There are two women mentioned by name in Hebrews 11. Do you know who they are? One was Sarah. The other one might come as a surprise to you. This woman was known in her community, but for all the wrong reasons. Her name was Rahab the harlot, Hebrews 11:31. Many in her day were aware of her sinful profession, but we will know her because of her great confession of faith in God, during a time of fear. Do you know how this woman who began as a prostitute would end up in the lineage of Jesus, Matthew 1:5?
Many people know about the lives of celebrities. These people will not help you to build a stronger faith in God. But knowing the life of Rahab will. Rahab’s story is one that’s filled with fearful situations that she overcame. God wants our faith to be strong like Rahab’s so you can do the same. And yet that can be hard to do at times. It’s hard to stand for what’s right when our friends or colleagues mock us. Sadly, many Christians have allowed fear to overtake their faith in God. From Rahab, we will see that it’s possible for us to have a rock-solid faith in God, where we can overcome fear, Joshua 2:1-11
The Development of Rahab’s faith.
Rahab came to believe in God because of the evidence she heard about Him. She was from the land of Canaan. They did not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. Rahab’s family did her no favors teaching her about God. Her life was one filled with a low standard of morality. She was at a disadvantage from the Jews who were taught about God from a young age. Despite these roadblocks she came to have faith in God. But how? It was through the evidence she heard about Him. She heard about how God dried the Red Sea, Joshua 2:10. She couldn’t deny this great miracle of God. She believed what she heard and came to the right conclusion, Joshua 2:11.
It’s amazing what this woman did because of the things she heard about God. She overcame fear by allowing the spies to enter her house. She hid the spies when the king’s messengers came for them. She spoke to her family about how they needed to stay in her house, Joshua 2:13. Her faith during these events can’t be overlooked. Imagine if you were in China and two preachers came to your door. What would you do if you knew you could get in trouble with the authorities there? The small amount of evidence Rahab heard about God caused her to trust in Him. Her faith was developed from hearing facts about God!
If our faith is to overcome fear, it must come from hearing some facts about God. Faith that overcomes fear is faith rooted in facts. That’s the faith we need. The only way we can have this faith is from studying the Bible. Too many Christians have stumbled because their faith was not rooted in facts, but rather in wishful thinking, or on their parent’s faith. That will not work if we are to overcome the fearful situations we will face. Our faith must be developed on facts and evidence. We have evidence in the Bible to trust God. We have the accurate record of real historical nations and cities found in the Bible. We have examples of predictive prophecy in scripture, Joshua 6:26; 1 Kings 16:34. We have the miracles of Jesus, John 20:30-31. Rahab couldn’t deny the miracle she heard about, and neither can we, if we are honest with the evidence. Our faith must be rooted on the facts so that it will stand the tests from your peers, your professors, and from your family. Rahab’s faith came because of evidence. She heard and believed!
The Actions of her faith
Because of her faith in God, Rahab acted. Rahab was viewed as being obedient compared to others in the city, Hebrews 11:31. Her faith in action justified her. Like every other person in Hebrews 11 Rahab had a “verb” or some action attached to her faith. Her faith was active when she received the spies with peace. Her faith was active when she begged the men to save her and her family. Her faith was active when she left the cord hanging from her window, Joshua 2:21.
But we must address the elephant in the room. What about the fact that she lied? We can’t deny that she did, Joshua 2:4-7. Does this mean it’s okay to lie? No, it doesn’t, Titus 1:2; Revelation 21:8. This woman’s background should be considered. While she knew of God, there were many things she would need to learn. This would include lying and her job profession. She was approved by God not because she lied, but because she received the spies with peace. She risked her life.
This is the type of faith we must have in the face of fear. It’s easy to have faith on a Sunday morning at the place where we worship. But what happens when school is in session, or we are at work? What kind of faith will you have? What will your verb be? Sadly, many will not take any action, because they haven’t taken the time to develop their faith in the facts found in the Bible. If that’s you, then maybe your action should be to open this book so your faith can grow!
Rahab’s faith would save her from her sins of sexual immorality. It saved her from dying in Jericho. It helped save her family. This woman left behind an awesome story. That’s the faith we need. What story will you leave behind?