Show Notes
Hebrews 11:30-31
Pastor Christopher Chelpka
View Full Transcript
Episode Transcript
[00:00:12] By faith. The walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith, Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
[00:00:27] You may be seated.
[00:00:51] Well, tonight, as we consider Hebrews 1131, we come to this natural next part in this history that the author of Hebrews has been laying out for us. A history which is given to us for a particular reason.
[00:01:11] Sometimes we tell stories to entertain, right? To laugh at, to.
[00:01:19] Sometimes to make us cry. Sometimes to be scared by. Sometimes to learn from on. These stories that are recorded for us in the scriptures. And we are reminded of in Hebrews eleven have various purposes. One of them is to inspire, but also to cause us to meditate on the things that happened in these times, to meditate on them in such a way that we come to understand something more about faith, particularly faith in Christ. God's working through his son in the world so that we might put our faith in him.
[00:02:00] These stories, these things that preceded Christ's coming point us to him, help us to understand him and the nature of our faith in him.
[00:02:13] Tonight, we come to this next moment of history. After crossing through the Red Sea, God had a destination for his people.
[00:02:24] Where was that destination? Well, it was Canaan, a land that was not empty, but it was filled with the enemies of the Lord, idolaters of various kinds. It was filled with people, cities, and fortified places, a place that had some measure of danger to it. In fact, when God first brought his people to the land of Canaan, they chickened out and they said, we're not going in, and got disciplined for that. And they wandered in the wilderness for another generation.
[00:02:59] Now, at this moment in the story in Joshua, they're finally coming in, and the Lord sends in these spies. They're here in across the Jordan, and they come to this city called Jericho, a city that is protected by walls in which one person lived, person named Rahab. And we learn not just her name, but also her profession, a sinful one, one which caters to the lusts of the heart.
[00:03:34] And she lived in this place?
[00:03:36] We're told she lived in the wall. That might be difficult for us to understand, us who have very thin walls. We can think of a mouse living in a wall, maybe, or a scorpion living in a wall. But how could a person live in a wall? Well, it helps if you think of a wall as being thicker than what you are. Perhaps used to imagine a wall that is so thick, so big, you could be like a mouse in a thin wall, only a person in a big wall living inside the wall, not obviously with doors and windows and ways to get ventilation and things like that, but a protected place, a strong place, though, on the edge of the city in the wall. If you've ever been to a place where you perhaps like a cave, where you've seen a house built into rocks, perhaps it was something like that. There are various ways to attach houses to walls.
[00:04:41] The scriptures don't tell us exactly how that was, but there she was, and that's important, as we will come to see.
[00:04:49] So Rahab is there, and the spies go into the spies of Israel come to spy out the city of Jericho and to see the place there. And they go to her house.
[00:05:03] One possible explanation for why they go to her house and some of the events that are here is that her house was not just a place of prostitution, but perhaps a place of hospitality.
[00:05:21] Sometimes this happens. You have a place like an inn or a hotel, a place where people, guests are welcomed in. But then there are various things that go on at this place, like hotels in our day and age. They have sometimes restaurants, sometimes rooms for entertainment, sometimes sinful things that go on, so they can be mixed in various ways. Some commentators think that this is perhaps what Rahab's place was like, a place of hospitality in which other things also happened. This would explain, perhaps why God's godly spies would go to this place in the first place. It also explains why, in seeking the spies, they went to Rahab's home. Obviously, they didn't know they were there, or else they would have searched, perhaps more diligently.
[00:06:16] But they perhaps expected them, or expected her to know about them because of a hotel. I'll call it some sort of place of hospitality.
[00:06:28] So the spies are there, and it is heard that they are there.
[00:06:38] She is asked what has happened to them? And she lies.
[00:06:44] She gives a misdirection. Right. She says they ran that way.
[00:06:50] That's not what happened. She says, pursue after them as quickly as you can. And why does she say to pursue after them? Because she wants to create distance between the spies and the people that were seeking them out. What really happened in the story, do you remember?
[00:07:05] Well, she hid them. She put them under flax. She put them up on the roof. She hid them, she protected them.
[00:07:13] Now, why was she doing all of this?
[00:07:17] Was she trying to make some money? Was she doing operating in her sinful profession somehow? No.
[00:07:28] It's very clear to us in scripture what happened and why she does it. She tells us very explicitly what she did and why she did it. We read about it in verse eight of chapter two.
[00:07:44] Listen to what she says.
[00:07:49] I know that the Lord has given you the land right away. Let's pause and notice that when she says Lord here, she's not merely saying king. She actually uses a God's name, yahweh or Jehovah. She doesn't just refer to a God in general. She refers to this covenantal name that God had given to Israel and says, I know that Yahweh has given you the land. That's an amazing thing. And then she says, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.
[00:08:29] Then she goes on to describe some of the specifics of that, the reasons for her fear and the fear of others.
[00:08:37] She says, for we have heard how Yahweh, the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea, which we talked about last time before you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan. In other words, on the other side of the river that she's on to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.
[00:09:00] So before we continue on, what is she saying? She's saying, we've been tracing your path. We've been tracing your journey and the journey of your lord, your God, and we see what's happening. He brought you out of Egypt. You were slaves, and here you are. He brought you through the wilderness. You defeated these kings.
[00:09:23] You are crossing now into the Jordan. I know what's going to happen. Specifically because she says the Lord has given you the land.
[00:09:35] She knows about the promises that have been made to Abraham.
[00:09:40] And what is she doing? She's believing them.
[00:09:44] She's believing in the Lord. She's believing in the promises. She's seeing it in action.
[00:09:50] Verse eleven tells the reaction of the people. She said, as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you. For the Lord again, Yahweh, your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
[00:10:11] This is what we might call a confession of faith.
[00:10:15] She recognizes that this God of Israel, Yahweh, or Jehovah, depending on how we pronounce this, his name, that he, Yahweh, is not just one of the many gods. He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. There is no stopping him, as is obviously demonstrated from his marvelous works we've read in the psalms. Tell of his marvelous deeds, right? She has been told, perhaps not even by faithful people of the Lord, perhaps by his enemies, perhaps by people who have escaped, escaped battles and these sorts of things she has heard. And not just her, all the people.
[00:11:04] She says, there was no spirit left in any man because of you.
[00:11:10] They were dejected. They were afraid.
[00:11:15] However, she knows, knowing that's what's going to happen, she then says in verse twelve, swear to me by Yahweh that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also be kindly with me and my father's house.
[00:11:30] This is a really wonderful example where we see a child doing something. She's not a child probably in terms of age, but a daughter doing something for her parents, right? She says, deal kindly with me in my father's house, my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters and all who belong to them and deliver our lives from death.
[00:12:00] Well, skipping to Joshua six, we know what happens, exactly what she expected happens. And just to remind you of some of the specifics of this famous story, Israel comes and encamps around Jericho. And then God gives them instructions, instructions to march around the city one time each day for six days. And then on the 7th day, to march around seven times with seven priests blowing seven trumpets. And then, as the children's song says, and as Hebrews eleven says, the walls fell down.
[00:12:36] The walls fell down.
[00:12:40] Note the way Hebrews says it.
[00:12:43] By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down.
[00:12:48] By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down. Jesus says, by faith, you can move mountains.
[00:12:56] Faith results in actions. Faith results in results. There are things that happen because of it. And by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled seven days.
[00:13:11] But clearly one part of the wall didn't fall down, did it?
[00:13:18] Which part?
[00:13:19] The part that Rahab lived in. Right. It's very clear that she lived in the wall, which I suppose why I spent time on this, so that we might think about this fact that when the walls came down, they came down exactly in the places God wanted to come to come down, and not in the places where they wouldn't.
[00:13:40] Rahab and her family and all who were in her house were saved. And we know that in Matthew, chapter one, that she becomes part of the genealogy that leads to the birth of our savior.
[00:13:57] Her salvation and her acts here belong to are part of our family history.
[00:14:06] Really amazing thing this is, we might say, one of our mothers in the faith, an amazing woman who did this amazing thing. And what is it that she did?
[00:14:18] I want to think about her now.
[00:14:21] And Israel and Jericho in three ways as we think through Faith.
[00:14:30] First faith's confidence, then Faith's activity, and then finally Faith's result.
[00:14:37] Faith's confidence.
[00:14:40] What was.
[00:14:44] What were. What was Rahab's confidence in?
[00:14:50] As you think on the story, as you think on what I read, ask yourself, what was Rahab's confidence in?
[00:14:56] Well, one thing was, it was on the power of God.
[00:15:01] She had clearly seen and heard of the marvelous works of the Lord. She had confidence in that.
[00:15:07] She had confidence in the supremacy of God, the unique power and divinity of God, ruler who is above the heavens and also on the earth.
[00:15:22] Where else was Rahab's confidence or her faith?
[00:15:27] It was in the promises that had been made to Israel that this land would be theirs. It was in the promises made to Abraham, which included, we might remember, the promise that those who blessed him would be blessed, and those who cursed him would be cursed.
[00:15:45] She was aligning herself with the covenant made to Abraham.
[00:15:49] She was aligning herself with God's people.
[00:15:53] She was not just distancing. She was separating herself from the enemies of the Lord and choosing which side to belong to.
[00:16:03] She was acting here in some ways, like the spies were, as a warrior. She was acting as one who was part, in some ways of the armies of the Lord. She was aligning herself with the righteous ones of God against idolatry, against wickedness.
[00:16:23] She put her hope in Yahweh. She put her hope in the Lord and chose his people, even over her own natural born people, as we all must do, choosing God and his family, sometimes even over our own families. This can be extremely difficult at times, but this is what Rahab does, and she is wise in doing it because of who God is. This is what her confidence is. What about Israel? Where do we see Israel's confidence and faith? As they encircle the walls of Jericho and march around and around?
[00:17:04] Their faith is in the command and the will of God. They believe what he has said and believed in his promise.
[00:17:11] They believe in the promise of victory, despite the fact that they are not attacking the city.
[00:17:17] Right. They do not seem to have any particular strength except in their obedience. They are walking, literally, marching in faith, blowing trumpets in faith, waiting on the Lord to do his work.
[00:17:37] This is what it means to put our faith in God.
[00:17:41] Where does Jericho put its faith, though? Where is the king's confidence?
[00:17:47] It's not in the promises to Abraham. It's not in the supremacy of God. It's not in the works of God as, yes, their hearts are fainting, but what does he choose to do, trust the walls.
[00:18:02] We gotta just trust the walls, right? As Israel goes around and around, he's not attacking them. Interestingly. He's not fighting against them. He's not sending out his armies. He tried to deal with the spies, right? But ultimately, what is done? Jericho decides to trust in the walls.
[00:18:23] They trust in the works of their own hands.
[00:18:28] I don't know how long those walls had been up, but they had survived this long. He might have said, even if it was a day, right, or maybe generations. My granddad built that wall. I know what went into that. Nobody can do anything.
[00:18:43] We've been strong before. We've survived other attacks. The walls will hold.
[00:18:51] But the walls were a very weak defense against the Lord God Almighty.
[00:18:59] Jericho's confidence was greatly misplaced, as is anyone's confidence who trusts in the things and the strength of this world over, the strength of God and his promises to his people.
[00:19:16] That's faith's confidence. Let's think now. In these three groups, Rahab, Israel and Jericho, about faiths, activity. If your confidence is in. If your confidence, if your faith is in the things that these various people have placed it in, what's the result of that? Right? Faith in something leads to particular actions. What do we see? Well, as I mentioned, with Jericho, their faith in their walls, their faith in their strength and ability, led to waiting, trusting, sitting around.
[00:19:54] What about Rahab? With Rahab, it led to action, confession of faith. She saw an opportunity to serve the Lord, and she took it, and wisely so she saw an opportunity to save her family, and she did it. And she saw an opportunity to be on the Lord's side, to confess his name and to trust in his promises. And she did.
[00:20:24] What about Israel?
[00:20:27] What kind of activities or actions did their faith result in? Well, obedience to the Lord's command. They marched on day one and day two and day three and day four. A week's worth of marching, of doing the same thing over and over again in humility, might imagine that this would have been a foolish way to attack a city. At least some might have viewed it as such.
[00:20:55] And in patience, trusting on the Lord, doing the same thing over and over again in obedience to his command, trusting that he would do as he said he would do.
[00:21:08] And amazingly, on that 7th day, when they all shouted out loud a victory shout before the walls had fallen, they gave this shout unto the Lord. An act of worship, an act of confession, trusting in the promises of God even before they had been accomplished completely.
[00:21:32] This is the result of faith.
[00:21:36] Our lives are similar and you can begin, I hope, to see the similarities.
[00:21:41] We can put our confidence in the things of this world, in our own strength, in our own ability, the things that have carried us through before.
[00:21:49] Or we can put our faith in the Lord, in his promises, in his hope, in his power, in his willingness to save his people.
[00:21:59] We can align ourselves against God and against his people and with the things of this world. Or we can align ourselves with him, confessing our faith in him, trusting him, seeking his salvation.
[00:22:15] Then that faith results in action, in obedience and humility and patience and praise and confession.
[00:22:25] That's faith's activity.
[00:22:28] What about faith's result?
[00:22:31] Well, the faith of Jericho was placed wrongly. It was, we could call it a foolish faith. It was faith and trust in something that could not stand. We read in the scriptures that the walls fell down and every man just went in straight in front of him.
[00:22:52] There wasn't some sort of great strategy of attacking the city. They just walked in and overtook it and devoted it all to destruction. We read that men and women were devoted destruction. All the things, the wealth that was taken was taken into and devoted to the Lord.
[00:23:16] Faith's result for Jericho, because it was a foolish faith that they had resulted in death.
[00:23:25] When we put our faith not in the God who saves us, but in our own strength, the promise of the scriptures over and over again is death and judgment.
[00:23:38] Jericho and the peoples in Canaan had trusted their idols over and over again for generations.
[00:23:45] And ultimately they failed them completely.
[00:23:50] Not only did they fail to protect them against the Lord, it was their trust in them that brought the judgment of the Lord.
[00:23:58] This is a warning to us, and this was an intentional picture for us to be prepared for the final judgment of the Lord when he comes to judge the whole earth, not just one city or two, but everywhere.
[00:24:16] When the Lord comes to judge the world, we will all be judged by our faith.
[00:24:24] Was our faith in him or our faith in the world?
[00:24:29] Those who trust in the things of the world will die in judgment and in death, like Jericho died. But those who trust in the Lord do not have a foolish faith. What's the result of Israel and Rahab's faith?
[00:24:44] Well, it was life, of course.
[00:24:47] They lived.
[00:24:48] There was victory, of course, and great praise in the name of God.
[00:24:55] And we can even say that this in some ways pointed forward to the new heavens and the new earth, which Canaan was a picture of God's victory over evil. God's victory over idolatry and rebellion was intended to picture the final judgment that would come. And a new creation that would come. I think in some ways this is pictured by Israel's actions and God's commands encircling 123456 days. And on the 7th day.
[00:25:30] On the 7th day, rest was found.
[00:25:34] On the 7th day, victory was found. On the 7th day, reward was found.
[00:25:42] This picture leading this picture reminds us of what Jesus does for us. He does his work and he accomplishes victory. And then he rests, sitting down at the right hand of God.
[00:25:57] That's why when we put our faith and our trust in him, we put our faith and trust in the God who saves us. And the God who was at work in this moment and continued his work throughout time until Christ came.
[00:26:12] This moment. These moments here in Joshua's day led up to another Joshua.
[00:26:18] Jesus, right.
[00:26:20] The one who comes and saves. The great divine warrior who came into the world to bring about the end of death, to bring about the end of rebellion, to bring about the end of the curse and give us victory and life.
[00:26:40] Jesus does this through his own death, by taking on the curse on himself, by taking on death on himself, by becoming sin, even though he knew no sin. And in him, he is a kind of rahab in a way. In him, in his house, we find protection. We find safety. Much like the houses of Israel that had the lamb. The lamB's blood poured over or spread over before the Lord brought judgment on Israel. Those who were under that protection lived.
[00:27:18] This is why Paul says what he says in Romans ten, and I'll finish with this.
[00:27:24] Romans ten 1011 say, for with the heart one believes and is justified. With the mouth one confesses and is saved.
[00:27:36] For the scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.
[00:27:42] And this promise that we read right here is proved by Rahab's example. And it's proved by Israel's example. And in a way of contrast, it's proved also by Jericho's example.
[00:27:57] They didn't do this, and they were not saved.
[00:28:02] So, brothers and sisters, I hope you find reflection on these events and history a great encouragement to you. It's an encouragement not to have a foolish faith in the things of this world, but to have a real faith and a true faith in God, to put our hope in him, our confidence in him, his promises, his victory on his Christ, the supremacy of him, of our savior, who is the alpha and the omega, who is supreme over all things, to put our hope in Israel, in God's son, in Jesus, as we put our hope in him. Let us be active according to our faith.
[00:28:48] Obedient, humble, patient, filled our hearts, our mouths are filled with worship and confession of his name.
[00:28:59] And as we do so know that the result of faith will be just as God has promised, victory, salvation, life and new creation in him.
[00:29:16] Let's pray.
[00:29:18] Our heavenly Father, we thank you for recording these events for us so that we might know, just as Rahab knew, that we ought to put our hope and fear only in you.
[00:29:33] And just as Rahab heard of the great and marvelous works of the Lord, so now we have as well.
[00:29:40] Let us not be foolish like so many in Jericho, simply trusting their walls. But instead, let us rush into the arms of Israel and the promises you've made to him.
[00:29:55] Lord, that true son of Abraham, that offspring of Abraham, Jesus our savior, the son both of Abraham and of Rahab, the son of David, the son of Israel.
[00:30:09] Lord, in him all the things that were promised and anticipated in the Old Testament were brought to completion.
[00:30:18] And we can know that you have kept true to your word. How much stronger might our faith be, even more than Rahabs or Israel's knowing so much more of who you are and what you've done.
[00:30:34] Lord, we ask that you would help us to enter into this heavenly rest that you give to us in Jesus, that we might not fear the things of this world and may might not put our trust in them. But instead, Lord, help us to believe with our hearts and find justification. Help us to confess with our mouths and find salvation.
[00:30:55] What an amazing thing it is that all we have to do is confess and believe in you.
[00:31:03] We do not have to build or scrape.
[00:31:06] We do not have to amass for ourselves great treasures or cities, but simply trust.
[00:31:14] Help us to trust in you and hold fast to your promise that everyone who believes in you, in your son, will not be put to shame. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
