Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 25 September 2011, the Weekend of Prayer to Stop Human Trafficking and 20 October 2013. Presented on the same same occasion, 25 September 2016 at Warehouse Mission in Toronto. Presented also on the 15th Anniversary of Corps 614 Regent Park in Toronto, 01 October 2016. Also presented to Alberni Valley Ministries in Port Alberni, By Captain Michael Ramsay
This is the Weekend of Prayer to Stop Human Trafficking version. To view the Alberni Valley Version, click here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2019/01/joshua-2-redeemed.html To view the Corps 614 version, click here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2016/09/rahab-redeemed-2016-jos-2-heb-1131-jas.html
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We have just been speaking about human trafficking in Canada and I am going to lighten the mood a little bit here before we briefly examine the story of Rahab today. Here is something that I ran across the other day when researching another topic.
A distinguished, prominent big city pastor cruised through a small town. As he did his eyes fell upon a child not more than two feet tall at the door of one of the houses. The boy was on tiptoes valiantly attempting to reach the doorbell. Amused and wanting to help, the pastor parked his car and went over to assist the boy. He reached up and pushed his finger onto the button and the chimes rang inside. Satisfied that he had done his good deed for the day, the pastor turned to the child, “Okay, what happens next?”
With a smile the child replied, “Now we run!”
Another story: This lady goes to the doctor. She has been in serious pain for quite a while. The doctor asks her where it hurts and what is the matter. To which she replies, “It hurts when I touch my temple; it hurts when I touch my side; it hurts when I touch my arm; it even hurts when I touch my nose.”
“I think I know what the problem is”, the doctor says, “your finger is broken.”
Now, of course, today we have been speaking about the real pain associated with Human Trafficking. And the most logical passage in scripture to speak about addressing this would be the story of Joseph,[1] Genesis 37 [38] – 50, as he was actually was trafficked into slavery but as we have just spent quite a bit of time looking at Joseph over the summer, I thought we would deal with the story of the prostitute Rahab today instead (Joshua 2&6, Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25). While there is no evidence that Rahab was trafficked: her family was close to her; they lived in the same town as her (Jericho) and she went out of her way to save their lives when the opportunity arose (Joshua 2:12-13, 18; 6:23).[2] Most –or at least many- of the people trafficked today in Canada, however, are prostitutes, in a similar manner as Rahab was a prostitute:[3] though Shrine prostitution was not uncommon among the pagan peoples in that area, in those days, Rahab was not a shrine prostitute: the language used of Rahab’s profession refers to her strictly as a secular prostitute not unlike those in our own time, in our own country.[4]
Prostitutes then, like prostituted peoples today, were often outcasts from society. The significant thing about Rahab of course was that she repented -she changed to support God (Joshua 2,6) and she was redeemed - James recognizes her for both her faith and her works (James 2:24-26). Rahab was redeemed and the author of the sermon (or letter) to the Hebrews even records her as one of the heroes (heroines) of the faith. Hebrews 11:31: “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” Rahab, the prostitute, was saved. Rahab was redeemed.
Now today when we hear the name Rahab, we often think of this lady whom the LORD used to save the spies and deliver Jericho into the Hebrews’ hands. Does anyone know what the name ‘Rahab’ actually means? It -literally translated from Hebrew- means ‘broad’, ‘fat’, or ‘large’ and in common usage it refers to ‘fierceness’, ‘insolence’, and ‘pride’.[5] In the Bible, the country of Egypt is sometimes derogatorily referred to as a Rahab. Rahab is an insult used of one of the Hebrews’ off again / on again enemies, the Egyptians.[6] Egypt - according to Isaiah and according to the Psalms – Egypt is a fat, insolent, Rahab (Psalm 89:10, Isaiah 51:9; cf. Psalm 87:4, Isaiah 30:7). Rahab in our story today was a prostitute. But Rahab is saved and Rahab is redeemed.
Now many of you know some of our own personal history. Susan, the girls (the oldest 2 anyway), and I were urban missionaries with 614 in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside prior to being commissioned as Officers in The Salvation Army. And before we were appointed to serve the LORD and the Army in Saskatchewan, we served in Downtown Winnipeg and Winnipeg’s North End; I also served in Stoney Mountain Penitentiary. We made more than a few friends in these environments who –like Rahab- were relegated to the margins of society by either circumstances, their choices, and/or someone else’s actions. We had friends in our cell groups, Bible studies, knee drills, church services, and/or staying in our very home (we ran a transition residence in Vancouver) who were prostituted peoples, addicted to drugs and alcohol, reliant on theft and deception... I have elsewhere previously told the story of transvestite friends of ours whom the Lord redeemed and transformed through –among other things- simply reading the Bible in community with the rest of us.
We have had more than one friend, for whom our hearts still break, convicted of murder – some even since knowing the Lord. Sometimes people fall back but even still we have seen God transform many lives: sometimes once, sometimes twice, sometimes thrice, or even more as need be. There are many more people still relegated to the margins of our society even here - they (we) are not unredeemable; they (we) are as ready for redemption as anyone. I have spent many hours since we have moved to Saskatchewan between Nipawin, Tisdale, Carrot River, and Swift Current, sitting with people in the courts, speaking with people in the courts, speaking on behalf of people in the courts, praying with people in the courts. John, Ron, Sylvia, and others here through the food bank and other ministries are walking people through many of life’s challenges. We have post-food bank interviews now where volunteers sit down with people in need and we try to help out in anyway that we can. There are many people we know here who wind up on the margins of our society by either circumstances, their choices, and/or someone else’s actions. They can be redeemed.
There are many relegated to the margins of our society by either circumstances, their choices, and/or someone else’s actions. Many of us at one time or another have found ourselves outcasts like prostituted peoples, like Rahab. Rahab in our stories today, Rahab was a prostitute. Rahab was an outcast. Rahab is saved and Rahab is redeemed. We can be saved. We can be redeemed.
I have been involved with AA at times: I would fairly regularly attend meetings in Nipawin and the AA Roundup has had their annual celebrations here, at the Swift Current Corps, the previous few years. I have been to more than one AA meeting and at AA we speak about a higher power. Step 1 in AA: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.” Step 2: We “came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity” and Step 3: We “made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.”
Well, there is one higher power, God, through whom salvation is offered not only from alcohol; not only from addiction; not only from a horrible, storied past of abuse and other things; but from all else as well. There is one name by which we all can be saved not only for the here and the now but forever (Acts 4:12). That name, that one is Jesus. Jesus has died and he rose again from the grave so that we don’t need to be trapped in our addictions; we don’t need to be trapped in our sins; we don’t need to be trapped in our struggles. Jesus rose from the grave conquering sin and death so that even those of us most caught by sin and by circumstance can be saved. Rahab was a prostitute in a doomed pagan city. Rahab is saved and Rahab is redeemed. We, no matter who we are and what we have done, we can be saved. We can be redeemed (TSA docs. 6&10).
After Rahab’s faith and deeds were used by God to save the Hebrew spies and deliver Jericho over to the LORD, do you know how the Lord transformed her life? According to Jewish tradition, she married Joshua and became the ancestor of eight priests (Tal Megillah 14b). She is also listed as one of four women of surpassing beauty (Tal Megillah 15a; the others were Sarah, Abigail, and Esther).[7] The Bible tells us she did marry Salmon, one of the princes of Judah (Ruth 4:21, 1 Chronicles 2:11, Matthew 1:5). We remember too the wealthy landowner, Boaz, who married Ruth of the book of Ruth; this prominent Boaz was Rahab’s son. Ruth was Rahab’s daughter-in-law. Ruth and Boaz had a child, Obed, who was Rahab’s grandson. His son, Rahab’s great grandson was Jesse and his son, Rahab’s great great grandson was King David from whose line God promised Salvation and to establish His Dominion (Matthew 1:5-6; cf. 2 Samuel 7). This was of course accomplished through another descendent of Rahab the redeemed prostitute – that is Jesus, the Redeemer himself, the Messiah (cf. Matthew 1:16).
“For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” – John 3:16 (AV) – and He chose to do this through the ancestral line of the redeemed life of Rahab.
Scholar Richard Hess tells us that, “the story of Rahab confirms God’s welcome to all people, whatever their condition. Christ died for all the world and the opportunity is available for all to come to him through faith, even the chief of sinners [like you and like me] (1 Timothy 1:15)...Rahab exhibits faith and understanding of the God who saves her. She becomes part of the family line that leads to the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:5) and [she is] a model of faith for all Christians” (Hebrews 11:31).[8]
Rahab, who was once a secular pagan prostitute now stands redeemed, saved, holy, cleansed of her sins, and as one of the heroes of the faith. You and I here today, no matter what we done, no matter who we have been, we too can be saved. Jesus died on the cross so that we could die to our sins and He rose from the grave so that we could live out a holy, redeemed life (cf. Romans 10:9-13). It is my prayer that today each of us would - like righteous Rahab - take God up on His offer of His Salvation and of His Redemption.
Let us pray.
[1] Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, Genesis 50:15-21: Regarding Forgiveness: Do not be afraid, for are we in the place of God? Presented to the Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 07 August 2011. Available on-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/08/genesis-5015-21-regarding-forgiveness.html And Captain Michael Ramsay, Genesis 39:2a: The Lord was with Joseph and He Prospered. Presented to the Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 10 July 2011. Available on-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/07/genesis-392a-lord-was-with-joseph-and.html
[2] Cf. Robert B. Coote, The Book of Joshua, (NIB II: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1998), 592.
[3] Cf. RCMP Criminal Intelligence. Project SECLUSION: Human Trafficking in Canada (Ottawa: 2010).
[4] Leon Morris, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Hebrews/Exposition of Hebrews/VIII. Faith (11:1-40)/F. The Faith of the Exodus Generation (11:29-31), Book Version: 4.0.2
[5] ‘Rahab’ in Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary. Cited from Biblegateway.com. Available on-line: http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/dictionaries/dict_meaning.php?source=1&wid=T0003054
[6] ‘Rahab’ in Smith’s Bible Names Dictionary. Cited from Biblegateway.com. Available on-line: http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/dictionaries/dict_meaning.php?source=3&wid=S10094
[7] Leon Morris, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Hebrews/Exposition of Hebrews/VIII. Faith (11:1-40)/F. The Faith of the Exodus Generation (11:29-31), Book Version: 4.0.2
[8] Richard S. Hess, Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1996 (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 6), S. 89
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