Title: Rahab's Faith!
Contents
Among the books that have been read a lot by entrepreneurs and those interested in leadership for a while is a book called “The 8 Habits of Highly Effective Entrepreneurs” by Jim Collins of Stanford University. One of the book's unique contributions is to point out that the notion that successful companies must necessarily have excellent charismatic leaders is a myth. The author introduces through his research that, among the world's leading visionary companies, there are surprisingly many people who have led these companies without being outstanding leaders at all. I believe this hypothesis will be equally true in the world of faith. This is because the people who were preciously used for the kingdom of God were not necessarily those with outstanding leadership.
Hebrews 11 is called a kind of hall of fame for our ancestors in our faith. That's Rahab She was by no means worthy of standing in the ranks of outstanding leaders of faith. Being a woman, her job is a gisaeng. Moreover, from the perspective of the chosen people, his hometown was a Canaanite, a Gentile who was not chosen. But such a woman was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Faith. What was it? The writer of Hebrews testifies about this because of her faith. If so, what was her belief?
1. It was a faith with a confession.
“With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:10). Where the heart dwells, the lips are the confession of faith. These two cannot be contradicted. If you confess with your lips only when you are not there, it is hypocrisy, and if you are in your heart and cannot be confessed with your lips, it will be a cowardly silence. It has melted, and people have lost their minds because of you; the LORD your God is God above and below” (Joshua 2:11).
One day, he heard the news about the Lord who came to him, and then he believed in and confessed to the Lord with all his heart. As Romans 10:17 says, her faith comes from hearing, and her confidence has finally reached the level of confessing that she knows what God will do.
“I know that the Lord has given you this land” (Joshua 2:9).
Here, ‘knowing’ is the confession of a person who has entered the state of certainty. In the Korean church, the expression ‘believe’ is widely used as an expression of confidence, but ‘knowing’ may be a stronger expression of conviction. Rahab had a faith with a confession. I hope that you will become the protagonist of the confession that the Lord is my Lord in your life as well.
2. It was faith with works. This belief became a reality in her life.
God used Rahab because she had faith with a confession. However, her faith did not stop at confession, and her faith was manifested in concrete actions based on faith. In other words, her beliefs became real in life. Rahab welcomed the spies who had come as messengers of the people of Israel, protected them, and sent them back in peace. In fact, this was a life-threatening act. If the act of hiding an Israeli spy was discovered, not only her but also her family would be in danger. But her faith in God made her bold. Later, James introduces that Rahab's actions like this are typical fruits of Christian faith.
“In the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For just as the body without the soul is dead, so faith without works is dead” (James 2:25-26).
In the book of James, Abraham is introduced as the representative of the man of faith, but Rahab is introduced as the representative of works. She is proudly mentioned alongside Abraham. Of course, her actions are connected with faith. I was able to do it because I had faith. There is nothing immediately to be gained by her protecting the spies. Rather, it will only cost you your life. It is definitely a sacrifice. And it is a lonely decision. It was even a seemingly foolish decision that no one would agree with. But Rahab decided by faith and acted by faith. It was only possible because of his faith in God. There are many cases in which Christian conduct requires a solitary decision that goes against all worldly values. That's why Paul said, "Do not be conformed to this generation." Because belief requires action. It was Rahab's faith, faith with works. What is our belief?
3. It was a rewarding faith.
In Hebrews 11:6, the writer says that those of sincere faith will receive a reward from God. “Without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.”
If so, how was Rahab's faith a reward?
First of all, on the day the Israelites invaded Jericho, they and their families were saved just as they had been promised.
“Joshua said to the two men who had spyed out on the land, “Enter the prostitute’s house and bring him and all that belongs to her, just as you swore to the woman.” So the spies went in, Rahab and her parents and her brothers and bring out everything that belongs to them, and all their relatives,
Leave them outside the camp of Israel…” (Joshua 6:22-23)
Also, as we know, God's reward for the faith of Rahab the prostitute does not end there. In the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, the name of Rahab appears surprisingly. She left her shameful past behind and became an instrument of blessing for a proud future. Thus, she could become a symbol of living a changed life.
The reason why the name of a gisaeng is written before Rahab's name in the text seems to be intended to imply that she, who was a gisaeng in the past, was changed and used in this way. Like the names such as 'Matthew the tax collector' and 'Simon the Celtite', we too were sinners who had no choice but to die, but by accepting Jesus Christ, we enjoy the authority to become children of God. Think about how much of a topic Rahab's life changed after the conquest of Jericho was in this city, and how challenging it must have been for her neighbors. The woman who used to be a gisaeng has now become a proud daughter of God and is living a life of faith. Today's society needs these kinds of changed people. These transformed people in the church, home, workplace, and region should be produced through the church. There is still hope for us if we begin to witness to God through such people. Repentance is the way through which an individual lives, a family lives, and a nation lives. We should all live a rewarding life. I pray....