Advent 11 | The Savior of the World (and Rahab)

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"… and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab," - Matthew 1:5

Don’t Forget the Land

For the people of Israel, the most tangible part of God’s covenant with them was that he would give them the promised land. It’s really cool for us to look back on how all of this played out because we usually don’t think much of the land. After all, we don’t live in Israel and most of us don’t ever plan to. But for the Jewish people this meant everything to them. And in reality, if we don’t keep the promise of the land in mind we will miss out on a lot of what the Old Testament is about.

Today we will talk about the events that take place in the book of Joshua. Let’s do a quick summary to get us up to this point in history. Remember that when God made his promise to Abraham he told him that his people would be slaves in a land not their own for 400 years and that afterward, God would bring them back to possess their own land. This is exactly what happened. They went down as sojourners to Egypt and then when a new Pharaoh came on the scene he put them in slavery. Moses then rises up as their deliverer and God brings them out with great possessions to wander the wilderness for 40 years. During this time God gives them victory over everyone that opposes them, which will bring us up to the book of Joshua.

The Faith of a Pagan

The first city of the promised land that they face is Jericho. This is a city surrounded by walls that seem impenetrable to the people of Israel. So Joshua sends in two men to spy out the land. This is where we first meet up with Rahab. Now Rahab is not a godly woman. Not only is she living in a sinful environment but she has a very sinful profession. She makes her living sinning against God’s design for marriage. In other words, she is an unlikely convert. But look at what she does. She risks her neck to save these foreigners. Why would she do that? It’s because she has heard all about the God of the Jews.

Let’s look at God’s Word in Joshua chapter 2.

Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” (Joshua 2:8-13)

Rahab is confessing in Yahweh and putting her faith in him...

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