, Whosoever shall
be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if
any hand be upon him." Here's what it all boils down to. The
soul that is outside of the blood of Jesus Christ is going to die
in his sins. But the soul that is inside the
blood of Jesus Christ has the promise of God Almighty of eternal
life. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. God Almighty
said, when I see the blood of my Son, when I see that scarlet
line, I will pass over you. Verse 20, if thou utter this
our business, then we will be quit of thine oath, which thou
hast made us to swear. And she said, according unto
your words, so be it. That means amen. And she sent
them away and they departed and she bound the scarlet line in
the window immediately. She said, you go hide for three
days. She didn't wait three days. As
soon as they turned around, she started tying the line in the
window. Verse 21, she said, According
to your word, so be it. And she sent them away, and they
departed, and she bound the scarlet line in the window. And they
went and came unto the mountain, and abode 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,
the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them.
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. Well, I wonder what happened. I wonder if the promise held
true. I wonder if God's covenant token
saved them. I wonder if it did. Go with me
over to chapter 6. Chapter 6 verse 12 says, And
Joshua rose early in the morning, And the priests took up the ark
of the Lord. And seven priests, bearing seven
trumpets of ram's horns, went before the ark of the Lord, went
on continually, and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men
went before them, but the reward came after the ark of the Lord.
The priest going on and blowing with the trumpets. And the second
day they compassed the city once and returned into the camp. So
they did six days. And it came to pass on the seventh
day that they rose early about the dawning of the day. and compassed
the city after the same manner seven times. Only on that day
they compassed the city seven times. And it came to pass at
the seventh time, when the priest blew with the trumpets, Joshua
said unto the people, Shout, for the Lord hath given you the
city. Verse 20 says, So the people
shouted when the priest blew with the trumpets. And it came
to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, And
the people shouted with a great shout that the wall fell down
flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight
before him, and they took the city. Oh, no. Oh, no. Hold your place right
here. And go back to chapter two. And look at verse 15. Then she
let them down by a cord through the window, for her house was
upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. When God gave them the city,
the trump of God sounded. The people of God shouted and
the entire wall of Jericho fell down flat except for one spot. There was one little sliver of
wall left standing. It had a red cord hanging down
from it. Now go back to chapter 6 and
look at verse 22. 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 had. And they brought out
all her kindred and left them without the camp of Israel. And
they burnt the city with fire and all that was therein, only
the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and of iron
they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. And Joshua
saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and
all that she had. And she dwelleth in Israel even
unto this day, because she hid the messengers which Joshua sent
to spy out Jericho." You know, I thought about all of them waiting
in that house. Can you picture all of them inside
that house waiting, waiting what they must have experienced, what
they must have felt as they sat there? Can you imagine the fear? Can you imagine the fear of looking
out the window and there is the entire nation of Israel and they
walk around that wall one day? And then here they come the next
day and they walk around that wall the next day. Seven days. On the seventh day, they do it
seven times. I can see Rahab and especially
her dad. I know how dads are. I can see
her dad constantly going to that window, checking the rope. Can't
you see that? Constantly going back to that
rope. Is it still tight? Still tight. I can see the whole family sitting
Rahab down and saying, now Rahab, you tell us what they said again.
And don't you lie to us, you better tell me the truth. I mean,
you had better tell us the truth. You tell us what God's men said
again. You tell us one more time what
God's men told you. It all hinges on this scarlet
line, right? Isn't that what they said? We can put all of our hope in
this scarlet line. Is that what they said? On the seventh day, Israel marched
around that city seven times. I can see them waving that line
from the window. Do you see this line? Do you remember the line? We're
pleading the line. May God be merciful to us for
the lion's sake. This is our hope. This is our
only hope, please. We know. But we have a line. Here they sit and all of a sudden
they heard the trump of God. They heard the shout. They felt
the wall start crumbling down. And they all cried, Lord, save
us. And he did. As soon as that rumble died down,
they looked over at the window and right there hanging on that
scarlet line were God's two servants. Joshua said, go get them. Mercy
and grace hung right there on that line. And they looked at
every soul in that house and they said, come with us. And
every soul in that house laid hold of the scarlet line and
escaped. Every soul escaped the wrath
to come through that scarlet line. And verse 25 right here
in chapter 6 says, Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her
father's household and all that she had, and she dwelleth in
Israel even unto this day." What does it mean by that? It means
she is in the beautiful city of God right now. She's dwelling there unto this
day. What it means is the salvation
of God is salvation indeed. Eternal life in the blood of
Christ is eternal life indeed. Cling to the line. Cling to the blood of Jesus Christ. Make all your hope being found
in Him. I mean all of it. Tell me again
what God's man said. Did he say it all hinged on this? Make all of it your hope and
he'll save you. He said, you live and believe
in me and you'll never die, I promise. That's God's token and that's
his promise to us. Let's cling to it, okay? Let's
cling to it, cling to the cross, the Christ of the cross. Okay,
let's all stand together.