By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.By faith Rahab the prostitute didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace.By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, having received the spies with peace.
4 sermons cite this verse
… won't believe this. I skipped this verse, but I want to show it to you now. Verse 31. By faith, the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. I would expect to see Ruth in the hall of faith, not Rahab. Ruth was sweet to her mother-in-law. Ruth was loyal. Rahab, the prostitute, she was running the kind of house where when the men were looking for somewhere to hide, they said, let's go to Rahab's house. She made it in the book. Don't tell me God can't use you. Don't tell me your life can't be redeemed. Don't tell me somebody you're sitting next to needs to be labeled according to somebody that God has delivered them from. Not only does he leave out certain people and not only does he leave out certain processes, but I'm going to make this class interactive now. All of that was set up for what I want to show you here. If you read the two verses I read you together back to back, there's something he skips. …
Hebrews chapter 11. By faith, Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. They were made strong, the next verse says. They escaped the edge of the sword, quenched the violence. In other words, they won on the battlefields, major wars. Were made strong and valiant in battle. Turned to flight the armies that invaded. Powerful stuff. It's God's hall of fame. And God lifts those men and women in Hebrews chapter 11 who distinguish themselves in the kingdom of God. It's God's roll call of outstanding winners. He says these, and there's a long list, names that are household names biblically. But then in there, there are three names. I named the first one, but there are three names that did nothing in the natural, such as winning a battle or slaying a giant or closing the mouth of a slaying a lion, as the text said. …
… route? James is showing that when you have the invisible quality of faith, it will express itself visibly. Then moving on, look at the book of Hebrews chapter 11, verse 31. The author is moving in chronological order through the story of God. And he gets to Moses and he talks about how Moses lived by faith. And then he moves to the Jericho walls falling and you're expecting him to say Joshua, but he doesn't name Joshua. Who's he named? Rahab. Look, verse 31, by faith, Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn't perish with those who disobeyed. Rahab risked it all. She went all in. She surrendered and she was spared as a result. Faith is costly. But second, I want you to see this. Knowing God's character is what gives our faith confidence. Did you notice that in verse eight, her speech is one of the longest speeches recorded by a woman in the Old Testament. And what we have here, looking in verse eight and verse nine, she starts by saying, I know. …
… right there with Moses and Abraham and Isaac and Joseph. By faith, the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. In the story that God is writing, he chooses to include because of God's grace through her faith, the prostitute Rahab. And I don't have to tell you too much to tell you if that's true for her, then why couldn't it be true for you? If God would write her into the story, then why are you counting yourself out? Why are you counting your family out? Why are you counting your friends out? No one is too far gone. And God writes the least likely into his story. And right there is Rahab in the hall of faith. Believe for what God wants to do in and through your life. She's a picture. Her life and her act of faith is an amazing picture of what God is doing in our lives and through our lives. We need pictures, don't we? …