How does Joshua 2:13 connect with Hebrews 11:31 about Rahab's faith? The setting in Joshua 2 • Jericho’s gates are shut because Israel is approaching. • Rahab hides the spies sent by Joshua. • She negotiates: – Joshua 2:13: “that you will spare my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will deliver us from death.” • Her request shows trust that God’s judgment is coming and that He alone can save. Rahab’s faith demonstrated • She believes the reports of the Red Sea and the victories east of the Jordan (Joshua 2:9–11). • She confesses Yahweh as “God in heaven above and on earth below” (Joshua 2:11). • She acts on that belief by risking her life to shelter the spies and securing a covenant of protection. Rahab’s faith celebrated • Hebrews 11:31: “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.” • The New Testament highlights two elements: – Her faith (“by faith Rahab…”) – Her action (“welcomed the spies in peace”) • James 2:25 reinforces this: “In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?” Connecting Joshua 2:13 with Hebrews 11:31 • Joshua 2:13 expresses a plea for salvation; Hebrews 11:31 records that the plea was granted. • The Old Testament shows the seed of faith; the New Testament shows its fruit and reward. • Joshua 2:13 centers on physical deliverance; Hebrews 11:31 broadens the deliverance to spiritual preservation—Rahab “did not perish.” Key truths • Faith takes God at His word before events unfold. • Faith moves beyond words to courageous obedience. • God’s mercy reaches even those on society’s margins (cf. Matthew 1:5—Rahab listed in Messiah’s genealogy). Takeaways for today • Believe God’s revealed truth even when surrounded by opposition. • Act on that belief with concrete steps of obedience. • Trust that God delights to rescue all who, like Rahab, cast themselves on His mercy. |
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