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Rahab’s Journey, a Sermon
by Sharon Bussey
USA East, Project 1:17
Text:
Joshua 2: 1 – 24
Title: Rahab’s Journey
Theme: Exploring the journey of Rahab – from an enemy
of God to becoming a part of God’s redemptive plan for the
whole world. We will look at how Rahab’s faith was revealed
through her actions, which, in turn, carved her destiny.
Let us read together the story of Rahab. Please turn with me
in your bibles to Joshua chapter 2. We will be reading from
verse 1 to verse 24.
Introduction:
As a young girl growing up I can fondly remember returning
from school and, on many occasions, finding several books
neatly stacked on my desk in my bedroom. Without needing to
read the note, I knew that the books had been placed there by
my father, who would constantly be giving us books to read
that had inspired him.
On one such day I returned from school to discover a book
entitled “The Small Woman” placed next to my bedside. Having
always been short for my age, I took my dad’s note personally
when I read: “This is a great book about a small woman – you
and her have something in common”.
Indignantly I picked up the book and started to read in order
to prove my father wrong. However, several hours later I had
forgotten the note and was captivated by the story of a woman
and her journey from insignificant beginnings to discovering
her God-appointed destiny. The book was a biography of Gladys
Aylward – the small woman – who, although she was just 5ft
tall, embarked on an incredible journey and in the midst of
great trials, discovered that she was a woman of faith, a
woman of action and a woman of destiny.
Rahab’s story in Joshua chapter 2 takes a very similar route.
Although we don’t know how tall (or short) Rahab was, we do
know that her story chronicles an incredible journey from
insignificant beginnings to the discovery of her God-appointed
destiny.
As Rahab embarks on her journey, we become sojourners with her
and begin to discover three specific facets about this woman.
Firstly, we see that Rahab was …
Point #1: A Woman of Faith
Anchor Verse: Hebrews 11:31
Gladys Aylward’s insignificant beginnings were in Edmonton,
England where she was born in 1902. Her father was a Postman
and by the time she was 14, Gladys had left school and started
work as a parlor-maid in London. She would occasionally attend
church, but after one particular service, Gladys was so
convicted of her sin and compelled to tell others about
Christ, that she determined to do something more with her
life.
By 26 years of age, Gladys knew that God had called her to be
a missionary to China. She applied to the China Inland
Mission, but they rejected her based on her lack of education
and her poor grades in theology – determining that this would
make it impossible for her to learn Chinese and be a
successful missionary to this country. But undaunted by this,
Gladys remained determined to reach China. She placed her
faith firmly in God and trusted that He would open the doors
for her to fulfill His call on her life.
Rahab’s insignificant beginnings were in Jericho where she was
a prostitute. Just like Gladys, she was probably rejected for
her lifestyle and in many ways her future must have seemed as
unpromising as the young parlor-maid in London. It is in this
context that Rahab heard the stories about the Israelite’s God
– who had saved his people by drying up the Red Sea and
destroyed the two Amorite Kings, Sihon and Og (Joshua 2:10).
In Joshua 2:11 Rahab says: “When we heard of it our hearts
melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the
Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below”.
With just these stories to go on, no eye-witness accounts like
the children of Israel, Rahab placed her faith firmly in the
God of the Israelites and determined that she would trust in
Him.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of
what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Commonly referred to as
“The Faith Chapter”, Hebrews 11 is crammed full of people who
were known for their faith. Here is where we find Rahab –
strangely enough she is placed between Moses and Gideon.
Sandwiched between the names of these two great men of faith
appears the name of a prostitute – Rahab. Her story tells of
her faith in God which allowed her to be one of the few
survivors after the walls of Jericho were destroyed and the
city taken.
Rahab had faith to believe in a God who had not yet even
revealed himself to her. But she was so convinced that the
stories she had heard were true, that she staked her life, and
the lives of her family, on her decision to be a woman of
faith! She made the choice to believe in what she hoped for
and had faith in what she could not yet see. Rahab, the
prostitute stands alongside Abel, Abraham, Moses, and David as
a true example of someone who chose to hold tight to God and
have faith – not matter what!
It is this decision to believe that further impacts her
journey as we discover Rahab to not only be a woman of faith,
but also …
Point #2: A Woman of Action
Anchor Verse: James 2:25
Rejected by the China Inland Mission, Gladys was faced with
two choices: She could give up and go back to being a
parlor-maid for the rest of her life or she could keep faith
in her calling and the One who had called her and do something
about it. Gladys opted for the latter and going back to London
as a parlor-maid she determined to save her money to pay her
own way to China.
This was not easy and many times Gladys felt frustrated but
she knew that if she had faith to believe in God’s call on her
life, then she needed to act on it. “Oh God, here’s my Bible!
Here’s my money! Here’s me! Use me, God!” (Burgess, 18) Gladys
cried out and God did just that.
About two years later Gladys found herself on the
Trans-Siberian railway bound for China. It was a perilous
journey but after many months of travel Gladys arrived in
Yangcheng where she put her faith into action, working
alongside Mrs. Jeannie Lawson to bring the love of Christ to
that remote Chinese village.
In James 2: 14 we are asked a rhetorical question: “What good
is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no
deeds?” It would seem that both Gladys Aylward and Rahab
understood the significance of this question. Just as Gladys
acted on her faith and found her way to China, so too we see
Rahab putting her faith into action.
Expressing belief in YAWEH was not enough for Rahab. Her faith
was then revealed in her actions. Not only did Rahab hide the
spies, but she also protected them by giving the king false
information and sending his soldiers on a wild goose chase
into the hills. Her actions revealed that she truly did have
faith in the Israelite God and had chosen to trust in Him.
James says about Rahab in James 2:25: “In the same way, was
not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what
she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off
in a different direction?” and then he goes on to further make
the point clearer: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).
Rahab knew that she could not just profess faith in YAHWEH and
do nothing about it. Her faith needed to be expressed in
actions. And in acting upon her faith, new life was breathed
into her belief in God – moving it from words expressed to
action taken! After agreeing to spare her life because of her
actions, the spies were aided in their escape down the city
wall out of the window of Rahab’s home. The scarlet rope was
left to hang in the window as a sign of the agreement made and
evidence of Rahab’s commitment to be a woman of action.
And so Rahab’s journey continues as she is revealed as a woman
of faith, a woman of action and lastly …
Point #3: A Woman of Destiny
Anchor Verse: Matthew 1:5
When Mrs. Lawson and Gladys Aylward decided to open the “Inn
of the Eight Happinesses” to draw in travelers to whom they
could tell the gospel story, Gladys would never have
anticipated the twists and turns her life was about to take.
Unfortunately Jeannie Lawson died a few months later, and
Gladys was left to share Jesus Christ without the aid of this
Godly woman and dear friend. However, undaunted and with
determination, Gladys continued living and working in
Yangcheng, using every opportunity to share the love of
Christ.
Soon Gladys was given a charge by the Mandarin of the province
to ensure that the foot-binding ritual in China cease. Gladys
saw this as an incredible opportunity to further share the
good news of the gospel with the women she would meet. She
told Bible stories everywhere she went and soon was well known
in the area. Gladys was even given a Chinese name, Ai-weh-deh,
which means “Virtuous One”.
By the time the Second World War reached the town of Yangcheng,
Gladys was caring for almost 200 children and by 1940 it had
become too dangerous for her to stay in Yangcheng. Having sent
many of the children ahead with a friend, Gladys and the
remaining one hundred children were forced to commence an epic
journey that would take them over the mountains to safety.
During this journey Gladys had to evade capture by the
Japanese while at the same time caring for the frightened
children – all of whom considered her their mother. After many
perilous months, the children were finally brought to safety
and Gladys was able to recover from typhoid fever, pneumonia,
malnutrition, and exhaustion. The doctors were amazed that she
had even survived the trip. Although barely alive, Gladys was
hailed as a hero and would never be forgotten by the children
she had saved.
As a parlor-maid in London, Gladys’ destiny was far more than
she could have anticipated! So too, as a prostitute in
Jericho, Rahab’s destiny was far more than she could ever have
realized.
After the city of Jericho was taken, true to their word,
Joshua sent the spies back into the ruins to recover Rahab and
her family. Because of her faith and her actions, Rahab was
saved and she was permitted to live among the Israelites
(Joshua 6:25) where she began her new life as a part of this
nation.
What became of Rahab? Well, we see mention of her one more
time in the Bible. This time she is mentioned in Matthew 1:5.
According to this record, Rahab married a man named Salmon and
gave birth to a son whom they named Boaz. This was the same
Boaz who took pity on Ruth, the Moabite, and married her. We
follow this genealogy in Matthew all the way through to David
– King of Israel – and then even further to Jesus Christ – the
Messiah!
Once an enemy of God, Rahab undertook a journey that grafted
her story into the story of God’s salvation for the whole
world. Her destiny was to become a part of the red cord that
would remain as a constant symbol of God’s plan to save and
redeem all those who put their faith in Him. The end of
Rahab’s journey revealed that she was a woman of destiny.
Having taken the journey with Rahab we have discovered her to
be a woman of faith, a woman of action and a woman of destiny.
Rahab’s faith was revealed through her actions which, in turn,
carved her destiny.
Conclusion
Gladys Aylward recovered from the illnesses she had contracted
during her long journey across the mountains to safety with
the 100 children in her care. As an expression of her love for
the Chinese people, Gladys became a Chinese citizen and
continued her work among orphans, refugees, prisons and
Buddhists in China.
In 1957 Gladys opened the Gladys Aylward Orphanage in Formosa,
China and served there until her death in 1970. She had been
nicknamed 'the small woman' by the Chinese but her dedication
to serving God proved otherwise.
Perhaps at an initial glance we would perceive Rahab the same
way Gladys was perceived – a “small” woman without much
promise for a future. But Rahab decided to embark on a journey
with God and discovered that her faith in action could shape a
destiny that perhaps even she thought was impossible.
Today, we have a choice placed before us. God beckons us to
step out in boldness and commence a journey with Him. Like
Gladys Aylward and Rahab, it may be a perilous journey,
fraught with danger and sacrifice, but if we have the faith to
believe and the desire to do something about it, perhaps our
destiny may be very different from the one we envision for
ourselves at this moment in time.
Do you have the faith to believe in God, and His plans for
your life? Faith to hold tight to God – no matter what! And
are you prepared to stake your life on it?
Are you willing to put your faith into action? To move from
words spoken to action taken – to actually do something about
what you believe God has called you to?
Can you trust that God has a destiny for you to fulfill? One
that will graft your story in with His story of salvation for
the whole world?
As we ponder these questions and the life of Gladys Aylward
and Rahab, I pray that God will reveal to you that you also
can become a person of faith, a person of action and a person
of destiny.
Please allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you at this time as
we sing together …
Song #1: The Potters Hand:
(vs.1) Beautiful Lord, wonderful Savior
I know for sure all of my days are held in Your hand.
Crafted into Your perfect plan.
(vs.2) You gently call me into Your presence
Guiding me by Your Holy Spirit, teach me dear Lord.
To live all of my life through your eyes.
(bridge) I'm captured by Your holy calling
Set me apart, I know You're drawing me to Yourself
Lead me Lord, I pray.
(Chorus) Take me, mold me, use me, fill me,
I give my life to the Potter's hand.
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life, to the Potter's hand.
Song #2: Be Thou My Vision
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me save that Thou art
Thou my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my wisdom, Thou my true word
I ever with thee, Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true Son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
Be Thou my battleshield, sword for the fight
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower
Raise Thou me heavenward, O power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art.
High King of heaven, after victory won
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all..
Song #3: Great is Thy Faithfulness (SASB # 983)
Great is Thy Faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
(chorus) Great is Thy Faithfulness!
Great is Thy Faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great Faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Bible Reference #1: Romans 5: 1 – 2
Bible Reference #2: Philemon verses 4 – 6
Bible Reference #3: Jeremiah 29:11
Works consulted
Bellis, Alice Ogden. Helpmates, Harlots, Heroes.
Louisville: Westminister/ John Knox Press, 1994 BS 575.B45
1994
Burgess, Alan. The Small Woman. London: Cox & Wyman Ltd. 1959
Encountering the New Testament, Walter A. Elwell and Robert W.
Yarbrough. Michigan:
Baker Books, 1998
Green, Michael P. Illustrations for Biblical Preaching. Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House,
1982
Illustrated Bible Dictionary, The. Wheaton: Tyndale House
Publishers, 1980 BS 440.D6
Vol. III
IVP Bible Background Commentary, The. Craig S. Keener. Downers
Grove:
InterVarsity Press, 1993
Karssen, Glen. Her Name Is Woman. Colorado Spings: NAVPRESS,
1975.
BS 575.K3713
NIV Study Bible. Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985.
Satterlee, Allen. Notable Quotables United States of America:
The Salvation Army, 1985
Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House, 1971. BS 440.S62
Vol. III
Spina, Frank Anthony. The Faith of the Outsider. Grand Rapids:
WB Eerdmans, 2005
BS 579.O87 S68 2005
www.christianheroes.com
www.justus.anglican.org
www.scripts4christians.com
www.sonrisecenter.org
www.tlogical.net
www.traveltheroad.com
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