Spies and Allies (Part C)

Wherever there is a Rahab stalking said righteousness. What ready to submit to God, then God will take his hand and lead them to his son, the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, the father the son. These three are one in everything they do this, United. They are all over this and we want very much to be so what good is saying that to a Christian if we don't add what we have to be part of the process. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Joshua. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick with his study called spies and allies in the second chapter of Joshua. All the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. This is remarkable. She cites she points to God's will. And she knows that Jewish army is out there, but that's not going to be the Army that's going to take the city is going to be God's will. I know that Yahweh has given you the land word got around the four women of the Old Testament. To me, that are outstanding. Ruth, Esther, Abigail, and Rahab, they are just outstanding women because the situations they found that doesn't take away from Sarah and all the others. They may be your favorites and you have to work on that.

But these these three would just put into situations that were life-and-death. Even Ruth and was was going to have nowhere to go. I can't go back there when you need me. I just just courageous wonderful moments. But anyway, back to this. If you have an urge to feel sorry for the judgments that's good that's coming upon Jericho and the Canaanites. It's an it's a natural not a spiritual pity. It's misguided natural men are often quick to advocate to come to the support of wickedness that needs to be dealt with and judged in fact we say Lord hallowing a little get away with it.

Will these are getting and getting away with it. They want to get there is now is that's where we are. Verse 10 for we have heard how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites were on the other side of the Jordan Sihanouk you utterly destroyed and the emphasis is critical, she saying we know the record, word reached us.

You can't conceal 2 million people in the wilderness very easily. In fact, God not only did he not make an effort to conceal them. He made an effort to publish where they were.

They had this big pillow fight night around him and his giant cloud in the daytime, you couldn't miss them. How many people would be out there. You know what their sheep are just taking a walk in the desert center. They can make and and see this and want to see what is that no closer and find out and interact with some of the people on the outskirts of the camp got made no effort to hide his people. Rahab made it clear that the judgment of God from 40 years ago that record as is is retained, they still have it like we have our Bible the others in Jericho knew the same story. They're not really behaving the same way she knew it was time to repent and to reach out to God what would've happened if the king of Jericho said all the people.

This is a judgment from God. And we have to find a way to get right with God like they did in Nineveh. When Jonah went there but of course they become adamant as the world often does, you can show the world prophecies you can refute all their arguments and stilly double down when I believe I don't want to hear is not reason for us to give up on them as we don't know who's unreachable and whose is not who is and who is not so instead of turning to God. They turned away. God knows who's reachable and he hides it from us unless he has a cause worry makes it obvious we are to always stay open verse 11 and as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted. Neither did the remaining any more courage and anyone because of you, for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above and on earth beneath, so she says when word got to us about the record from 40 years ago.

It was fresh to us.

We knew that if God did that to Egypt see parting in those kings August Sihanouk if you could take them out when were done for were toast and again this reason, this was reason rational to's to submit men of Jericho. They were, they were terrified. Then another. Were they shared the conviction they know okay that would convince this. These people are going to conquer us and then they have this insane response to it. Let's rebel Deuteronomy 225 this day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the nations under the whole heaven who shall hear the report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you will. That's right out of the book of acts chapter 2. Word got around people were fearing the Christians because the Christians held the truth that they didn't have and it should be. Some of that left for us today as possible in an individual level for sure. Individual Christians can carry themselves in such a way that those around them have great respect, even if they don't like them they just okay if you argue with that Christian they going to win the going to make you feel very bad about yourself and you will have nothing to say in defense when it is over you will be the one with your conscience bothered, not them. That's that it happens quite a bit and went wherever you find Christians ready to engage the crazy views of the world with the God that this church of people with anybody was against us that they would say yeah but you better watch out because God is with them who would not want that Lydia was a businesswoman. She was the first convert to Christianity on Europe's soil. Rahab, a businesswoman also is the first convert to Judaism, the promised lands soil Mary Magdalena.

She, of course, the first disciple of Christ to see the Lord risen course that Took Pl. in Jerusalem so that this interesting. I thought that you don't throw that it was in my notes from years ago.

I cherish verse 12 now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by Yahweh. Since I have shown you kindness that you also will show kindness to my father's house and give me a true token spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sister and all that they have and deliver our lives from that now I think it's fair to believe more took place than what we have here and record some other dialogue. Perhaps maybe one of them. Success is another generation coming of the promised land and that there is solid spiritually.

Things like, you can bring your idols with you. I am either have to give us every detail. The giving us the overview what what took place. But if you and in and preaching the gospel to others and they are involved in certain dastardly deeds you would say you can't keep doing that you have repent, repent means change doesn't mean you continue to do that if your feet speaking to someone who pushes drawing all illegal drugs. Your cells okay during the grace course not. So just keep the story real delete, at least to me, that's real because confession alone is not enough for salvation.

Lipservice is not enough rest saved by words alone. The words are part of it and they don't have to be spoken because that would rule out the mute. They have to be meant in the heart. Surrender the Christ. Romans 10 verses nine and 10 and, incidentally, if you ever get a chance to lead someone to Christ is nothing wrong with opening your Bible and saying I got to read this to you right out of God's word and if you are in line with this than the salvation you know that you are so your entering into comes right out of God's word. Romans 10, nine and 10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation that that is that is the evangelical side of our faith reaching out to others and bringing them into the kingdom. Verse 14, so the men answer her our lives for yours. If none of you tell this business of ours, and it shall be when Yahweh has given us the land we would deal kindly and truly with you see, these are the spies for 40 years back 10 these men. They are men of their word and they are decent, they have faith. They believe God's going to give them that land with God gives us to lay nothing if we conquer Jericho. We got a good chance that things still got to get across to Jordan, but if God saved this center, who believe in him, he could save the king of Jericho. But the king of Jericho has to come and get and he doesn't want to come and get it and anyone else in that city, and of course I believe the family would be lining up with Rahab apparently was like a close knit family is wherever there is a Rahab stuck in sin, ignorant of righteousness but ready to submit to God, then God will take his hand and lead them to his son. The Godhead, the Holy Spirit, the father the son. These three are one in everything they do is United they are all over this and we want very much to be so what good is saying that to a Christian if we don't add what we have to be part of the process running. Should God say you and I really wish I could send somebody to save you. I can't find any. I'll have to do it and he's got a whole church full of people singing songs and write down the block and I'm not saying we we go you know jam the gospel down people's throats. We don't Casper over for swine weird that's ill advised but we can certainly cast our prayers to the Lord and say Lord here I am, send me to share the faith and it shall be when Yahweh has given us the land that we will deal kindly and truly with you. She's going to be a new environment that's going to be good for her when she gets out of Jericho. And so this immorality that she's accustomed to will die of attrition.

It will starve to death. Jews were put up with that life and that this generation so that's another good thing for her and we are is nothing wrong with sharing that if you lead somebody to Christ and they are around long circle of friends you got junk. I get new friends cells ago drag you back down. To be brutally honest if that's what is required by the functional have to be brutally honest. Just be honest. Verse 15 then she let them down by a rope through the window for her house was on the city wall.

She dwelt on the wall to see having a rigging background is irritating to me because every artist I looked at as a woman holding this red rope and his guises, like Rapunzel is something I mean is you pull Rapunzel's hair like that. The time of the union anchor out the window on you just physics.

It's nothing complicated here, but there's a lot you can do with a rope if you know what to do you make around cup around turns and secure them.

It is just a little thing but cPanel voice there. I'm unconvinced of it all rotted because it was all Miller wouldn't rope. Now what do you so that you never find it. But I think they had ways of getting that stock up on the roof and we move on. I would like to stay and talk about the reading I just letting you know for how for her house was on the city wall. She dwelt on the wall. Larry already mentioned this. Another benefit that would make it a natural loading dock the donkeys to come by. Verse 16 and she said to them, get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you hi there three days until the pursuers have returned afterward. You may go your way, I would've said to her, you'll tell me what to do.

You know my father okay selfish crystal funny so she's giving that not only hiding them in misleading the soldiers looking for them.

Now she's giving instructions that are wise instructions is not yet a virtuous woman but she said she is a resourceful woman is no dummy and she knows you know what to do and they take her advice she had chance enough to betray these men enrich yourself even. But she doesn't so we would get to some of the lies refuted by this woman. Verse 17 so the man said to her, we will be blameless of the scope of yours which you have made with made us swear verse 18. Now, unless when we come into the land you buying this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers and all your father's household to your home. Salvation has turns and they are not the not pushed out of the way when we offer of salvation through Christ their terms with it repentance and and unfortunately we have of the church is loaded with people who claim Christ as Lord. But they're not stopping they they don't have any, they have no interest in stopping their sin is not. I'm struggling with.

This is not that is not now. This works for me. I we live together like this and you know this is how we are within your salvation is in jeopardy. I don't know what to say about something like that except you're excommunicated from the from the assembly until I get fixed yet. A guy moonlighting as a bank robber meagerly you know what is good heart.

He loves the Lord. You should really see him play the piccolo anyway.

The line of scarlet. Here are three different words are used in the Hebrew, the first wonderful line is actually hope also trends in open other sections and I guess is going on that line you're hoping it doesn't break.

Ephesians 2 is really not a big .3 different Hebrew words for rope we could make it a long discussion, but you wouldn't really come away with. Wow that was deep.

Verse 12 of Ephesians 2 at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant. Covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world as I speak and I lose, I know that there are young Christians in the room under 20. I worry about you.

I worry that you going to stick with the Lord just coming to church because your parents your faith. You love the Lord is real to you or is it you just can't wait to get your hands on that doing Jericho, outside these walls and sin since into your little heart's content and then go to hell and you say we trying to scare me you trying to scare you try to make you feel happy going to hell. You should see this flame everywhere. Nothing redeeming about hell is nothing fun.

There's nothing amusing with most of us have been out in the world and we traded against it because it's not better. It's worse. I wouldn't go back to the world for anything with Christ now and even are still hard for me. I wish you notice made a lot more easy for me and everybody say while it easy he has it kidding. Let's move on. Verse 1901. Morosely you younger ones we're going to see and we are rooting for you. We want you to be courageous, for Christ's. You have no reason to believe what the world is telling you they lie, they don't have the truth, you do and when you start digging in the Scripture to find out men. They really don't have a leg to stand on. Their arguments are all hot air really insisting on things that really aren't hiding behind their credentials.

Verse 19, so it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless and whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head.

If the hand is laid on him. Well, the scarlet cord.

Now the emblem of her only hope she wastes no time when they leave. Putting it up. It will take discipline troops to spot that cord to remember what it stands for and to honor it and they do that is again a distinction between this this group and the other generations that the discipline that they exercise Aiken will be, of course, a setback, but that will be overcome. Also, if anyone in the house left the protection of the scarlet cord. They would, it would be to their destruction. So Rahab would've worn her family like I'm trying to warn our youth.

You stay with Christ you stay inside you stay with the terms of salvation, because if you go out. There's a sword waiting for you.

Verse 20 and if you tell this business of a horse, then we will be free from our oath, which you made us swear very thorough. These guys it there for other reasonable or simply don't tell anybody stay in a house you got that you got okay good. When you God you got your the Hebrew from Brooklyn near Williamsburg Bristol verse 21 and she said according to your words. So be it. And she sent them away and they departed, and she found the scarlet cord in the window now alum and King Dallek also knew God's blessings long before and they just ignored it and and they will perish because of it. I will rules would will get to balance execution. Much later, but they died in their sins opposing, but it tells us again in Hebrews that Rahab did not perish Rahab the center did not perish, and she only looked looked at the those armies across Jordan and then joined them. Verse 22, they departed and went to the mountain and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned the pursuers sought them all along the way but did not find them of the mountains, you know, as you know in Israel they make a new mountain every day. This mountains everywhere. So this finding a hiding place would not be that difficult. There are at least four excuses used, to resist God, and Rahab travels all four of these. One is I'm not so bad off I really don't need religion in Christ have a good life. Maybe they want to say that with the thinking why would I change things. I made it this far. Make it all the way when I die, I made it this far automobile right. Well, the king of Jericho, he could say that up into 2.2 point that sword went through, or that wallet fell on another one is I am too bad to be saved us to stone but they don't know that with the talent that's just dumb alum were all bad, filthy writer. You are really regular righteous is a bit of good deeds are like very filthy rags little bad deeds and yet God still loves us another one. I don't know enough about the Bible to come to God was all she knew is that God bless those Jews and they were coming in that direction, and all we need to tell people is your center and judgments coming in your direction and you can tie this court around your window and be saved or perish with the rest and then the fourth one. What will people think what will my family thing will preach to them when you them want to believe. I mean, that was the case with lot Lawson good part of his family, daughters didn't want to leave and their husbands. They perished the other two made it out. Mother made it out and look back defiance of what she was told and she perished. So we have a very's serious faith should be otherwise. What is holiness. The Lord suppose mean it is not serious, so verse 23, so the two men return descended from the mountain and crossed over and they came to Joshua the son of nun, and told him all that had befallen them so they make the report and Joshua is just while Mrs. incredible.

He needs this God told him to be strong.

No fighting has started yet with anyone in the promised land is not been any battles yet Jews have had battles in the one but not in the promised land. The crossover Jordan camp out of Gill gal and then Bill marks literally Jericho to death. Verse 24 and they said to Joshua.

Truly Yahweh has delivered all the land into our hands were indeed all the inhabitants of the country our fainthearted because of us great encouragement.

Joshua again knew that this was going to be a victorious campaign but he wanted to make sure the views any bit of a righteous man wanted to make sure that his behavior was totally in line with his God, as we don't we don't a lot of people try to get them saved ever. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Joshua cross reference is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you're interested in more information about this ministry, please visit our website cross reference radio.com find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified each new edition of cross reference radio.

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