We had the reading from Joshua chapter 2, all right, and the reason we had the reading
there is because it's the first time that we're introduced to Rahab, Rahab the harlot.
That's what that's about. Now what I want you to do, just keep your finger there,
we are going to come back to Joshua chapter 2 and you ask why we read about Rahab the harlot,
well go back to James chapter 2 now, go to James chapter 2 and on Sunday afternoon I preached a
sermon entitled Abraham Justified by Works, okay, and you know James chapter 2 is a chapter that's
challenging, you know I've mentioned that the false prophets and false brethren even love to
bring up James chapter 2 to teach that actually faith alone is not enough to be saved, you also
need to have the works and the reason I preached for the sermon in the afternoon on Sunday afternoon
was to show you that Abraham, because we look at James chapter 2 Abraham gets mentioned,
that Abraham's offer of works was offering his son Isaac upon the altar and that is at the very
bare minimum somewhere about 40 to 45 plus years after Abraham was truly saved, okay,
when we compare the rest of the Bible, okay, Abraham was justified by faith, we proved that
but then his works were added later in his life and it was you know 115 years old approximately,
we offered up Isaac and these are works, you know the Bible does say in James chapter 2
that he was justified by these works and not by faith only and so the main point was to show you
that James chapter 2 is not teaching us how to go to heaven, you know that's not the message of
James chapter 2 and there's a lot of confusion, people don't understand, so the next person
that's brought up there in James chapter 2, if you have a look at James chapter 2 verse number 24,
James chapter 2 verse 24 it says ye see then how that by works a man is justified, so yeah that's
what the Bible says and not by faith only, then it says in verse 25 likewise, so just like Abraham,
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 the next question is okay I get the Abraham story, I get that he was saved long
before you offered up Isaac but what about Rahab, how do we explain Rahab and truly what does it
mean to be justified by works, what does justify even really mean I guess is the question, so the
title for the sermon tonight brethren is Rahab justified by works, okay Sunday afternoon was
Abraham justified by works, this is Rahab justified by works, now I understand you know there are
certain words in the Bible phrases that are sometimes hard to understand and I would say
the word justified is one of those things, it can be a little challenging to understand what
it's truly speaking about you know I would say it's similar to the word repentance because the
word repentance is not something we use in our English vernacular very often you know you can be
you can be told that well repentance means attorney from sins but then when you show people
that God repented say did God repent from sins like well they don't know how to answer that
question because they've misunderstood what it means you know the word justified can be very
similar the difference is the word justified is something we do use very often in our English
vernacular and so let me just give you some thoughts and look I remember going to church
and I love this you know I use the word cute with Christina she didn't know if it was right
approach but I do like this cute definition for the word justified you know I remember going to
church I've heard it from many pastors maybe I've said it I'm not sure but I've heard it say that
people you know when people say well what does it mean to be justified they'll say well it's kind of
like just if I'd there's a justified just if I'd never sinned so that's what justified means
just as you've never sinned so if you've been justified before God it's as though you've never
sinned and like I like that it's nice you know it's beautiful yeah you know when we're justified
before God God looks upon us and our sins are not imputed upon us our sins have been taken away and
they've been put on Christ you know Christ was judged instead of us and he faced you know the
judgment the curse the the pain of carrying our sins so we don't have to be seen with those sins
upon ourselves praise God I understand that but truly that's not what justified really means
okay and I just want to give you some examples of this if you can please turn to you can move
away from James now turn to Psalm 51 turn to Psalm 51 verse number four Psalm 51 verse number
four because if you have this mindset that every time the Bible mentions the word justified
that must mean just as I've never sinned you know then you're going to have problems when
you read other passages of the Bible such as Psalm 51 verse four let's have a look at this
Psalm 51 verse four you know this is the famous psalm of King David when he turns to God and he
confesses his sins that he committed with Bathsheba before the Lord and he says these
words in verse number four he says against thee thee only have I sinned so he's speaking to God
right then he says this and then this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified
when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest King David is saying God you are justified
is King David saying it's like you've never sinned God no obviously God has never sinned
it's not like just as I've he's never sinned he's never sinned he's not a sinner
okay but what does it mean to be justified he's saying look God because I've done such evil your
judgment upon me the words that you've preached against me by the by the prophet Nathan these are
justified you know I've been a sinner your justice your judgment is justified against me okay so you
can see hey that doesn't seem to fit the justice I've never sinned because God has never sinned
okay another just quick one oh you need to turn that to read it to you quickly in first
Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 and without controversy great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest
in the flesh justified in the spirit justified Christ was justified is that saying that you know
Christ got to a point just as he'd never sinned you say well he's never sinned yeah you're right
he's never sinned obviously that's what he's talking about it being justified in the spirit
I believe that's referring to the Holy Spirit okay and we know that as Christ came to this earth the
works that he did was by the power of the Holy Spirit by the power of the Holy Ghost okay even
today you know for us to learn about Christ and his word we need the teaching of the Holy Ghost
the Holy Spirit that teaches us the truth of God's words and so you can see that the word justified
even in other aspects of our English language has more to do with the root word of the word
justified just as in just like the word justice okay and you know let me let me give you an
example just regular everyday example because you know we like to take these words and think it's
some you know sometimes we complicate things we think these are churchy words but what helps me
when I read the bible is when I see a bigger word like even repentance I understand repentance
in Spanish it's often used and it just means I've changed my mind you know in Spanish you would say
you know they'll say look I was doing this but I then did this you know and they're just they're
just saying I've just changed my mind you know but we don't use that word in English that often
so we we struggled to kind of understand exactly what it means sometimes but again the word
justified we use it quite a lot let me give you an example let's say you know someone quits his job
all right and you might say well I don't know I don't know if that's the right decision you know
why did he quit his job you know how's he going to take care of himself but then you know once
he's quit his job soon afterwards he starts a new job that pays him better better hours you know
it's closer to home what are you going to say you're going to say his decision to quit the job
was justified because look what's happened now does that have something to do with being saved
or going to heaven or being righteous before God no it just means that you know I can see now why
he did that why he quit his job because he had a better job lined up in the future so he's
justified what if a man is caught speeding okay and the cop pulls him pulls him over and says
look I've caught you speeding and the man says look officer my wife is pregnant she's about to
give birth you know I'm rushing to get her to the hospital you know people turn around and say well
he well he was speeding he did break that law but he was justified in doing so there was there was
a reason that caused him to take that course of action he's justified by his decision to speed
because he had to get his wife it's an emergency situation had to get his wife to the hospital and
so I'm just trying I'm just taking everyday examples to you okay and what I'm trying to
say to you is that when we reject the two it's really no different than that and I'll show you
soon why that is but you know I had a quick I just looked online just for a few definitions of the
word justified let me give you just some random ones out there the first thing I just typed into
google the first one that came up in google was having done for or marked by a good or legitimate
reason okay the man was speeding he had a legitimate reason getting his wife to the hospital
okay then I looked up dictionary.com justified having been shown to be just there's that word
again just or right then the other definition that it gives is warranted or well grounded
warranted or well grounded and the other one that I liked was from Cambridge dictionary that says
having a good reason for something having a good reason for something right yeah he had good reason
to quit his job because he had a better job lined up okay and so listen sometimes we just need to
stop you know and put ourselves okay what is he saying what does the word justified mean exactly
you know how do I use it in the context that I found this passage because we see that Abraham
was justified when he offered up Isaac as a sacrifice now you say well that did that save him
or does it fit these better definitions for example having a good reason for something
warranted or well grounded having done for or marked by a good or legitimate reason
you say why would you know Abraham be willing to sacrifice his only son
well again when we looked at Hebrews 11 he knew that his son if he had to sacrifice his son if
his son were to die that he would rise from the dead because he saw that this was a picture this
was an image of the greater truth of Christ rising from the dead so you look at that action
of Abraham like most of us will say man a man sacrificing his son that's ridiculous but the
fact that Abraham understood that this was a message of salvation this was a picture you say
well then he's justified to do so because he's expecting his son to rise from the dead but we're
not looking at Abraham tonight we're looking at Rahab and Rahab's works because we saw also like
was also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works now what's interesting about this if you
say because let me say justified by works when she had received the messages and had sent them
out another way she had received the spies into her house and she protected the spies from those
that were looking for her so does that mean she got saved by doing those actions look she's Rahab
the harlot well so so protecting the spies saved her but she could still continue being a harlot
I mean is salvation by works because she's still a harlot and the Bible keeps referring to as Rahab
the harlot okay and so you know if you think salvation is by cleaning up your life and doing
the righteous works then Rahab's still not saved because you know she continued serving as a harlot
for you know some time at least until the walls of Jericho were destroyed all right so I just I'm
trying to challenge you to look at this passage you know I you know I don't think I'm you know
going so far to say you know I'm creating some new definition I'm just taking an everyday word
that we use in everyday life and let's reassess the passage that we're looking at and understand
what this is speaking about you know our works ought to justify us yeah when we go door to door
soul winning all right you say well it's justified because you've been saved you've received the
words of eternal life and it's just it's proper it's well grounded it makes complete sense to
have a heart to reach the lost and give them the gospel that's what works is about it justifies
our faith it justifies you know our course of living that God wants us to live
okay this has nothing to do about how to go to heaven okay and so let's go to Joshua chapter
two now let's look at the story of Rahab the harlot Joshua chapter two and you know what
brethren my apologies please go back to James chapter two I did want to touch upon one other
passage there please go back to James chapter two okay they look similar on my notes James two
Joshua two okay go back to James chapter two and let's backtrack a little bit in the book of James
verse number 14 let's look at a little bit of the context before we lead up to Abraham and
Rahab but James chapter two verse number 14 reads what doth it profit my brethren though a man say
he have faith and have not works can faith save him say what is safe who what is this again this
is not how to be your soul salvation going to heaven okay let's have a look at this because
it continues verse number 15 if a brother or sister be naked or destitute of daily food
if there's a brother that needs help they've fallen in bad times they don't even have
food to feed themselves they come up to you what are you going to do about that brother
well verse number 16 and one of you saying to them depart in peace and be warmed and filled
notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body
what doth it profit what doth it profit who the man who's naked without food if you say to him
oh you're naked without food oh you'll be fine be fueled off you go brother look it profits that
man nothing you've got to do if you can help step in and help that person do some works be a blessing
to them that's going to profit them okay that's going to help them you know not to boast but we
have a good situation today right now brother you need you need my car all right brother Michael's
car's broken down all right gave me a call now I could say oh well brother you know let's have
faith you know let's just have a word of prayer right now and and ask God to fix your car and
there's nothing wrong with that okay there's nothing wrong with that but we know that his
car is in the wreckers getting repaired or not the wreckers but in the mechanic getting repaired
might take a few days all right now you know now when he needs to go to work tomorrow morning
is that going to profit him that his car's still getting fixed or will profit him more to say hey
brother I've got a spare car in the driveway I'll bring it to church tonight how about you drive
that to work that's going to profit him more when he wakes up tomorrow morning having to go to work
than his car been you know at the mechanic and we're just praying that God will fix it there's
nothing wrong with God praying to God that he'll fix it but the prophet is you know taking some
action and being a help to a brother you need that's works and you know what that justifies
how does that justify you well you know what it justifies for me at least I'm not being boastful
just examples like this right that I love the brethren all right you say pastor do you love
the brethren well is this an example perhaps you know that I'll go out without my car you know is
that an example perhaps of not being selfish but selfless wanting to give and being a blessing to
other people am I justifying my love you know for God's people is that justification of course
that's justification the actions justifies the fact that I'm saved and that I love my brethren
okay that's it and that's all it is you know but again people get so is that how you get saved
man you know it's like it's it's strange to me a little bit it's strange okay now look I've said
it before there are challenging passages in the scriptures all right and here's my word of advice
if you get stuck on a passage all right just pray to God God can you reveal this to me at some
points and read the rest of the bible that's like the best thing you can do all right you know
we are growing we're gaining knowledge you know even today I don't know every single passage of
the bible you know someone asked me what does this mean and I don't have the answer
you know I'm not so prideful to say you know brother I'm not that sure you know let me think
about it maybe I'll come back to you maybe I won't maybe I need many years of more bible reading to
finally get an answer to that passage hey maybe I won't even get an answer to that passage until
I go home to be in heaven with the Lord and I can ask him myself I mean you know there's a lot of
bible to learn okay and I just want you to be patient if you're struggling with something all
right just set that aside Lord help me in the right time to learn that and go and learn other
things that are more easier to understand easier to digest okay the bible contains milk of God's
word which is easy to digest sometimes it's meats and requires a lot of labor and effort
and cutting and chewing and digestion to fully understand what is being taught and that's fine
because we're all growing we're all maturing we're all getting further understanding as God
reveals his truth toward us back to Joshua chapter two please Joshua chapter two in verse
number one now as I said the title is Rahab Justified by Works let's have a look at the
story of Rahab and let me show you that Rahab was not saved when she protected the spies
say when was she saved she was saved before that okay and I'll show you
how that is okay Joshua chapter two in verse number one
and Joshua actually let me give you a context so Joshua you know Moses is out of the picture
so you know that Israel has been taken out of Egypt you know the adults did not want to go
into the land of Canaan so they were to wander in the wilderness for 40 years and the next generation
will be the ones that would go into the land of Canaan all right and you know after Moses
they're under the instruction and leadership of Joshua so then we have this story when they go
into the promised land and they're dealing with the first city that they're going to take over
once they cross over the Jordan river and that's Jericho but it says here in Joshua two verse one
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 house named Rahab and lodged there and he was
told the king of Jericho saying behold there came men in hither tonight for the children of Israel
to search out the country so obviously if they want to defeat this city they want to destroy
the city you know they're trying to get the lay of the land that you know how the city looks like
they're trying to get some tactical advantage here so Joshua sends out two spies to report
on the situation anyway the king of Jericho finds out that hey we've had two spies and they went to
Rahab the harlot let's keep going to verse number three 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 become
to search out all the country and the woman took the two men and hid them say why did she hide them
I mean these are two spies of for people that lived in Jericho the Canaanites there these
would be enemies why would she hide people that would be considered enemies from you know within
her own city but she does that okay and we find out that this was justification these were works
that justified her justified what well let's keep going all right and hid them and said there came
men unto me but I wish not whence they were because she goes I don't know where they're from
okay and it came to pass about the time of shutting off the gate when it was dark that the men went
out whither the men went I whatnot pursue after them quickly for ye shall overtake them she goes
look when it got dark they left you know they went this way you just better go out and chase them you
know you'll probably be able to catch up to them basically they're not in my house okay she's lying
to protect their lives let's keep going there in verse number six and but sorry but she had brought
them up to the roof of the house and hid them with the stocks of flax which she had laid in under
sorry laid in order under 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 gates and before they
were laid down she came up unto them upon the roof and she said unto the men now look at look
what she says and she said unto the men now remember she's not an Israelite okay she's from
Jericho she's a Canaanite woman her people do not worship the God of Israel okay they're an
ungodly people it's time for their judgment to come at the hand of the Israelites but look what
she says verse number nine and she said unto the men I know that the Lord have given you the land
how do you know this Rahab the harlot you know for you to be a harlot I mean you're a low social
class you know you're one of the lowest people you know of this land and you know that the Lord
capital L O R D okay um is the one that's given the Israelites this land he goes and that your
terror is fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land faints because of you
look at verse number 10 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 Sion and Og whom ye utterly destroyed she goes I've heard of
you guys I've heard your your Lord I've heard how he caused and did a great miracle and caused it
and helped you to pass through that red sea when you came out of Egypt so how did you hear about
this now again think of the timing the Israelites had already wandered into the wilderness for some
40 years so from the time that they crossed the red sea to the time she's received the spies
is already over 40 years okay and she goes I've heard of this story you know I've heard about your
Lord I've heard about his great miracles how can this be well keep your finger there in Joshua
chapter 2 and go to Exodus chapter 9 please go to Exodus chapter 9 go to Exodus chapter 9 verse
number 15. Now one of the things that you know I struggled with as a young man when I would read
the story of the Exodus and you know when God would send Moses to deliver the children of
Israel out of the hand of Pharaoh that you know Pharaoh hardens his heart but then eventually God
starts to harden the heart of Pharaoh and I kind of thought that's a little bit unfair Lord I mean
you know if you're not hard in his heart he might he might desire for the children of Israel to go
I don't really understand why you're doing that Lord why are you hardening his heart you know
until I understood what took place here in Exodus chapter 9 verse 15 there's a reason for this
Exodus chapter 9 verse 15 it says for now I will stretch out my hand that I might smite thee and
thy people with pestilence and thou shall be cut off from the earth okay and this is speaking
speaking to Pharaoh here verse number 16 and in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up
for to show in thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth
there's a reason why God you know hardened the heart of Pharaoh
you know that he would you know withhold the Israelites from going you know so Pharaoh would
be raised up in power God allowed that to happen you know God allowed you know Pharaoh to harden
his heart and continue to harden the heart of his so that everybody across the whole earth would
hear about the God of the Israelites they would hear that these people came out of Egypt the great
power of that time how yes God would open the walls sorry the the the red sea and would allow
them to pass through the red dry land this was all the purpose that the people of the earth would
hear about the Lord this same passage is repeated in Romans 9 17 which I'll just read it says for
the scripture safe unto Pharaoh even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might
show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth you know what
our job is to declare the name of God to the whole earth that's our job today okay but this
occurred back when the Israelites were being held you know captive by the Egyptians the great
miracles that God did you know caused these stories to go out and people heard the great news
so what do we learn that eventually this news this information this God of Israel this Rahab
the harlot eventually for the grapevine heard about it okay and she goes man this must be a
great God and I've heard that he's delivered this land to you even I mean Rahab is science
you know she's quite it's not like she doesn't know who this God is she knows who this Lord God
is okay because obviously in order to be saved you have to know the Lord you have to know who
he is what he's done who you're going to put your faith upon to be saved so what I'm saying to you
is that Rahab has heard you know and I would you know we don't know exactly how she's heard
but he may very well be a sole winner went to this you know to Jericho city
and started to preach about the God of Israel we don't know exactly how she heard okay but that
was the whole point that God caused Pharaoh's heart to be hardened to be raised up to be
prideful and restrict the Israelites you know to that the name of the Lord we proclaim to the whole
earth look at verse 11 sorry in Joshua chapter 2 verse 11 Joshua chapter 2 verse 11 look what
she says now and as soon as we have heard these things our hearts did melt neither did there
remain any more courage in any man because of you now notice next words she says for the Lord your
God he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath what is she saying let's not read the
Bible too quickly sometimes let's pause what are you saying Rahab she's saying look the God of
Israel the God of these two spies he is the true God he is the God of heaven he is the God of this
earth look what I'm trying to say to you Brevin is this woman Rahab is already saved she knows
that the gods of Jericho are not true gods she knows who the true God is she's put her faith
in that God okay you say can you prove it yes I can prove it keep your finger there go to Hebrews
11 go to Hebrews 11 Hebrews 11 verse 30 Hebrews 11 verse 30 and of course what's Hebrews 11 about
great men of faith hey there's also a great woman of faith mentioned here in Hebrews 11
Hebrews 11 verse 30 reads by faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about
seven days look at verse number 31 by faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that
believed not so what do we learn about Rahab she believed she did not perish with those that
believed not she believed when it says there when she had received the spies with peace
she already believed when she had received the spies why did she protect these spies
her works were justified she knew these are the people of God she knew they worshiped the same
God that she has believed and trusted upon she knew this is God's people this is the land that
God has promised them so her actions were justified her works were justified to protect
these people of God okay that's that's what it you know really that's what it comes down to
brethren you know how can Hebrews 11 be about an unsaved woman no it's not okay she she protect
these spies she was already a woman of faith okay and you can see that she's already expressed she
goes no your God's the true God your God's the God of heaven your God's the God of the earth she
understood this she accepted this her faith and trust was on the God of Israel
and she's a Canaanite woman okay she's a gentile in that sense all right now back to Joshua chapter
2 verse number 12 Joshua chapter 2 verse number 12 she says it says now verse number 12 now
therefore I pray you swear unto me by the Lord since I have showed you kindness that you will
also shine 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 my sisters and all that they have and deliver our
lives from death just look you're going to destroy us I know this already but can you please protect
my family please don't kill my family you know like just trying to make an agreement with these spies
verse number 14 and the men answered her our life for yours if ye are 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
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 now I want you to think about she dwelt upon the wall
don't forget it's the walls of Jericho that fell I mean her house is listed for destruction is what
I'm trying to say because that's what takes place all right all right anyways keep going to verse
number 16 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 you may
go your way now what's the next verses are really important I want you to think about what's taking
place here verse number 17 and the men said unto her we will be blameless of this thine of which
thou hast made us swear behold when we come into this land thou shall bind this line of scarlet's
thread in the window which thou didst let us down by okay so she helped them to get down from the
wall with a scarlet thread what's scarlet means red okay it's a red thread all right so why is
that significant oh let's keep going um the rest of us I'm 18 and thou shall bring thy father and
thy mother sorry we're up to brethren 19 uh let me let me read verse 8 10 again behold when we come
into the land thou shall bind the line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down
by yeah that's it and thou shall bring thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all thy
father's household home unto thee this is all right you want to protect your family bring them
all into your house okay the people that you care about and then it keeps going there verse number
19 and it shall be that whatsoever you shall 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 head if any hand be hand be upon him so look the best way to
protect your family keep them in the house if they leave the house and they die that's not our fault
they say look keep everyone protected in your house all right and then it keeps going there
in verse number 20 and if they'll after this our business then we will be quit of thine oath which
thou has made us to swear and she said according unto your word so be it and she sent them away
and they departed look at this and she bound the scarlet line in the window so she kept that
scarlet thread okay on her window say where does this come from why i mean this is strange now come
into your house and you'll be safe you'll be protected she lives on the wall the walls are
going to fall down in jericho i mean that's like one of the worst places you'd think this is going
to keep this is a safe place for you know this is like the most dangerous place because god is going
to destroy those walls of jericho but she attached a scarlet thread to a window she was to bring her
family and keep them safe say where does that come from what why that idea why the spies given her
this direction of course if you know your bibles this harkens back to the passover okay and let
me quickly read to you from exodus 12 21 when the israelites were still in egypt remember they were
to take a lamb and they would take that blood and apply it to the doorposts it says in exodus 12 21
then moses called for all the elders of israel and said unto them draw out and take you a lamb
according to your families and kill the passover and you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in
the blood that is in the basin and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood
that is in the basin and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning
this is of course when the that angel would pass over and when the lord would see that blood on
the doorpost the people in that house will be safe but when god would not see that blood you know we
know the firstborn would die and you know the first born of the egyptians they perished you
know this was the last plague that would fall on egypt and then pharaoh would give in and allow
the israelites to leave it says in verse 23 exodus 12 23 for the lord will pass through and smite the
egyptians and when he see if the blood upon the lintel and on the two side posts the lord will
pass over the door and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you
you see it's the same concept the same thought the spies experience this they know this great story
of how the blood protected everyone in the house and say well you know you got the scarlet thread
you got this red thread put it upon your house there everyone that comes into your house
be safe and protected that scarlet fred represents the blood of the passover lamb and we
know the blood of the passover lamb is a picture of the true passover lamb jesus christ salvation
in christ jesus okay even a physical salvation for the families in this household and that's the
symbolism that we're seeing in this story well can you please go to chapter six now go to joshua
chapter six let's fast forward to the events when jericho is destroyed joshua chapter six and verse
number one but i hope i've shown you that she already had a faith you know even before she
received the spies she heard the great news of god the god of israel her faith was upon him she
recognized he to be the true god okay and then because she recognized that and she recognized
that these spies are israelites whose god is the god of heaven she protected them she had works
her works are justifying her faith and trust in the same god that they're coming from that has
sent them okay joshua chapter six verse number one now jericho was straightly shut up because
of the children of israel none went out and none came in and the lord said unto joshua see i have
given into thine hand jericho and the king thereof and the mighty men of valor and ye shall come
past the city all ye men of war and go round about the city once thus shalt thou do six days so for
six days they would go around walk around the walls of jericho once okay then it says there
in verse number four and seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of ram horns
and the seventh day you shall come past the city seven times and the priest shall blow the trumpet
so on day number seven instead of walking around the city once they had to walk around it seven
times and then the priest had to blow the trumpets okay and then verse number five and it shall come
to pass that when they make a long blast with the ram's horns and when you hear the sound of
the trumpet all the people shall shout to a great shout and the wall of the city shall fall down
flat and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him so the walls of the city
they're all going to fall so rahab lives on the wall isn't she going to be protected in her house
drop down to verse number 20 so anyway joshua does what god instructs okay let's fast forward
to the story into the story verse number 20 so the people shouted when the priest blew 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 and they utterly destroyed all that was
in the city both man and woman young and old and ox and sheep and ass with the edge of the sword
say what about rahab the harlot verse number 22 but joshua had said unto the two men that had
been had spied at 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 it took place what a great miracle that she's living on
that wall the walls fall down i mean i don't know what's left protecting her house something's
holding the thing up okay there are some frames left of that that wall that are keeping them safe
and protected what a great miracle that took place okay truly she was a child of god god's protected
her i mean look the spies can make a promise but it's got to be the hand of god that has kept her
safe and she's protected her family praise god verse number 24 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
i made amazing story praise god for this harlot this gentile woman okay that's been delivered
she had a faith and trust i'll read it again hebrews 11 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 again what do we learn rahab the harlot believed she had her faith
and trust on the god of israel okay she heard the great news the miracles delivered out of egypt
she goes you know what that's my god too that's the true god her faith was on the right deity
okay it's her faith that saved her and again her works justified the fact that her faith was in
the god of heaven the god of the earth the god of the israelites okay now can you please turn with
me to um matthew chapter one matthew chapter one matthew chapter one and while you're turning to
matthew chapter one let me read those definitions again from you know a few sources there what does
the word justified mean let me read them against you google having done for or marked by a good
or legitimate reason did rahab have legitimate reason to protect those spies absolutely yeah
she was justified her works justified her okay dictionary.com having been shown to be just or
right warranted or well grounded was she just and right to protect those spies to hide those spies
say absolutely she was just and right to do that okay cambridge dictionary justified having a good
reason for something did she have a good reason to protect the spice of course she did that's
what justified means she was just it was right it was good for her to protect those spies all right
her works justified the fact that she was a believer in the lord and that she knew the people
of god she protected them from a wicked city that she knew would be destroyed she knew that the land
would be given to the israelites her faith she was she it was her faith okay that brought forth these
great works that she was able to accomplish now in conclusion rahab the harlot you know what a
title to be given the bible rahab the harlot you know man the bible you know you've given my my
you know my my wicked you know uh position you know it listed there and you think well rahab
the harlot what we know what's what's the end result for her and you know i love her story so
much primarily because you know primarily because when i read the book of matthew we know that
matthew contains the genealogy of jesus the genealogy of jesus the the savior the one that
would come to this earth to die for our sins our lord god that is risen from the dead but it says
there in matthew chapter one verse one the book of the generation of jesus christ the son of david
the son of abraham you go yeah you know son of david what a great king abraham what a man of
faith he's a great man what a lineage to have for jesus look at verse number five and salmon
begat boaz that's that's boaz that marries ruth begat boaz of rahab that's rahab
the great man boaz that we read in the book of ruth his mom was rahab the harlot
let's keep going there and boaz begat obed of ruth you go who's ruth
okay we know rahab is a kainite from jericho ruth was a moab a mobitis these again non non-israelites
so i mean think about that boaz is half kainite half israelite okay then he marries ruth who's a
moabites okay and who do they have they had uh obed of ruth okay so obed what would that make him
they make him a quarter israelite and three quarters you know uh gentile in that sense right
go that's a bit of a strange you know mix you know and what do we this these are the ancestors
from a physical line of jesus you say who's obed and obed begat jesse you should know who jesse is
verse number six and jesse begat david the king jesse begat king david king david's not this
special bloodline it's mixed with gentiles you know harlot background what i'm trying to say
to you brethren is look people can mess up their lives you can make a lot of mistakes but god is
not through with you god can use you in a mighty way rahab the harlot's probably just rejoicing
that i didn't die when the wars of jericho came down i mean i don't know did she really know that
her lineage would bring forth jesus christ what an honor yeah rahab the harlot but hey ancestor
of jesus and that's awesome that's amazing what a great work of god but eventually bring forth
king david and down the line you know her descendants were great men of god you know why
because she was a great woman of god she had great faith you know and because she had great faith
you can see that she was able to bring forth you know great works look at verse number six again
and jesse begat david the king and david the king begat solomon of her that had been of the wife of
urias hold on that's beth sheba who committed adultery you know what even god can use a woman
who had committed adultery you know sometimes i hear your stories you know i talk to different
people and you're like man i've got such a bad background you know i'm in this situation i've
been divorced i've committed adultery i've been sexually abused i've had this and i've had it
breaks my heart when i hear these things and sometimes i wonder lord but you know i don't
know if is this right i mean i i grew up in a christian home i've been going to church my whole
life i got saved when i was four years old you know i committed i've committed sin but i've never
got into a really horrible sin you know i've had the holy spirit prompting me and directing my life
and and when i hear the testaments and stories of people that are hurt you know it breaks my heart
but you know the great story of ray have the harlot and you know ruth mobitis non-israelites
beth sheba has committed adultery against her husband you know you can see how the lord has
included them in this lineage of christ and what i'm trying to say to you you know if you've had a
bad and messed up life please don't give up please don't look at other people like me who have had a
pretty clean and good life and blessed life and think well you know pastor kevin can serve god
but i don't think god can use me god can use you god can use you you've got faith in the god of
heaven the god of this earth you know you're saved you've got the new man all right you can
do great works you can do great works for god you can justify yourself you know the faith that you
have in our lord jesus christ you can step out and do great works for him that justifies the fact
that you have christ in your heart that you serve him that you love the brethren that you love god
you can do great works regardless of how messed up your life is you can do greater works than a
person like me that has had a great life a christian life hey don't let your past stop you
from serving god don't let your mistake stop you from doing great works for god you've got the new
man yeah the flesh you know the bible says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god yeah
this flesh it's filthy we're going to get a new body one day but don't forget we all have the new
man that new man is clean even when this flesh sins the new man remains sinless it's been born
of god okay and as long as you walk in that new man you walk in the spirit you will be able to
accomplish great things hey add some works to your faith hey justify yourself with works that
you can do to the lord show people that you're a child of god that you've got great faith in the
god of israel the god of abraham isaac and jacob the god of rahab the harlot okay the god that
created all things that has given us jesus christ christ who rose from the dead and given us
salvation your faith upon him will allow you to do great works you know and justify yourself
with the works that you can do all right let's go to a word of prayer