Joshua 2:14-24: The Affirmation of Faith

Theological Proposition/Focus: God demands faith and faith demands action.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: We are not saved by works, we are saved by faith, but we must realize that faith demands action.

Introduction:

Setting the Stage:

Last week we left Rahab sitting at an important juncture. Rahab showed faith in God in her willingness to hide God's people and her request that she and her family be preserved. Now we will see that Rahab's faith was rewarded but we will also see a most extraordinary maxim, real faith demands action.

Let's recall her request in verses 12-13

12 “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.

We see that Rahab;s request was no small request. Despite God's command to drive out all the Caananites, Rahab asked that she be spared. This is where our story resumes.

Body

14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land.” 15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.” 17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” 21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

Rahab's faith brought about action (14-21).

Rahab was required to trust.

The statement “our lives for your lives” is an interesting statement. The spies are making an agreement with Rahab. The strength of this agreement is interesting,

The condition is that Rahab not reveal information about the spies.

The NIV translates kindly and faithfully from the Hebrew

The word חסד appears 245 times

and is used to refer to God's loyal, covenant love. Rahab made a bold request, after all, recall that Israel was supposed to drive out all the inhabitants of the land and God honors the request and actually brings her into the covenant relationship.

The spies make a deal that ensures both their safety and Rahab's safety.

Rahab lowers the spies by a rope

Here is an ultimate act of trust. Rahab is letting all her bargaining chips go.

If these men, if their God is not to be trusted, Rahab has just let go of the only bargaining chip she has left.

Rahab was required to take action.

Condition 1: Identify yourself to us

I want you to realize that this would be a challenging demand. Rahab is being asked to do something that can only draw attention to herself. Nevertheless, this was the action that the spies, and by association God demanded. For the spies this was a logical request, there are probably many houses on the wall and they need to know which hous not to destroy. Remember, they don't yet know that God is going to be the one who destroys the walls.

Condition 2: Don't go out and try to save yourself

I think this would be even more challenging. A wall is naturally on the front line of a battle. Rahab is now being told that she is to place herself squarely between Israel and the enemy.

The natural response is to take matters into your own hands and protect yourself.

In fact, wouldn't it have made more sense for Rahab to sneak out as well? No, in this case Rahab's faith demanded action.

22 When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them. 23 Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them. 24 They said to Joshua, “The LORD has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”

The faith of the spies brought boldness (22-24).

The spies accepted the information they had.

Only a half mile west of Jericho there are 1500-foot limestone cliffs. These cliffs are full of caves and the spies were able to hide. This period of waiting allowed a safe path back across the Jordan and to Israelites to be cleared.

Remember the Spies Mission was to spy out the land especially Jericho

Now with only a little information on Jericho the spies are told to spend their remaining time waiting. Nevertheless, the spies accepted what they knew as what they needed to know.

An interesting play on words.

The spied told all their finding (כל המצאות) - NIV all that happened

While the enemy failed to find them, some very incredible events had found them.

The spies recognized the information they had.

Recall that 38 years earlier 10 spies, upon seeing the might of Canaan led the people's hearts to melt. Now, these two spies boldly declare that the people of Canaan's hearts are melting in fear.

Our faith should bring evidence (James 2:14-26)

James can be one of the most difficult books for us to understand because it talks a lot about works. But it is important that we not take individual verses out of context. We speak a lot of Christianeez and I think James is dealing with exactly this issue. James is noting that just using faith as a buzz word is not sufficient. Because

Faith produces works (14-17)

That is, the works do not save us, but works tell us that our faith is real.

Image: how do you know the wind is blowing?

Consider that question. Do you know the wind is blowing because you see air molecules moveing from high pressure to low pressure? No!

We know the wind is blowing because we see the flag or wind sock moving.

Does the fact that a flag is upright mean the wind is blowing? Again the answer is no

A flag can appear to blow in the abscence of wind (consider the moon)

Works are evidence of faith but do not ensure faith. Faith without works is dead and works without faith are filthy rags.

Works are evidence of faith (18-19)

Verse 18 is possibly one of the most difficult verses int he Bible to make sense of. There are at least 4 different gramatical explanations for the verse. I want to present one such options that is at least consistent with the Greek.

Someone may say, do you even have faith? James responds, (yes) and I have works

In this rendering the word yes is implied and then James continues on to say he has works that are evidence of his faith. The idea here is that after verses 14-17 someone might believe tht James is placing emphasis too much emphasis on works. So much so that they begin to doubt his faith. To this James reminds hs readers that faith comes first, but works are the evidence of faith. James then goes on to argue that.

Faith is more than belief

The demons know of God. Hence, they believe in God. Yet that is not enough, faith demands more.

A pun and two examples (20-26)

There is a fun pun in the greek that we cannot really capture well in the English.

Faith without works ִis workless (ἐργων ἀργη ἐστιν)

The point is that

Faith that lacks work does not work.

After having made his pun James moves into a concrete example. James states that Abraham was justified by works. Now before we start stating that this is an argument for works based salvation we must realize that there is both justification and eschatalogical justification. In other words there is the justification that occurs at salvation and then there is the justification that demonstrates someone is saved. This must be what James is reffering to because

Abraham was counted as righteous (Gen. 15:6) long before Isaac (Gen 22:1-18)

Then in the next verse we read that

works work together with faith to bring about spiritual maturity

In other words God uses our works to bring us into a deeper reliance on him.

The final example James uses brings us full circle - Rahab

Merismus - in which two parts of a thing, perhaps contrasting or complementary parts, are made to stand for the whole.

Rahab and Abraham could not be more different