Rahab. Faith Over Fear¶

Introduction¶

Icebreaker¶

A. Describe a time you showed hospitality to a stranger. What was the situation?

B. When have you had to go against the consensus of your family, friends, or community because you believed it was the right thing to do?

True faith often requires courageous action when everyone else is paralyzed by fear.

Core Message¶

True faith sees God's power, confesses His sovereignty, and acts with courageous hospitality, even when surrounded by a culture of fear.

1. City Gripped by Fear¶

The report of God's power brought paralyzing fear to Jericho's inhabitants.

Joshua 2:1-4, 8-9, BSB¶

1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, "Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

2 And it was reported to the king of Jericho: "Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land." 3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said, "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land."

4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them...

8 Now before the spies went to sleep, Rahab went up to the roof 9 and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you.

Context & Insights¶

Two spies infiltrate Jericho, lodging in Rahab's house. Their presence is immediately detected, and the king reacts with alarm.

Forty years earlier, Moses sent twelve spies into this land, but only Joshua and Caleb returned with faith-filled reports (Numbers 13-14). Now Joshua sends only two spies—and both would prove faithful.

Jericho was the strategic gateway to the promised land. From here, three pathways led into central Canaan. Control Jericho, and you control access to the whole region.

Secretly. Joshua acts with both courage and wisdom. Faith and prudence are not opposites.
Rahab. Her profession and location (her house was part of the city wall) made her establishment strategic for travelers. She was a marginalized person in a strategic location.
Melting in fear. The Hebrew moog paints a picture of utter demoralization. God's power had not led Jericho to repentance, but to paralyzing terror.

Illustration. Imagine a city hearing that an unstoppable army approaches. Gates locked, guards on alert, rumors spreading panic. People frozen, waiting for the inevitable. This was Jericho—fear had them in its grip. But in one house on the edge of the city, fear was about to turn into faith.

Fear vs. Faith¶

What is the difference between a fear that paralyzes and a fear of the Lord that leads to wisdom?

Common Answers¶

Focus. Paralyzing fear focuses on the threat and our inability. Godly fear focuses on God's power and our dependence on Him, leading to trust and obedience.

Response. Paralyzing fear leads to inaction and self-preservation. Godly fear leads to proactive faith and aligning with God's purposes.

Outcome. Paralyzing fear ends in despair and destruction. Godly fear ends in wisdom, salvation, and life (Proverbs 9:10).

Dig Deeper. How can we cultivate a fear of the Lord that overcomes our culture's paralyzing fears?

Practical Application¶

Identify Your Fears. What circumstances are causing you to melt in fear right now? Name them.

Shift Your Focus. Instead of dwelling on threats, focus on God's power and faithfulness. Find a Scripture promise for your situation.

Transition. While the king reacted with predictable force, this marginalized woman responded with unpredictable faith.

2. Unlikely Act of Faith¶

While her city was paralyzed by fear, Rahab acted in faith, protecting God's messengers at great personal risk.

Joshua 2:4-7, BSB¶

4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, "Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn't know where they were from. 5 At nightfall, when the city gate was about to close, the men went out, and I don't know where they were going. Chase after them quickly, and you can catch up with them!"

6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.)

7 So the men pursued them along the road to the Jordan as far as the fords, and as soon as the pursuers had left, the gate was shut.

Context & Insights¶

The king's men arrive at Rahab's door. To obey would be safe; to defy is treason, punishable by death. She acts decisively, hiding the men and misdirecting their pursuers.

She had taken... and hidden them. Her action is decisive and premeditated. She had already chosen her side. Faith acts.
Hidden them. The Hebrew tsaphan means more than concealing—it means to treasure (Psalm 31:19; Job 23:12). Rahab treasured these lives as precious, worth protecting.
Stalks of flax. She used ordinary materials of daily life for extraordinary deliverance.
Gate was shut. The spies are trapped, Rahab's fate irrevocably tied to theirs. No turning back.

Illustration. It's like hiding refugees in an attic during WWII. When soldiers knock, you calmly lie, knowing discovery means execution. A life-or-death gamble based on conviction.

Risk Calculation. Jim Elliot wrote:

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

Rahab gave up safety, standing, potentially her life. But she gained alignment with the true God, a promise of salvation, a place among His people, and ultimately, a role in Messiah's lineage. From one perspective, enormous risk. From faith's perspective—no risk at all. She bet on the sure winner.

Faith in Action¶

Hebrews 11:31 says, By faith the prostitute Rahab did not perish... because she welcomed the spies. How does Rahab's lie fit with her being a hero of faith?

Common Answers¶

Higher Law. Rahab faced conflicting laws: the king's command versus God's will. She chose the higher law to preserve God's messengers.

Faith Precedes Perfection. The Bible presents heroes as flawed people. God commends Rahab's faith—her trust that led to action—not her perfection.

God's Focus is the Heart. God saw past her profession and deception to a heart that believed. He honored her faith, not flawless execution.

Rational Risk. Rahab's choice was actually rational. She weighed evidence and concluded Israel's God was unstoppable. The real risk was staying loyal to a doomed city. Faith doesn't make us reckless; it clarifies reality.

Dig Deeper. When have you faced conflicting obligations? How do you discern the higher law?

Practical Application¶

Use Your Flax. What ordinary resources in your life could God use for extraordinary purposes?

Act Decisively. Where have you been hesitating when you know the right thing to do?

Transition. Rahab's actions weren't a blind gamble; they were based on deep conviction about who God is.

3. Convinced Heart & Bold Request¶

Rahab's actions were rooted in firm belief in God's supreme authority, moving her to seek salvation for her family.

Joshua 2:10-14, BSB¶

10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction. 11 When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.

12 Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that, just as I have shown you kindness, you also will show kindness to my father's house. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will deliver us from death."

14 "Our lives for your lives!" the men agreed. "If you do not report our mission, we will show you kindness and faithfulness when the LORD gives us the land."

Joshua 2:17-19, BSB (Conditions)¶

17 The men said to her, "We will be free from this oath you made us swear, 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all your father's household into your house. 19 If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our head."

Context & Insights¶

Rahab reveals the why behind her actions. Her theology is robust—she knows who was behind Israel's victories: Yahweh.

We have heard. God's power was common knowledge. Decades-old news, yet still impactful.
The LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. The central Old Testament confession (Deut. 4:39). A Canaanite prostitute makes one of Scripture's most profound faith statements, recognizing Israel's God as supreme sovereign.
Give me a sure sign. Her faith is active, seeking a secure covenant of salvation—not just for herself but her entire family.
Scarlet cord in the window. A specific, visible sign. This tested her faith: Would she publicly identify with Israel's God? Would she trust this simple sign for protection?
Bring your father's household into your house. Salvation had conditions: (1) hang the cord publicly, (2) gather everyone inside, (3) keep them inside, (4) don't report the mission. These tested whether she'd trust God's promise.
Scarlet cord = Christ's blood. Like Passover lamb's blood on doorposts (Exodus 12), this cord marked Rahab's house for salvation. Both foreshadow Christ's blood that marks us as God's own (1 Peter 1:18-19; Hebrews 9:12-14).

Illustration. Imagine someone hearing about Christianity only through news and culture. In crisis, they piece it together: That Jesus—He's not just another religious figure. He is Lord of everything. Based on this, they seek a Christian: Tell me how to be saved.

Great Confession¶

What is the significance of a Canaanite prostitute making this confession about God's sovereignty?

Common Answers¶

Grace for Everyone. Salvation isn't limited by ethnicity, social status, or past sins. God's grace extends to anyone who believes.

Faith by Hearing. God's testimony produces saving faith in receptive hearts (Romans 10:17).

Rebuke to Unbelief. Rahab's faith contrasts Israel's wilderness unbelief. They saw God's works firsthand yet doubted; she had less evidence but greater faith.

Dig Deeper. Who are today's Rahabs—unlikely people God might be calling? How does our church welcome them?

Faith for Family¶

Rahab's faith immediately extended to her family's salvation. What does this teach about true saving faith?

Common Answers¶

Faith is Not Selfish. Genuine faith isn't just me and Jesus. It overflows into concern for loved ones.

Faith Leads to Intercession. A changed heart longs for others to experience the same grace.

Dig Deeper. Who in your father's house needs your advocacy in prayer and action?

Visible Faith¶

The scarlet cord required public identification with Israel. What are our scarlet cords—visible ways we identify with Christ—and why are they important?

Common Answers¶

Public Confession. Baptism is our primary "scarlet cord"—publicly declaring we belong to Christ (Romans 10:9-10).

Costly Identification. Public identification with Christ (wearing a cross, praying before meals, speaking biblical truth) risks ridicule but demonstrates real faith.

Corporate Worship. Regular church attendance is a scarlet cord—publicly declaring, "I'm part of this family." As culture marginalizes Christianity, this becomes more costly and meaningful.

Dig Deeper. Where have you hesitated to publicly identify with Christ? What fear holds you back?

Practical Application¶

Verbalize Your Faith. Find an opportunity this week to verbalize why you believe in God—a simple statement of trust in His goodness and power.

Pray for Your Household. List your family members. Commit to praying daily this week for their salvation or deepening faith.

Transition. A deal was struck based on a promise. But a promise is only as good as the one who keeps it.

4. Promise Kept, Family Saved¶

God honors courageous faith by ensuring salvation's promise is faithfully delivered.

Joshua 6:22-25, BSB¶

22 Meanwhile, Joshua told the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the house of the prostitute and bring out the woman and all who are with her, just as you promised her."

23 So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

24 Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD's house.

25 And Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her father's household and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho. So she has lived among the Israelites to this day.

Context & Insights¶

Jericho's walls have fallen. Battle rages. Amid chaos, Joshua remembers. He commands the promise be kept. The two oath-makers fulfill it.

Joshua told the two men. Joshua takes personal responsibility for his men's oath, showing integrity and honoring the covenant.
Outside the camp of Israel. As ceremonially unclean Gentiles, they were brought to safety outside as an interim step before full integration—both separation and protection.
Transitional holiness. This wasn't rejection but necessary transition. God's holiness required purification before covenant community integration. God's grace doesn't bypass holiness—it works through it. He saves us as we are but doesn't leave us unchanged. Salvation includes justification and sanctification.
She has lived among the Israelites to this day. Her salvation was permanent. She was fully incorporated into God's people—this former Canaanite prostitute appears in Jesus's genealogy (Matthew 1:5).

Illustration. A firefighter in a raging inferno remembers a promise to save a child's trapped pet. While others battle the blaze, he diverts to find and rescue it—because a promise is a promise, even in chaos.

Connection to Noah. Rahab's salvation mirrors Noah's. As Noah's family—eight people—were saved inside the ark while judgment fell outside (Genesis 7:1), so Rahab's family was saved inside her house while Jericho fell. In both: one household saved while others judged; salvation requires being inside the designated place; the saved join God's ongoing story.

This pattern culminates in Christ. We're saved by being in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)—hidden in Him, our ark of safety, while God's judgment falls on Him instead of us (Romans 8:1).

Kept Promise¶

What does Joshua's care to keep the promise teach about God's character?

Common Answers¶

God is Faithful. God takes promises seriously. Joshua's faithfulness reflects God's perfect faithfulness. When God promises salvation, He sees it through despite chaos.

God Remembers the One. Amid massive military operations involving thousands, God's plan focuses on one individual and her family, showing His personal care.

God's Salvation is Complete. Rahab wasn't just saved from death but to new life, new identity, and a place among God's people.

God's Attention to Detail. In battle's chaos, God zooms in on one house, one woman, one family. The God who orchestrates nations remembers individual promises. He knows your every hair (Matthew 10:30) and tear (Psalm 56:8).

Dig Deeper. How does Rahab's inclusion in Jesus's genealogy (Matthew 1:5) confirm her salvation and God's grace?

Ultimate Inclusion¶

Rahab appears in Jesus's genealogy (Matthew 1:5), one of only four women mentioned. What does this tell us about God's grace?

Common Answers¶

Grace for Outsiders. Rahab was a Gentile, Canaanite, and prostitute—completely outside. Yet she becomes David's ancestor and ultimately Messiah's. This shatters notions that God's grace is limited. The gospel is for everyone who believes.

Redemption of the Past. God didn't erase Rahab's past; He redeemed it. Matthew mentions she was a prostitute. No past is too broken for God to redeem and repurpose.

Foreshadowing the Church. Gentile inclusion in Jesus's family tree foreshadows Gentile inclusion in the Church. Rahab's presence announces: "Messiah came not just for Israel, but for whosoever will" (John 3:16; Revelation 22:17).

Dig Deeper. How does Rahab's presence in Jesus's genealogy give you hope about your past or people you're praying for?

Practical Application¶

Remember God's Faithfulness. Reflect on when God kept a promise or showed faithfulness. Thank Him.

Be a Promise Keeper. Consider a promise you've made. Take a specific step this week to fulfill it, reflecting God's faithfulness.

Closing¶

Reflection¶

In a city paralyzed by fear, one woman acted in faith. Rahab heard God's power stories and believed. She treasured the spies, risking her life to align with God's people. She confessed His universal sovereignty with prophetic clarity. She hung a scarlet cord as public allegiance. She sought salvation for her entire household.

God honored her faith abundantly. The promise-makers returned to fulfill it. Joshua ensured the oath was kept. Her family was saved, transitioned to holiness, fully incorporated into Israel. In ultimate grace, this Canaanite prostitute was grafted into Messiah's lineage.

Her story testifies that faith is not passive feeling but active trust that courageously defies fear's culture. God's grace is so extravagant that He takes the most unlikely people and writes them into the greatest story ever told.

Decision¶

A. City of Fear — What fear paralyzes you, your family, or community now? B. Act of Faith — What courageous action can you take this week to choose faith over fear? C. Confession of Faith — Will you declare, like Rahab, that the LORD is "God in heaven above and on earth below," even when unpopular? D. Promise of Salvation — Have you secured salvation's promise by trusting God's anointed one, Jesus?

Challenges¶

1. Pinpoint Your Fear.¶

Write down the primary fear influencing your decisions. Beside it, write Rahab's confession: [The LORD] is God in heaven above and on earth below. Pray, asking God to make His sovereignty more real than your fear.

2. Scarlet Cord Challenge.¶

What visible, tangible action can you take this week signaling your faith? An act of hospitality, a faith conversation, or trusting God in difficulty?

3. Pray for Your Household.¶

Identify your father's house—family, friends, loved ones you're concerned for. Like Rahab, intercede. Pray daily for seven days for their protection and salvation.

4. One-Verse Memory Challenge.¶

Memorize Joshua 2:11b—...for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. Use this confession against fear and doubt.

Prayer¶

Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of Your power that melts hearts and Your grace that saves the unlikely. We confess that, like Jericho, we're often paralyzed by fear. Forgive us for letting worldly threats loom larger than Your sovereignty.

Lord, give us Rahab's faith—faith that acts, speaks, and saves. Give us courage to hide truth's messengers, defy cultural expectations, and boldly confess that You alone are God over all. Help us seek salvation not only for ourselves but our entire household.

Thank You for keeping promises. Thank You for grafting us into Your family through the ultimate scarlet cord—Jesus's blood. May our lives testify to Your saving grace. In Jesus's powerful name, Amen.