What can we learn from Rahab's courage in protecting the spies? setting the scene “But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax that she had arranged on the roof.” (Joshua 2:6) the courage factor • Rahab’s decision exposed her to immediate death by Jericho’s king, yet she chose to hide God’s people. • Proverbs 29:25: “The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.” • Courage here is not reckless bravado; it is deliberate trust that the Lord’s purposes override earthly threats. faith proven by action • Hebrews 11:31 lists Rahab among the faithful: “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish…” • James 2:25 draws the same conclusion: genuine faith moves the hands and feet. • Joshua 2:11 records her confession: “for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.” Belief birthed bold behavior. risks embraced for a higher allegiance • Rahab’s national loyalty yielded to allegiance to the Lord (see Acts 5:29—“We must obey God rather than men”). • Her profession and past did not disqualify her; grace opened a new lineage (Matthew 1:5 names her in Messiah’s genealogy). • Psalm 56:3–4: “When I am afraid, I will trust in You… in God I trust; I will not fear.” Rahab embodies this psalm centuries before it was written. echoes forward • Rahab’s roof becomes a place of shelter—previewing how Christ shelters all who trust in Him (Ruth 2:12; Psalm 91:1). • The scarlet cord (Joshua 2:18) foreshadows the redeeming blood that marks and protects God’s people (Exodus 12:13; 1 Peter 1:18-19). personal takeaways • Identify your “roof moments”—those split-second choices where allegiance to God collides with cultural pressure. • Courage grows from conviction; fill the mind with God’s promises before crises arrive (Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10). • Past sin does not bar present usefulness; like Rahab, anyone can step into God’s unfolding plan. summary truths • True faith acts, even at great personal cost. • God delights in using unlikely people to advance His purposes. • Courage rooted in trust leaves a legacy that outlives the moment. |
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