Mix the Word with Faith and Trust God <> Part 2 - Unexpected Intelligence Agent

Mix the Word with Faith and Trust God <> Part 2 of 3 

Unexpected Intelligence Agent

In the book of Hebrews, Chapter 11 is often dubbed the “roll call of faith.” It describes several people, in the Bible, who are commended for their faith. If you haven’t read it for a while, I highly recommend you do and be encouraged.

One of my favorite people honored for her faith is a woman named Rahab. She was an Ammonite who lived in the city of Jericho. Rahab began to trust God just on hearing about Him.

She had heard about the God of Israel and the mighty things He was doing for His people. We’re introduced to Rahab in the second chapter of Joshua. 

For the Israelites, the forty years of wandering was finished. Moses was gone, and Joshua was leading the Israelites into the Promised Land of Canaan. The very first city to conquer was Jericho. So, Joshua sent two spies into the city to scope things out.

The spies went to the home of Rahab for lodging. She was a prostitute. Our first thought would likely be, “How unseemly! —that they would go to such a place.”

But…think about it. Men would come and go from her place consistently. And over-riding that fact, God knew the heart of Rahab and He had already handpicked her to enter into His plan. 

She had heard about Yahweh, the God of Israel, believed in Him and trusted Him. So, Rahab agreed to hide them in her home.

She said, “for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death” (Joshua 2:11c-13 KJV).

“So the men answered her, ‘Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you’” (Joshua 2:14 NKJV).

When the authorities came, looking for the Israelites, she hid them and told the pursuers, “They went that-a-way. Hurry, go catch them!” So, they left.

The spies promised to spare Rahab and her family. Then when the walls of Jericho came tumblin down, she and her household were rescued from destruction. 

Like Rahab, because we have put our trust in the God of Israel and His Son, Jesus, we have been rescued from destruction. 

It excites me to know the story of Rahab does not end here. In her ensuing story, we see a beautiful picture of God’s redeeming power. 

Was it not enough that the lives of Rahab and her family were spared? No—not where God was concerned. God is so good and His grace so amazing! Rahab went on to marry an Israelite named Salmon and her name turns up in the genealogy of Jesus, our Savior.

Salmon and Rahab were the parents of Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, who married Ruth. Their son was Obed, who was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, the most famous and beloved king of Israel.

As we continue through the descendants of David, we come to Jesus Himself. So, Rahab, the former prostitute, is in the family tree of our Lord. 

Here we see redemption. Rahab put her trust in God and was saved. The people we read about in Scripture didn’t have a Bible like we do today. 

They had the Word of God as it was given to Moses and as they witnessed God do mighty works. Rahab heard the Word of the Lord second hand and believed. She mixed the Word with faith and made a decision to put her trust in God. 

We must remember, God knows more than we do. He knows every minute detail of every thing and every one. He knows what the outcome should be. And He’s trustworthy.

Bottom Line:

“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them: but the word that they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it” (Hebrews 4:2 NKJV).

In other words—They heard the Word preached, but it did not benefit them because they didn’t mix it with faith. So, when we mix God’s Word with our faith we have what we need to trust God. 

In the comment section below, please tell of a situation in which you needed to trust God this week.  Thanks so much.

©Copyright 2018 Connie Wohlford