The title of the sermon tonight is Jesus in the Book of Joshua, continuing the series
that we've been doing on and off at different services, showing Jesus in each of the Old
Testament books.
In Joshua, Jesus is pictured strongly in several places.
In this series, I'm not only showing you times where Jesus literally shows up, but also symbolism
of Jesus Christ in these books.
The Bible says, to him give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth
in him shall receive remission of sins.
So let me just start out quickly in chapter 5, if you want to flip over to Joshua 5, and
just touch on a place in the Book of Joshua where Jesus himself literally shows up in
the Book of Joshua.
This is an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ.
This is a phenomenon that we see throughout Scripture, Old Testament appearances of Jesus,
like for example in the Book of Daniel, when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown
into the fiery furnace, and then there's the fourth man in the fire, and it says the form
of the fourth is like the Son of God.
And then any time we see God himself showing up in bodily form in the Old Testament, we
know that it's the Son of God, because no man can see God the Father's face and live,
the Bible tells us.
No man has seen God at any time.
The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he had declared him.
I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this, because I've already preached a lot on this
recently, but I just want to quickly touch on Joshua 5, verse 13.
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and
behold, there stood a man over against him, with his sword drawn in his hand.
And Joshua went unto him and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship, and said unto him, What sayeth
my Lord unto his servant?
And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot,
for the place whereon thou standest is holy.
And Joshua did so.
Now how do we know that this is Jesus?
Number one is that when he is worshipped, instead of correcting Joshua for bowing down
and worshipping him, he actually demands more reverence by saying, Put off your shoes from
off your feet, buddy.
You're on holy ground.
That's actually asking for more reverence.
Compare that with the book of Revelation, where the angel who shows John is worshipped.
Where John starts worshipping the angel, and he tells him, See thou do it not, for I am
thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings
of this book, worship God.
So angels in the Bible, they tell them, Don't worship me.
Worship God.
See thou do it not.
Whereas this man accepts the worship and receives the worship, and even demands more reverence.
Not only that, but put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest
is holy.
That's the same thing that the Lord said unto Moses out of the burning bush, when he spoke
to him out of the burning bush.
So this is something that the Lord says.
He's the captain of the Lord's host.
Jesus is specifically called the captain of our salvation in the book of Hebrews.
So it's pretty obvious that this is an Old Testament appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now flip back, if you would, to Joshua chapter 2.
The thing that I'm probably going to spend the most on in my sermon tonight, because
there's a lot to cover in the book of Joshua, there is a literal appearance that we just
looked at in chapter 5, but there are a lot of figurative things that point us to Christ
in the book of Joshua, and the character Joshua himself is a strong picture of Christ, but
what I actually want to spend the most time talking about in the sermon, although I'm
going to touch on those other things, is the story of Rahab the harlot.
Because this is a great picture of salvation in the book of Joshua, and so this is where
I'm going to spend most of the time tonight, because I think this is the most powerful
picture that we have of salvation.
Look at Joshua chapter 2 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 house 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.
And whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our hand, if any hand
be upon him, and 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.
And she sent them away, and they departed, and she bound the scarlet line in the window.
In fact, this scarlet thread in the window is such a famous picture that people will
often use this to talk about the whole Bible, and they'll say this.
There's a scarlet thread running through the whole Bible.
There's a scarlet thread that runs from Genesis to Revelation, or a scarlet thread running
through the whole Testament.
Who's ever heard people say that before?
And this is what they're talking about, because the scarlet is the color of blood.
And so the scarlet thread hung in the window represents the blood of Jesus Christ.
Now, let me explain to you the story and tie this all in for you, and then we're gonna
go to the New Testament where it talks about Rahab the harlot and points back to this.
But the children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt, and of course, they're led out of
Egypt by Moses, and they wander in the wilderness for 40 years, and then they're gonna enter
into the promised land.
So that's what the whole book of Joshua is about.
The wanderings in the wilderness are in the book of Numbers and in the book of Deuteronomy,
and then in Joshua, they're actually going in and conquering the land.
That's what the whole book of Joshua is about.
Well, before they fight the first battle, which is gonna be in Jericho, they send in
two spies to check out the land and see what's going on.
And it's kind of funny, because if you remember, in the book of Numbers, they sent 12 spies.
Ten were bad, and two were good.
So this time, I guess, they just sent the two good ones, you know?
It's kind of funny how they just only sent two this time.
So the two spies, they come into the land, and they end up staying at a harlot's house,
okay?
Interesting choice of accommodations.
But probably because of the fact that they're trying to keep a low profile, they're hiding,
and they figure, hey, nobody's gonna find us here.
Nobody's gonna expect us to be here.
And I think that they're just there because it's off the grid, as it were.
Whatever the reason, I don't know why they ended up at this harlot's house.
But that's where they end up going, and she ends up hiding them.
And she actually believes in the Lord.
And she tells them, hey, we're afraid of you guys.
We know that the Lord's with you.
We heard about what the Lord did down in Egypt.
And we heard about the parting of the Red Sea.
And so we know that God is with you.
And so she actually ends up hiding the spies because the authorities find out that these
two spies are in the town, and they come looking for them.
And Rahab ends up hiding them and saying, oh, they already left.
You know, they went that way.
And she's got them hidden up on the roof.
So because of her faith in the Lord, she ends up hiding the messengers, siding with God's
people against the Canaanites.
And they make this deal with her that we just read about that, look, if you hang this scarlet
thread out the window of your home, then when we come in and destroy this city, anybody
who's in that house with the scarlet thread is gonna be saved.
So they tell her, look, your father, your mother, your brethren, all thy father's household,
anybody that you want to survive, you gotta get them in this house, right?
And if they come into the house, you shut the door, scarlet thread out the window, they're
gonna be safe, right, because everybody else is gonna be wiped out in Jericho.
And he says if they're not in the house, if they go outside and everything, then their
blood's on their own head at that point, okay?
And if you utter our business, if you rat us out, then this deal's gonna be off as well.
So they make this deal and she ends up binding the scarlet line in the window which pictures
the blood of Christ.
Now flip over to chapter 6 of Joshua, Joshua 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.
Look at verse 25.
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.
That means not in 2019 but in the day that the book of Joshua was written, until this
day.
So when they were writing this, she was still around.
So that kind of helps us to date the book and realize how old the book is because she
dwells there until this day, they said.
And it says, because she hid the messengers which Joshua sent to spy out Jerga.
So why was she saved?
Because she hid the messengers, right?
Now flip over to Hebrews chapter 11.
Let's go to the New Testament and we're gonna get some commentary on this from the book
of Hebrews and the book of James in the New Testament.
Hebrews chapter 11 tells us this in verse number 30 and this is known as the faith chapter
or the hall of faith.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen for by
the elders obtained a good report through faith we understand, et cetera.
Look at verse number 31 or let's start in verse 30.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days.
By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she had received
the spies with peace.
So notice the Bible's telling us that the reason she was saved is because she believed
because she had faith.
The other people died, they were the ones who believed not, okay?
So this is a picture of salvation by faith, the blood of Jesus Christ represented by the
scarlet thread.
Now let's go to James chapter two.
Now James chapter two is the chapter that people will use to teach a works-based salvation
and on the surface at face value when you read James two it's easy to walk away thinking
that it's teaching a works-based salvation.
But this is why it's important to read the whole Bible in context and to compare scripture
with scripture because you have hundreds of scriptures telling you that we're saved by
faith alone, not of works lest any man should boast and if it be of grace then is it no
more of works?
Otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then is it no more grace?
Otherwise work is no more work.
There's no mixing, it's not faith and works, it's just faith, it's believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved to him that worketh not, et cetera.
But in James chapter two at face value if you read this out of context and don't actually
look up the stories that he's referring to you can walk away believing in a works-based
salvation and that's why often when we try to preach the gospel to people they'll bring
this out and try to say well what about James two or faith without works is dead, you know
we got to have a faith that includes works or it's not real faith.
That's not what the Bible teaches.
Now the first thing that I want to point out about how ridiculous it is to use James two
to teach a works-based salvation is verse 10 of James two.
They don't start in verse 10 they start down in verse 14 but look at verse 10 for whosoever
shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he's guilty of all.
Now that's going to make work salvation a challenge isn't it?
You know oh man we're going to keep God's law, we're going to follow those Ten Commandments,
we're going to do the works.
Well if you do the whole law and yet offend in one point you're guilty of all so good
luck with that because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus.
But let's look at James chapter two beginning in verse 14 it says what to the prophet my
brethren though a man say he hath faith and have not works can faith save him?
And people will point to that and say well see if you have faith but you don't have works
you can't be saved.
But notice what it says if a man say he hath faith does it say if a man has faith but no
works no it says if a man say he hath faith and have not works can faith save him?
So this is just a guy who's saying that he has faith not necessarily having faith.
And then he goes on to explain what he means if a brother or sister be naked and destitute
of daily food and one of you say unto them depart in peace be ye warmed and filled notwithstanding
ye give them not those things which are needful to the body what of the prophet?
Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone.
Now listen if one comes unto me and they are naked or they're starving and I tell them
hey depart in peace be ye warmed and filled but I don't give them food and I don't give
them clothing the Bible's saying what is it prophet?
Let me ask you this who are we talking about profiting them or me?
He's saying I'm not profiting them they need clothes they need food saying God bless you
brother that's not going to help them get clothing and food.
So when the Bible here is talking about what does it prophet my brethren if a man have
faith and hath not works what it's saying is that you're not profiting others.
If I have faith but I don't have works what prophet is that?
Even if I'm saved even if I'm going to heaven does that prophet the people around me?
No I'm supposed to be a blessing to the people around me.
God saved us unto good works which God had before ordained that we should walk in them
and if I do the works I'm going to be the blessing the people around me I'm going to
be winning other people to Christ I'm going to be letting my light so shine before men
that they may see my good works and glorify my father which is in heaven but if I don't
have any works then what to the prophet if I just say I have faith?
If I just say I have faith but I don't do any works it's not profiting anyone else.
Let's keep going.
Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone.
Verse 18 yea a man may say thou hast faith and I have works show me thy faith without
thy works and I will show thee my faith by my works.
So talk is cheap you know anybody can say they have faith but we show our faith by our
works.
See if I look at somebody who's making decisions where they're putting God first and they're
seeking first the kingdom of God then I would look at that person and say you know that's
a person of great faith.
If I see someone who passes up maybe a financial opportunity because it's more important to
them to serve God or maybe they forsake Egypt like Moses did and they're willing to forsake
Egypt.
Why?
Because when we esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt
that's how we know Moses was a great person of faith.
When we see Moses parents hiding him for three months they're exercising their faith.
When we see Abraham being willing to sacrifice Isaac on an altar in Genesis 22 that tells
us Abraham's a man of great faith.
Now there are a lot of people who say I have a lot of faith but how do we actually identify
faith in other people by what they say or by what they do?
I mean if we see people do things that require them to step out in faith and trust the Lord
then they're demonstrating that faith for other people so we show our faith by our works.
Now let's keep reading it says thou believeth that there is one God thou doest well the
devils also believe and tremble but wilt thou know oh vain man that faith without works
is dead.
Does not Abraham our father justified by works?
Now he's going to embark upon two examples and the two examples are Abraham and Rahab
the harlot.
A lot of people they read this passage but they don't bother to look into those two examples
and if you actually look into those two examples you'll understand this passage.
Tonight we're going to focus more on Rahab the harlot because we're talking about Jesus
in the book of Joshua and so we want to talk about that scarlet thread and that beautiful
picture of salvation.
But the Bible says here was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered
Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect and the
scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness and he was called the friend of God.
You see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only.
Keep your finger there and go to Romans 4.
Now the word how there is very important.
You see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only.
How means in what way?
If you say well I got myself to church tonight, how, what do I mean?
How did you get here?
What was the vehicle?
Did you take a car?
Did you take a bus?
Did somebody give you a ride?
Did you walk?
Did you take a bike?
How right in what way?
How did you do it?
So when the Bible says you see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith
only, it's saying in what way you're justified by works.
Let me show you what that way is.
Look at Romans chapter number 4 and this is what I mean about comparing scripture with
scripture.
Romans 4 verse 1 says what shall we say then that Abraham our father as pertaining to the
flesh hath found?
Watch this.
For if Abraham were justified by works he hath were up to glory but not before God.
So if Abraham were justified by works he hath were up to glory but not before God.
Now compare that with James chapter 2 where it says in verse 21 was not Abraham our father
justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar.
Let me ask you this.
Is he being justified by works before God or before man?
Because if he were justified by works he hath were up to glory but not before God.
No flesh is justified by works in the sight of God.
God will never look down at your works and justify you based on that.
But your works will justify you before your fellow man.
Works have nothing to do with you going to heaven but works are your testimony to other
men.
They justify you in the sight of men.
To be justified means to be declared righteous.
Well our works show us to be righteous to our fellow man but do they declare us righteous
in the eyes of God?
Never.
It's faith by which we are justified.
The Bible says therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds
of the law the Bible says.
We're not saved by works.
We're not justified by works except in front of the eyes of other people.
And so that's what he says here.
For Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Now jump down if you would in verse number 9.
Actually let's start in verse 8.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Cometh his blessedness then upon the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also.
For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
How was it then reckoned?
When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision?
Not in circumcision but in uncircumcision.
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which
he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe that
they though they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also.
Now look the Bible is clear here.
When did Abraham get saved?
Did Abraham get saved when he was circumcised or uncircumcised?
Okay, how old was Abraham when he got circumcised?
He was 99 years old when he got circumcised, right?
And the Bible says he was already saved before that.
He already called upon the name of the Lord decades before that.
He already believed the Lord and it was imputed unto him for righteousness decades before
that.
He was saved, he was justified, righteousness imputed unto him in uncircumcision.
He was circumcised at what age?
99.
Okay, well what does the Bible say in James chapter 2 if you want to go back there?
James chapter 2 says in verse 21, was not Abraham our father justified by works when
he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar.
Let me ask you this.
How old was Abraham when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
He was probably 130 years old but we know that he was at least 115, 120, 125.
I believe he was 130 some years old, okay?
So the point is no matter how you slice it, he offered Isaac his son upon the altar decades
after he was circumcised.
The Bible says he was saved decades before he was circumcised.
So is this talking about Abraham getting to heaven because he was willing to offer Isaac
his son upon the altar?
Is that what that justification is?
No.
But why do we consider Abraham the greatest example of faith in the Bible because he offered
Isaac his son upon the altar?
Do you understand?
We look at that and we say Abraham is a great man of faith.
Why?
Because we saw him offer his son in Genesis 22.
And you know what that means is that he's justified in the eyes of man by his works.
Look, I can't see your heart.
I can't see your faith.
I can hear you say that you have faith but you know what?
Talk is cheap.
When I see your works, that is what demonstrates your faith to me.
And people are trying to twist James Chapter 2 to say, oh, you have to do works to get
to heaven and that's not what James 2 is teaching.
It's talking about being justified in the eyes of man, being a blessing to your fellow
man, profiting your fellow man.
But when it comes to justification before God, it's not works, folks.
It's faith.
And then other people will try to twist James 2 and say, well, this is proof that if you
have faith, you'll for sure have works and faith without works is dead.
So if you have faith without works, it's a dead faith, they'll say.
Okay, yeah, you're right.
Faith without works is dead but it doesn't mean you're not saved.
Think about this.
If I believe on Jesus Christ and then let's say I go out and do a bunch of good works,
is my faith alive or dead?
It's alive.
I'm doing the works, right?
Well, let's say 10 years into my salvation, I get backslid and I quit going to church,
I quit going soul winning and I just start living for myself or chasing after the almighty
dollar instead of the almighty God.
Let me ask you this, is my faith dead at that point?
Yeah, then my faith's dead at that point, right?
But did that mean I lose my salvation?
No, because he said I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
So once you're saved, you're always saved.
And there are so many scriptures that tell us how we've been passed from death to life.
We'll never come into condemnation and all these things but it is possible for us to
lack works.
Now here's what people will say sometimes, they'll say, well, everyone who has faith
also has works.
You can't have the one without the other.
If you have faith, you have the works.
Okay, then explain this to me.
Why does the Bible say faith without works is dead?
If faith without works supposedly doesn't exist, because they're saying, oh, faith
is always accompanied by works.
Well then it would make more sense if the Bible said faith without works doesn't exist.
He didn't say faith without works doesn't exist, he said faith without works is dead.
He's trying to get people that are already saved.
That's why in James 2 he starts out in verse 14, what did the prophet, my brethren.
He's talking to people that are already saved, trying to get them to get out and do some
work, do the works.
Talk is cheap, show me your faith by your works.
He's not saying, oh, you want to get saved, well, get to work, because you need faith
and works to get there.
No.
And if you look up the Abraham example, if you compare it with Romans 4, look, if you
believe salvation is by works, read Romans 4, it's so clear.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith
is counted for righteousness.
What part of worketh not do you not understand?
When he says, if you work not, you be saved without works.
Now, the Bible here is admonishing us to do good works.
Now, the first example he gave is Abraham, and when we looked up that example in Romans
4, and if we look back to Genesis and so forth, we see that this is not teaching a workspace
salvation for getting to heaven.
But the Rahab example is even more powerful.
Look at verse 25 in James 2, likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works
when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way, for as the body
without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
So Rahab the harlot was justified by works, the Bible says, when she had received the
messengers and had sent them out another way.
Now, let me ask you this.
Receiving the messengers and sending them out another way, did that convince other people
of her faith?
Yeah, because that's what she had to do in order to get them to accept her into the tribe,
right?
And she dwells among the children of Israel unto this day, they said.
She had to show them her faith by putting a scarlet thread out the window and receiving
the messengers in peace and sending them out another way.
So that jives with the Abraham example, that jives with the passages teaching of showing
our faith to others by our works.
But stop and think about this, folks.
People will try to use James 2 to teach a works-based salvation and they're using an
example of a prostitute being saved.
And look, they tell you, oh, you've got to repent of your sins to be saved.
Okay, well, show me in the Rahab story where they told her, now, you've got to stop being
a prostitute.
Is that what it said?
Did it say, stop being a prostitute and then put the scarlet thread out the window and
then you'll be saved?
Is that what they said?
No.
All she had to do was put a scarlet thread out the window.
And what about her family?
What about her friends?
Did they say to them, well, there aren't any drunks among that crowd, are there?
Because they're going to have to be willing to give up drinking.
Oh, this guy's living with his girlfriend?
Well, he's going to have to be willing to give that up or he can't come over.
No.
All they have to do is what, folks?
They only have to do one thing to be saved.
What did they have to do to be saved?
They had to be in the house with the scarlet thread out the window and they're saved.
And you know what?
This is just like the Passover.
The Passover lamb was killed and they took the blood of the lamb and they put the blood
on the doorpost and anyone in the house would be saved.
If they have the blood on the doorpost, they're saved.
Where does it say, clean up your life and you'll be saved?
Turn over a new leaf and you'll be saved.
Quit drinking and you'll be saved.
Quit fornicating and you'll be saved.
Quit being a prostitute and you'll be saved.
Stop taking drugs and you'll be saved.
It's not there, folks.
You're not going to find that in James Chapter 2.
That's not what James Chapter 2 is teaching.
But you and I both know that there are people out there that say, well, you don't have to
do good works to be saved, but you do have to repent of your sins.
You do have to turn away from your sins.
You do have to quit drinking or be willing to quit drinking or be willing to quit fornicating.
Look, I'm all for you quitting drinking.
I'm all for people quitting fornicating and getting off the drugs and I'm for people getting
rid of their gambling and all these wicked sins that they do.
But guess what?
We're not saved by works.
We're not saved by repenting of our sins.
We're not saved by turning over a new leaf or getting the bad things out of our life
because that would be a works-based salvation.
We are saved by faith, not works.
Okay?
This is the work of God.
They said, what do we do to work the works of God?
This is the work of God that you believe on him whom God has sent.
What's the great work that Rahab did?
Yeah, see, we're justified by works.
What was the great work that she did?
She hung a scarlet thread out the window.
All that is is just saying, hey, I believe in the blood.
That's the picture.
Hey, I believe on the Lord.
And you know, what was the great work that Abraham did?
Was Abraham just living a clean life and he made it into heaven?
Abraham lived a clean life and he made it into heaven.
No, no, no.
Well, Abraham gave up his sins.
No.
What was the quote-unquote work that he did?
He's willing to offer Isaac a son on the altar which is a picture of Jesus dying on the cross
for our sins.
So even in James Chapter 2 which is the work salvationist favorite passage to turn you
to, what do we have?
We have a picture of Jesus paying for all our sins in the form of Isaac.
We have a picture of Jesus paying all our sins with his blood through the scarlet thread.
And if we actually look up these stories, you're not going to find a repent of your
sins gospel.
You're going to find a faith in Christ gospel in Abraham's life and in Rahab's life.
Look, how did this prostitute get to heaven?
Now look, I'm sure that when she joined the nation of Israel, she quit being a prostitute.
But you know what?
That wasn't a prerequisite for her to be saved.
Well, you got to be willing to get a new job.
Is that what they said?
No, they didn't, folks.
Now look, it's great when people get saved and they get under the preaching of God's
word and they clean up their lives.
We want people to clean up their lives.
Not only do we want to get people saved, we want to get them baptized.
And then we want to teach them to observe all things that Christ commanded us.
But if they continue in sin, grace will abound and they will still be saved.
So this is a great picture of salvation from the book of Joshua.
You know how you get saved?
Scarlet thread.
It's through the blood.
You get in the house.
You got the blood applied.
It's just like the Passover image.
It's salvation by being in Christ.
If you're in Christ, you're saved.
If you're not in Christ, you're not saved.
Now look, I'll bet you there were some better people in Jericho than Rahab.
You think Rahab was the best person?
She's a prostitute.
Folks, prostitutes are pretty low on the spectrum morally.
Prostitute is not a moral or godly individual.
I'm sure that there were a lot of nicer people in Jericho.
I bet there were some upstanding citizens and really respected people who lived clean
lives and who would have never even thought of being a prostitute or visiting a prostitute
who died and went to hell.
And Rahab's in heaven right now.
Rahab the harlot is in heaven right now and I'll bet you that there are a bunch of nice,
good, clean-cut citizens in that town who are burning in hell right now.
Why?
Because they didn't have the blood of Christ.
It's not by works.
It's not the good people go to heaven, bad people go to hell.
Everybody's a bad person in God's eyes and the only way to be saved is through the blood
of Jesus Christ.
So that's what this story is actually showing us.
So these James 2 preachers need to actually do their diligence to look up the story about
Rahab and then let's figure out how Rahab was saved by works.
By repenting of her sins or cleaning up her life.
That's garbage preaching.
It's not biblical.
Okay, let's go back to the book of Joshua.
I just wanted to spend some time on that story because it's such a great story to teach us
about the gospel, to teach us about salvation.
And did you know that Rahab the harlot is in the lineage of Jesus Christ?
Did you know that?
Yeah, Rahab the harlot is in the lineage of Jesus Christ if you read Matthew chapter 1.
Now of course we know that that's Joseph's lineage but it's his basically honorary lineage
of the kingly lineage.
We know that Jesus is not actually the son of Joseph but in that lineage of King David
and the men that led up to Jesus Christ spiritually speaking, Rahab is in the lineage of Jesus
Christ offered in the first chapter in the New Testament, Matthew chapter 1.
How would you like to, I mean look, if I was going to have my name in the Bible, put me
in chapter 1, man.
That's a great place to be.
Because Matthew chapter 1 is the most read chapter.
Right?
Because people are like, doggone it, I'm going to read the Bible, I'm going to read the whole
New Testament.
They start out in Matthew 1, some people make it to the finish line, some people might not
even finish the book of Matthew.
But everybody gets through chapter 1 or at least they get to Rahab.
They might bail around Abiad or Eleazar or Eliakim or Matthan or whatever.
But hey, that's a pretty cool slot that she got there.
How does a harlot make it into the lineage of Jesus Christ?
How does a harlot and of course also, guess what, she's still physically also Mary's ancestor
because David is from that same line and Mary descends from David on a different line.
Her name doesn't show up in that genealogy but we know it's the same genealogy leading
up to David.
So there you go folks.
Rahab is Jesus' ancestor.
How does a harlot make it into Matthew chapter 1?
How does a harlot make it into the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ?
How does that happen folks?
Through the blood, through faith.
That's how it happens.
Isn't that a great story?
I love it.
I think Rahab the harlot is one of the greatest stories to illustrate salvation and it's right
in the middle of James 2 which is supposedly the chapter to tell us how it's all by works.
Well how'd Rahab make it then?
That's what I'd like to know if it's by works.
Well you know she repented of being, really what chapter and verse is that?
Where does it say that?
Well but it's obvious that she would have done that.
Yeah but if that mattered wouldn't God have brought that up?
That was part of the story?
And look if I had to guess I'd say yeah I'm sure she probably stopped being a harlot and
you know married an honorable guy and that's how she got into the lineage of Jesus Christ
right but let's not base our beliefs on something that's not written in the word.
The word says that she was saved without giving that up.
She was saved by just exercising faith.
She demonstrated her faith to Joshua and his men by receiving the messengers, sending them
out another way and by putting the scarlet thread which is a picture of her faith in
the blood of Christ.
So great story.
Let me just show you some other things about Jesus in the book of Joshua tonight.
Go to Joshua chapter 6 verse 5.
In Joshua chapter 6 verse 5 we have a picture of the rapture in Joshua.
It's really interesting once you learn a lot about the end times prophecy, the second coming,
the Lord Jesus Christ coming in the clouds, you'll start to see end times stuff all throughout
the Bible.
I remember when I was working on the Revelation series I really delved into end times prophecy
and man I just started seeing it everywhere including in Joshua.
Here's a cool verse on the rapture in Joshua chapter 6 verse 5.
And it shall come to pass that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn and when
you hear the sound of the trumpet the people shall shout with a great shout and the wall
of the city shall fall down flat and the people shall ascend up every man straight
before him.
Isn't that interesting how the Bible uses that wording, the people ascend.
The trumpet sounds, there's a shout and the people ascend.
Isn't that great?
So that's a little picture of the second coming of Christ, the rapture coming in the clouds.
Also there's another end times tie in in the book of Joshua besides just that picture in
verse 5 that there are parallels between Jericho and Babylon.
Because remember Jericho is the first city that they come to when they cross the Jordan
River into the promised land, Jericho's right there.
We just took a trip there because we did the movie Beyond Jordan, we were filming the movie
Beyond Jordan and guess what?
Right there on the border on the Jordan River is the city of Jericho and we actually went
there.
And the thing is Jericho and Babylon have some things in common, okay.
You're there in chapter 6, let me give you some similarities.
Number one is that both Jericho and Babylon get burned with fire.
And we see that in verse 24, it says they burnt the city with fire.
Number two, both of their destruction is preceded by seven trumpets because in the book of Revelation
we have the seven trumpets of God's wrath and then Babylon is destroyed.
Well in this story of Joshua chapter 6, they sound with seven trumpets, they give seven
trumpets to seven priests, they blow the seven trumpets, the walls come down and then they
burn the city with fire.
Number three, they're both cursed to never be built again.
Remember God says that Babylon will never be inhabited again.
Look at the curse in Joshua 6 verse 26.
So Jericho does eventually get built again and the man who builds Jericho, when he begins
to build, when he lays the foundation thereof, his first born son dies and when he finishes
it and sets up the gates, his youngest son dies.
Basically all of his children end up dying, all of his sons die as a curse from God for
rebuilding Jericho because it was a cursed place that was said, do not ever build this
city again, no one's going to live here.
Whatever does, he placed this burden upon them that they will lay the foundation in
their first born son and they'll set up the gates thereof in their youngest son and later
this is actually fulfilled.
The Bible tells us, it names the guy, it says here's the guy, he built it and that's exactly
what happened.
This scripture was fulfilled.
So even though Jericho is rebuilt, it was cursed to not be built.
Babylon is said it's never going to be inhabited again and both of them are associated with
the harlot because remember Mystery Babylon, the great whore, right?
And of course Jericho has the harlot, a good harlot, right?
If there is such a thing, amen, Rahab the harlot.
But anyway, the point is that there are four parallels between Jericho and Babylon that
I identified.
They're both burned with fire, they're both destroyed after seven trumpets, they're both
cursed never to be built again and they're both associated with a harlot.
So that's pretty interesting, right?
Now let me give you some parallels between Joshua and Jesus, Joshua and Jesus.
Number one, they both have the same name.
Jesus is the New Testament variation of the Old Testament name Joshua.
That's why in Acts chapter 7 verse 45 it calls Joshua Jesus and in Hebrews chapter 4 verse
8 it calls Joshua Jesus, okay?
Why?
Because Old Testament names change when they come into the New Testament.
Elisha becomes Elishus, Elias becomes Elisha or reverse that, Elijah becomes Elias, Elisha
becomes Elishus, Hosea becomes Ozy, Noah becomes Noe, Jonah becomes Jonas, Judah becomes Judas,
etcetera.
Well Joshua becomes Jesus when you bring it into Greek and so therefore they both have
the same name.
That's a pretty strong parallel.
Number two, both Jesus and Joshua both succeeded Moses, right?
When Moses died, Joshua took over.
Well the Bible tells us the law was given by Moses, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ,
right?
So Jesus follows Moses, Joshua followed Moses.
Number three, they were both chosen and ordained by God.
Number four, Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim and the tribe of Ephraim is also known as
the tribe of Joseph.
It's called that in Revelation chapter 7 because Ephraim is one of Joseph's sons, right?
So isn't it interesting that Joshua is of the tribe of Ephraim or of Joseph and what's
the name of Jesus' stepfather, right?
What's the name of the man who raised him, Joseph, right?
And also what's interesting about Joshua being of the tribe of Ephraim is that Jesus was
born in a place called Bethlehem Ephratah and Ephratah means fruitful and Ephraim was
named Ephraim because Joseph said, God's made me fruitful in the land of my captivity.
So there's a connection between those two words, Ephraim Ephratah, Joseph, right?
Joseph and Mary, tribe of Joseph, Joshua, that's pretty interesting.
Okay, number five, they both fulfilled the law of Moses.
If you look at Joshua chapter 11 verse 15, of course we know that Jesus Christ said,
think not that I'm come to destroy the law or the prophets, I came not to destroy but
to fulfill.
Well, the Bible says in Joshua chapter 11 verse 15, as the Lord commanded Moses' servant,
so did Moses command Joshua and so did Joshua and left nothing undone of all that the Lord
commanded Moses.
So you see how Joshua fulfilled the law?
Jesus fulfilled the law.
Flip over to Exodus chapter number 33, Exodus chapter 33.
So number one, they both have the same name.
Number two, they both succeeded Moses.
Number three, they were both chosen and ordained by God.
Number four, Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim, tribe of Joseph, Jesus was born into a home
where he's raised by Joseph and he's born in Bethlehem Ephratah.
Number five, they both fulfilled the law of Moses.
Number six, they both succeeded at something that Moses was not able to do.
Moses was not able to bring the children into the promised land.
Joseph succeeded where he failed.
Moses, the law of Moses is not able to save us.
Jesus came in and did what the law of Moses failed to do.
So Jesus did what Moses failed to do, Joshua did what Moses failed to do.
Number seven, both Jesus and Joshua as young men remained in God's house.
When other people left, they stayed in God's house.
You remember the famous story where Jesus is 12 years old and his whole family leaves
and he stays.
And they didn't even realize that he wasn't, they thought he was with one of the other
relatives.
They get a day's journey and say, whoa, where's Jesus?
He stayed, everybody left, he stayed behind and where did they find him?
They found him in the temple in God's house and he was talking Bible with the scribes
and with the doctors of the law.
We'll look at this important verse about Joshua in Exodus 33, 11, and the Lord spake unto
Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend and he turned again into the camp,
but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
Everyone else leaves the tabernacle, Moses leaves and he, the young man Joshua, remains
in the tabernacle.
Folks, nothing in the Bible is incidental, coincidental, or accidental.
So the fact that he is remaining in God's house is a picture of his love for God's house
and it's a picture of Jesus, you know, basically his heart being in the temple and him staying
behind in the temple as a young man.
Number eight, the fame of both of them was spread throughout the country.
Listen to these two verses, Joshua 6, 27, so the Lord was with Joshua and his fame was
noise throughout all the country.
What country?
That Palestine region, right?
Listen to what it says about Jesus, Matthew 9, 31, but they, when they were departed,
spread abroad his fame in all that country.
So of Joshua, it says his fame went throughout the whole country, Jesus, his fame went throughout
the whole country.
Isn't that interesting?
Number nine, they both had a number of kings assembled against them.
Go to Joshua chapter 10, Joshua chapter 10.
Remember in the end times, the kings of the earth will assemble against Jesus.
The Bible says in Psalm 2, why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and
against his anointed.
So the kings of the earth will be assembled together in the end times against Christ.
Well, Joshua also had the kings assemble against him to fight him.
It says in Joshua 10 verse 3, wherefore Adonai Zedek, king of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham,
king of Hebron, and unto Piram, king of Jarmoth.
You know, all the pregnant ladies, these are some baby names here.
And unto Jephiah, king of Lakish, and unto Deber, king of Eglon, saying, come up with
me and help me, that we may smite Gibeon, for it hath made peace with Joshua and with
the children of Israel.
Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron,
the king of Jarmoth, the king of Lakish, and the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together
and went up, and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
So we see this assembly of kings gathering together against the Lord's anointed, gathering
together against Joshua, just as in the end times they will come against Jesus.
Number 10, they both conquer the promised land.
Joshua conquered the promised land.
Jesus in the end times will come on a white horse with the armies of heaven following
him, and he will conquer the promised land and rule and reign from Jerusalem.
Number 11, they both circumcise the people.
Okay, Joshua chapter 5, if you flip back to Joshua chapter 5.
And while you're turning to Joshua 5, I'm going to read for you a scripture that talks
about how Jesus brings the circumcision not made with hands.
Not the physical circumcision, but the circumcision of the heart.
Colossians 2-11 says, in whom?
In whom?
In Jesus.
In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands.
So in Christ, we're circumcised by the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.
So what's the circumcision that we are concerned with in the New Testament?
Circumcision of Christ.
Not a physical circumcision.
The Bible says he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which
is outward in the flesh.
Listen to that verse again.
He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the
flesh.
You know what that means?
That's not circumcision.
Somebody says, I'm circumcised.
You believe in Christ?
No?
That's not circumcision.
You're not circumcised.
You're uncircumcised.
Why?
Because circumcision is not that circumcision that's outward in the flesh.
God looks at it and says, that's not circumcision.
Circumcision is that of the heart and in the spirit, the Bible says.
Paul told the Philippians, and guess what?
Philippi is not in Israel.
Okay?
Philippi is in Macedonia, what we would know today as northern Greece.
He tells the Philippians in chapter 3, verse 3, we are the circumcision which worship God
in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.
We're the circumcision.
I'm the circumcision tonight.
You're the circumcision tonight.
You say, well you don't understand, Pastor Anderson, I'm not circumcised.
Well guess what?
If you're in Christ, you're circumcised.
You're circumcised.
Why?
Because it's the circumcision of Christ.
The circumcision is not made with hands.
In Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is available in anything.
Folks, physically, it doesn't matter if you're circumcised or not.
It's the circumcision of Christ that matters.
So both Jesus and Joshua, they both circumcised the people because look at Joshua 5, verse
3, and Joshua made him sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the
foreskin.
Thank God for the New Testament, amen?
But back in Joshua's day, circumcision was done with a sharp knife.
Joshua made him sharp knives and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the
foreskin.
Did Joshua circumcise people?
Yes, he did with a sharp knife.
Okay.
Did Jesus circumcise?
Yeah.
Because we're in him, we're circumcised, right?
The circumcision not made with hands.
And then lastly, number 12, they both divided the land for an inheritance because chapters
13 through 21 are some rough reading.
Boy, when you start reading the book of Joshua, it's a cool book.
Boy, chapter 1, it's just, man, be strong, be courageous.
I'm going to be, you know, we're going to conquer the land.
You know, you get into chapter 2, you got the story about Rahab the harlot, and then
you get the story about crossing the Jordan River.
The walls of Jericho fall down.
You got the battle of Ai, all the king, you know.
It's a pretty action-packed book until you get to chapter 13.
And it gets a little bit boring, you know, to the carnal mind.
Amen?
Because you get to chapter 13, he starts dividing up the land.
Chapter 14, still dividing the land.
15, 16, 17, 18, now look, you need to read that stuff.
All scriptures given by inspiration of God is profitable for doctrine.
And there are nuggets of truth in there.
We need to have the discipline to not skip anything.
I've talked to people that say, well, whenever I get to a list of names, I skip it.
Shame on you.
You're the same, you know what, you're the same kind of person that doesn't eat the crust
on their sandwich.
You don't eat the crust on your pizza, right?
Aren't you that type?
I'll bet you are.
If you say, oh, I read the Bible and I skip the names, oh, okay, what else do you skip?
Your vegetables on your plate?
What other shortcuts are you taking?
I mean, look, we need to read the whole Bible.
Man did not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
And so we need to read the whole thing.
But Joshua 13 through 21 are all about him dividing up the land for the inheritance.
Well, guess what Jesus is going to do when he comes back someday and he sets up his kingdom
on this earth?
He's going to say, be thou over 10 cities, be thou over five cities, be thou over two
cities.
You know what he's doing?
He's dividing up the inheritance, isn't he?
He's basically partitioning out the land unto his servants.
And that's what Joshua did.
So quick review about how Jesus is pictured by Joshua or parallels between Jesus and Joshua.
These are some strong parallels.
And look, I'm sure I missed something.
If I missed something, come up to me after the service if you've got another parallel.
But this is what I came up with and I'm sure that I missed something.
Number one, they both have the same name.
Number two, they both succeeded Moses.
Number three, they were both chosen and ordained by God.
Number four, Joshua was of Ephraim, Joseph.
Jesus was born into the home of Joseph in Bethlehem Ephrata.
Number five, they both fulfilled the law of Moses.
Number six, they both succeeded at something Moses was not able to do.
Number seven, when they were young, they both remained in God's house when others left.
Number eight, the fame of both was spread throughout the country.
Number nine, they both had a number of kings assembled against them.
Number ten, they both conquered the promised land.
Number eleven, they both circumcised the people.
And number twelve, they both divide the land from inheritance.
That's a pretty powerful correlation.
So when we say that Jesus is all throughout the Old Testament, this is what we're talking
about, folks.
It's not just the physical appearances like Joshua 5 where he pops up, but rather, symbolically,
we see the image of Jesus.
We see him through Moses.
We see him through Joshua.
We see him through, in the book of Judges, Samson.
We see him all throughout the Old Testament.
So when we study the Bible, we need to realize that the Bible is always pointing us to Jesus.
There's a scarlet thread that starts in Genesis, and it's going to take us all the way to Malachi.
And then, obviously, that scarlet thread continues all the way to Revelation.
So it's an amazing thing to study the Bible and see how God has given us this wonderful
gift of the Word of God.
And it's so deep, you know, that you can read it your whole life and still find new things
because the Bible is just that deep.
Amen?
Let's borrow this in our Board of Prayer.
Father, we thank you so much for this great book of Joshua, Lord.
Help us to learn from it and to fight the spiritual battles that we need to fight and
have the victories that Joshua had in our lives.
But Lord, most importantly, help us to see Jesus in the book of Joshua.
Help us to realize that, you know, Rahab the harlot isn't just a story about a couple guys
who picked a weird place to stay, but Lord, it's a picture of the blood.
And it's a picture of being saved.
It's a picture of how you're willing to even save those who are down and out.
You're even willing to reach down into the gutter and save a harlot through grace, by
faith.
Lord, help us to understand that salvation is pictured in every book, that you are present
in every book.
And in Jesus' name we pray, amen.