Sunday morning: June 25th 2017 – 10.30 am. Continuing our walk through Hebrews 11. This week our attention turns to Rahab.
The Service will be followed by a hunger lunch
in aid of Christian Solidarity Worldwide
Hebrews 11:31 (NIV)
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
Rahab was a citizen of Jericho, a non-believer and a prostitute. In many ways an ordinary citizen of Jericho. Certainly, she was nobody special.
But she accepted the spies sent by Joshua into her house and protected them from the King.
The key to understanding Rahab is her confession in Joshua 2:8-11
Joshua 2:8-11 (NIV)
8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
She appears again in the genealogy of Jesus.
Matthew 1:1-6 (NIV)
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
Her inclusion here points, along with Tamar (v3) a Canaanite, Ruth (v5) a Moabite and Bathsheba (v6) a Hittite to the gospel being for all nations as each of them were foreigners.
God didn’t wait until Rahab was living a good enough life, he called her out of her life of sin. She in turn took the earliest opportunity and was obedient to His call.
Q. Have you heard God calling you?
Rahab was prepared to give up everything, in because of what she believed God was capable of doing. Even though she was living a sinful life, she acted in faith and was saved.
Q. Are you in some way trying to become good enough for God before you become a Christian?
Rahab heard God tell her to do something, and although she had no particular skill set, she found herself in a situation where she could make a difference, simply by making the right decision, and choosing to obey God.
Q. Has God placed you in a situation where you can make a difference?
Service Details
Theme: Every Day Heroes
Reading: Hebrews 11 v 31 & Joshua 2
Preacher: Robin Brenchley
Led by: Fay Graham