Rahab

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It doesn't pick and choose when there's so much to fight against.

Thanks for when others flee reverence toward and when darkness prevails. Love remembers his strength for 156 years Salvation Army has left all for lost your help will never stop. Welcome back to words of life. I'm Cheryl Gillick and I believe it will burning this week in our series with Helen Sterrett. She shares the story of an unlikely Bible hero Rahab. This story is a perfect example of God's grace using someone the world may see as an outcast to do something incredible for his kingdom. Okay, so full disclosure as a young man who had just accepted Jesus into my heart. I had a mentor that suggested or thought that if you could get some stories that were more compelling into my brain into my heart that I might be more apt to want to read the Bible like a novel, as opposed to just a study guide was right because this is one of the stories. This is a prostitute that is that is doing ill in her community, but God used her for good. She turned her life around.

You said it earlier.

She was redeemed. This is the story of salvation right call centers right and Christ enters the picture in our own lives and he redeems us from that Sandia now, and we all had tainted past. So the truth of the matter is I think this is again God using something that were all accustomed to in our own lives and I think that sometimes as we mature in our Christianity. We forget where we came from and so we tend to have more righteous kind of outlook on things in regards to leg holier than thou but were sinners. They all have fallen short of the of the glory of God the salvation army is a holiness movement so we believe that you know through sanctification that we can live a holy life, but the truth is that Satan is out there prowling he wants to kill, steal and destroy. So it's it's a war literally where work cosseting being tested in a sense, and without God strength. You know, we could fall victim no, but stick to Rahab.

This is a woman who was doing fine in her community. She was an entrepreneur, you might say but people needed her help and she had, literally, a come to Jesus moment where she realized what she could do and some distraction people so others could get away. It's a compelling story and as our listeners. We hope that you are compelled to listen to the Col. Helen Sarah that she shares her perspective on the story read welcome mission in possible popular movies today entry my undercover work is all part of the spies work. We will see all of these components in our spine on Jericho segment today. Israel is preparing to enter the promised land ready to claim their inheritance from God, the Israelites lost their way. 40 years before and now the next generation is ready to follow God's leading. We find Rahab story recorded in Joshua two and three Joshua sends spies to check out the city of Jericho. There, ready for this mission, the Israelites don't know how they're going to do battle there ready.

I think they still think they're going to take Jericho by force there ready to take action.

This is a very familiar story where the Israelites walked around Jericho for seven days and on the seventh day, the trumpet blasted and the walls of the city fell, the people of Jericho were destroyed. The walls of Jericho fell because the people of Jericho were against the Lord. Overall they did evil in the side of the Lord, the Lord had promised this land to his people.

So Israel had to rid the city of anything evil. So God's people could have the land Rahab are incredible woman in our spy story today was a prostitute out of everyone who could have helped the spies a Canaanite prostitute was not someone that they expected and not only did she help and save the spies a Canaanite prostitute is in the lineage of grace. Humans tend to select individuals whose appearance there looks their height there build meet their standards.

We don't necessarily choose from the ordinary line for important responsibility God chooses and he chooses us to do extraordinary service for his purposes. Rahab story is one of sacrifices, redemption and hope. Her story is like a mission impossible movie. The intrigue where did the secret agents just happen to stay when they arrived at the house of a prostitute named Rahab, as Scripture says she was a woman who sold the use of her body.

We can't clean this up. We can't wish it away and she was chosen by God to be rescued from certain death, and she is included in Jesus family tree a bit of background and construction information. There were two walls surrounding the city of Jericho. 20 feet to 30 feet thick. They were about 15 feet apart from one another, which allowed Rahab's house and others like it to be built in between these two walls.

She had a view of those entering the city and also what was happening in the city. It was a perfect location and a perfect location for her financial success in her trade.

The spies were able to get a close look at the wall, which was the city's chief defense against an attack.

Rahab's house also provided a way for a quick escape, if necessary now.

It's amazing how fast news travels without social media spies in the city. The king sends men to Rahab's house, and demanded that she give up the spies. She is very clever and had hidden Joshua's secret agents under the stocks of flax drying on a roof. Rahab admits the men came to her but did not tell the complete truth when she said she did not know where they were now yes she lied but it was to protect the good guys that God had sent to her the kings men leave and immediately Rahab goes to talk with the spies a deep discussion takes place during that time we see Rahab's confession of faith as it takes place on the roof. Rahab was raised in pagan idolatry. She knew about the Israelites, most likely from visitors coming to the city.

She admits that residents of Jericho were afraid of the Israelites. She confesses the Israelites, God is the God of heaven and earth. Faith is the opposite of fear and requires action. Rahab chose faith in the face of fear and it led to her family being delivered from death. Her faith was tested by what she did more than what she thought about the situation she could've passed on helping the spies. She confessed her faith in God before anything was done for her. She could not know for certain that her family would be spared, but she had faith the smallest step of faith can activate an extraordinary miracle, a statement of fact and a confession of faith led to her salvation. So it is with us, for it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Rahab now talks to the secret agents about what she wants. She got some bargaining chips. She wants her entire family to be saved when the imminent destruction of Jericho takes place after all she's put her life on the line to hide them and give them information they agree and seal it with our lives for your lives. They tell her she must put the scarlet cord at her window and only those inside her house will be saved.

Rahab and her family were saved by her faith in God, not the scarlet cord hanging out the window. The scarlet cord proved her faith, just as the blood on the door posts in Egypt prove the Israelites inside believe God's word.

It takes courage to overcome the past and to assume risk. Rahab did both.

The Bible does not hide the failings of people and Rahab's reputation was definitely tainted by her past. She had to put her past behind her in order to move forward in God's plan for her life.

She risked her life to protect the spies love covers a multitude of sins. Her husband is mentioned in the book of Ruth and we know that she bore a son that would lead to David her great-great-grandson. God works today. He reveals his truth to those who hearts are open, doing his mighty deeds through his people we know how the story ends, the walls come tumbling down, Rahab and her family are saved. Maybe you can relate to Rahab, maybe not. If I was a songwriter I would write a song for Rahab and maybe for each of us. I was, but now I was on drugs, but now I'm clean, I was on the streets. But now am on my feet. I was, but now this is a song of God's grace. This is the work God did in Rahab's life.

I was lost, but God found me. Hope may seem, in short supply. We may feel that things are falling down all around us and we need a way out. Only when Rahab chose to place her lot with the people of God and hold to faith in him.

Was she able to escape judgment. Death became life as she combined her faith and works. Rahab became a faithful follower of God, she married one of the spies she's mentioned several times in the New Testament, reminding us that she's listed in the extraordinary lineage of Christ this week. I pray God shows you the extraordinary in the ordinary. God bless you today. The Salvation Army is mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs to become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and love to hear from you. Call 1-800-229-9965 email us radio at USS.Salvation Army ductwork tell us how we can help share prayer requests per share your testimony.

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