Ver. 9.-Rahao·s faith.-Since the time when Moses desp11tched twelve spies to Inspect the land, the fame of the Israelites had spre11d amongst the inhabit11nts of Canaan. They were on their guai·d, and it was necess111-y to act with caution. Joshua sent, therefore, only two men, and that" secretly." The few are sometimes better ,than the many, AtTiving at Jericho towards. evening, they entered in~o R11hab B house, there to spend the night, As Rahab 1s honourably ment10necl_ rn the EJ?istle to the Hebrews as an ex11mple of" faith,'' and in the Epistle of J=es as an illustration of the "works" that result from faith, let us consuler her fmth so far as it is worthy of imitation. . I. IT WAS A FAITH THAT REASONED, It based itself on facts. She ruent10necl two s~riking events, the p11ss11ge of the '.' ?ea of ~eeds," and the overthrow of the two longs of the A.morites by the Israeht1sh nation. From these she argued tlrnt the God of Isrnel must be mightier tl111n the gods whom her country worsl)1ppe,l, that He w11s " Lonl in heaven and earth," and that He would procme for I-hs people the land of Can11an. Thus she took to he11rt the lessons of the past. P1·e- 88 THE BOOR OF JOSHUA. [clt, II, 1-12,
jndice is_ strong. It could not have been au easy matter to renounce belief in her own deities, and to acknowledge the supremacy of nu enemy's God. If men consult h1stor:y they find therein ample evidence of a " power that maketh for righteons- n_ess." And further, the hand of God can be seen as the power tl111t upholdeth r1ghteoumess. The history of the Jews is itself a witness to the truth and might of God. The spread of Christianity cannot be accounted for except on the supposition that it was " the work of God." ,vhat the keenest shafts of philosophical ridicule and reasoning failed to accomplish, that the " religion of the fishermen " soon achies-ed. It released men from the bondage of grossest idolatry ancl foulest sin. We may reasonably demand that men should pay to the "God of the Christians" that homage which is His due. We only ask that they will allow facts of religion to press upon them with their proper weight. The wicked may well feel downcast, for the chaff shall be blown away before the wind of judgment. " Who is on the Lord's side?' II. IT WAS A FAITH THAT LED TO THE ADOPTION OF PRACTICAL <IEASURES. (a) She hid the messengers. With the proverbial ingenuity of woman, she con- cealed them behind the stalks of flax piled upon the roof. Possibly the Eastern law of hospitality had some influence upon her conduct, but the narrative shows tho.t Rahab was willin_q to undergo present risk for the sake of future p1·eservation. Had the spies been detected in her house, death was sure. ,ve do not excuse the falsehoods she told, nor are they commended in Scripture. They were an outcome of her degraded state, and an infirmity which was graciously overlooked by reason of .her faith. To have respect to a future good is the duty of every man. The obstacle in the path of many is that they cannot forego present enjoyment. Reli- gion requires us to endure "as seeing Him who is invisible," to "look at the things unseen." (b) She bound the scarlet line in the window. Before letting the men down Ly a cord, she demanded " a true token" that should assure her of security in the day of assault. The spies gave her an oath pledging their life for her safety, but coupling with the oath certain conditions to be fulfilled on her part. Here again is Rahab a model of appropriate action. God binds Himself by a cove- n.ant to forgive men if they respect the terms thereof. He confirmecl His declara- tion bv an oath (Heh. vi. 17). But. only those can be said to" believe" who actually "flee for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them." The Israelites were reqllll'ed to sprinkle the blood upon the lintel of the door-post, and similarly must the blood of Christ be sprinkled upon our consciences if we would be unharmed when the destroying angel passes by. Our foreheo.ds must be sealed (Rev. vii. 3)., but not with the mark of the beast (Rev. xx. 4). If the promises of God are to have effect, we must observe the conditions, Herein many are found wanting. They listen, hesitate, think, but there is no practical faith, no actual recognition of God's Io.,-e by accepting His gracious offers. Let the "scarlet line" be visible forthwith I then in the sifting day our interests will be secure. Though the elements crash all around, for us there will be "perfect peace." III. A FAITH THAT CARED FOR THE WELFARE OF FRIENDS. Natural affection had not been '9Xtinguished by her wretched life. Her trust in the God of Israel brought into clearer light her love for her relations, and she desired their safety, And how can Christians enjoy their salvation without being deeply concernecl for the state of tho, e dear to them ? As Rahab implored protection for her kins- folk, so will the .j>llowers of Christ commend to their Saviour's care those whom they love. Rab_.b's was intercessory pmyer. It is related of a dumb son of Crresus that when be saw a soldier about to kill bis father, he burst forth into the utterance, '' \\'bat l will you kill Crresus ? " Moreover, it was required of Rahab that when the siege co=enced she should gather her friends within the shelter of her own domicile, otherwise they could not be recognised and saved. It is not sufficient merely to plead with God on behalf of those we love; He expects us to use . all possible efforts for their moral safety. It was impossible for Rahab to prese1Te the whole city. Love dictated the enlargement of her sphere, prudenc~ set reasonn:ble bounus to it. The inhabitants would doubtless have resented her act10n o.nd aclv1ce, and death would have ellsued. There is no need for us to seek to justify all thl!:~ OR. n. 12-26.] TirE BOOK OF JOSE:UA. 89
Ro.bah did. We are only concerned to imitate her in so far as she is presented to us as a model of faith.-A.