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Alright, now, Joshua chapter 2, it's a great story, there's a lot of symbolism in Joshua chapter 2 with Rahab the harlot, and Rahab's actually mentioned a couple other times in the New Testament, and we're going to get into that a little bit later, but let's dig into the chapter here, starting in verse number 1, the Bible reads, And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go, view the land, even Jericho. And they went and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. Now, of course, they're coming into the city of Jericho, for those of you who have read your Bible, at least one time, you know the story, we're going to be getting into that, where the walls of Jericho fall down, it's a very fortified city, there's walls set up, there's gates, you know, they're well protected, and they're just going in to check things out, because this is basically their first battle. Moses brought them all the way up to the Jordan River, they get ready to enter in the promised land, you know, Moses dies, Joshua takes over, we read Joshua chapter 1, he's kind of getting them ready, be strong in the Lord, be of good courage, and they're getting ready to go in, and start to inherit the land that God has promised unto them. And it's going to require a lot of fighting, a lot of battles, so this is the very first place, and he's got them ready, and they're getting ready, so he says, you know, he sends out a couple spies, let's just see what the place looks like, you know, it's a place they've never been to before, so they're trying to figure out, get a plan of attack, what are we going to do, sends out two spies, and he sends them into Jericho, they end up getting into town, they come to this harlot's house, and if you're not sure what a harlot is, it's a whore, or a prostitute, that's what a harlot is, and they end up going to this woman's house, and it says here in verse number 2, and it was told the king of Jericho, saying behold, there came men in hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country, so the king gets wind of what's going on, you know, there's strangers in town, we don't know exactly how big Jericho is, but these two guys apparently are standing out, someone recognizes that hey, they're of the children of Israel, and they already had heard about all the things that have happened with the battles that just happened previously, with Moses, with Og, the king of Bashan, and Sihon, and how they defeated them, because they were very powerful kings, they were very strong, they had strong military might, and they just went and defeated those armies and those kings, so it was obviously a very big deal, so the king of Jericho hears about this, and he sends out to Rahab, verse number 3, the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house, for they become to search out all the country, and the woman took the men and hid them, and said thus, there came men unto me, but I wis not whence they were, and it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out, whither the men went, I what not pursue after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them, so when the king sends unto Rahab, Rahab hides them, she actually, you know, her house is on the wall, the Bible says that they have the walls all the way around her city, and her house is just kind of built into the wall, and she's got all these stalks of flax, so it's, I actually looked up to see what they actually look like, they're just real long like grains, and she's got these all piled up, so they're kind of hiding in those stalks, when the men come to her house inquiring, hey what happened to these guys, they're here to search out the land, you know, they're gonna destroy us, we need to know what happened to them, you gotta tell us where they are, she hides them, she lies to them, and says well yeah, I mean, these guys came here, but I don't know where they're from, I know not from whence they were, and she's like, they left, you know, they went that way, right, and they believe her, they send out a team to go search and find these guys, because obviously if they're coming in, they're spies, they don't want them getting back to reveal any information on the city of Jericho, so what's interesting about this, keep your place here in Joshua chapter 2, and turn if you would to James chapter 2, we're gonna be coming back to James 2 again at the end of the sermon, but I want to point this out, because James 2 is one of the places where Rahab is mentioned, and what's pretty interesting about this, it's one of the very very very rare occurrences that we're gonna find something like this happening, but the Bible says not to bear false witness, right, it's one of the Ten Commandments, we're commanded not to lie, yet we see what Rahab did here in hiding the spies that were there of God, they're totally doing the will of God, and when she lies to these people and kind of sends them off another way, she's actually praised for this in the Bible, and I'm bringing this up not to give you a whole bunch of excuses and say, oh yeah, my lie was okay because of this, you know, this is justified, but just to show that there, you know, when it comes to a life and death type of a situation, where like a man of God is gonna be destroyed, is gonna be killed, that it's not wrong if you have to just say like, yeah, they're not here and you're trying to save someone's life, that in that instance it actually is, I don't believe it's a sin. If we look at James chapter number 2, the Bible says in verse number 25, all the way at the end of the chapter, it says, likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way. So it says here that she was justified by her works, by her actions, by not only receiving the messengers, you know, not receiving them in her house, but then sending out, sending them out another way. So just, you know, saving them and protecting them. So she's praised for this, this is something she did. Now obviously if there's any way we can deal with a situation where you're not gonna lie, that is the way to go. But, you know, if it boils down to it, you know, we end up in the tribulation and there's people out looking to kill someone, I wouldn't feel too bad about having to tell a lie to save a life. But I just wanted to point that out. We're gonna be getting back to James 2 a little bit later in the chapter, but I just wanted to bring that up because it's a very interesting point. It's very similar to when God was bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt. If you remember, when God wanted to spoil the Egyptians, he told the children of Israel to borrow all this stuff from the Egyptians, right? It's like, yeah, borrow. But he knows they're not going back there, it's not like they're gonna give it back. He told them to borrow it because he's spoiling them. He's blessing the children of Israel with all this stuff, knowing that they're not gonna go back, they're not gonna return any of these things. He's giving that to them. And that was something that God decided to do. Obviously in normal circumstances you would never do such a thing, but when it's of God and that's the way that he was blessing them and he was cursing Egypt, that was of course not sinful either. But let's keep reading here in verse number 5, the Bible reads, And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark that the men went out, whether the men went, I what not, pursue after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them. This is Rahab continuing to tell the messengers, hey, these guys, they left, if you leave right now maybe you could catch up with them and you could get them. And verse number 6 says, But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords, and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate. So they lock up the city. These guys went to look for them, they realized, oh, they're not here, they think they're not there. So they're going on lockdown, they shut the gates of the city right as soon as those guys go out to try to find them, to try to catch them, and not let them to get back to the children of Israel. Verse number 8, And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof. So they stay up there, they stay quiet, you know, after these guys leave. And then Rahab finally goes back up there to meet with them. And this is really interesting, I'm going to spend a lot of time just kind of on this point here in verses 9 through 11. It says, And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. So she's saying, I know who you guys are, I know where you're from. We've heard about the battles that were done. We heard that how the Lord was with you, and how you defeated these two kings, and you utterly destroyed them. Verse number 11, And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you. For the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. And that's the telling part. We see now and understand the reason why did Rahab hide these spies? Why did she hide them? It's because she heard what happened, and she came to realization, and she believed God, the Lord is God. That that is, that He's the Lord. He is God. He's the God in heaven and in earth. And that was enough for her to understand. Whatever it is that she had heard, you know, whatever amount of truth that she heard about the Lord, she realized that He's God, and she didn't want to be fighting against God, so she's helping out the messengers of the Lord. She's helping out these spies because she's trusting now in the Lord, and I believe this is Evan. This whole story that we have here is a picture of salvation. She's obviously physically being saved from destruction when the children of Israel come in, they destroy Jericho, but the whole passage gives us a picture of salvation. Keep your finger here and turn, if you would, to Matthew chapter 21, because this is, this is very interesting. You know, Rahab, of course, is a harlot, but she had faith, and that's what, that's ultimately what mattered, and that's what saved her. You know, she wasn't the most upstanding citizen of Jericho that was spared from destruction. She was probably the lowest of the people, but when she heard the truth, when she heard about the Lord, she accepted it, she received it, and this is very similar to what Jesus was talking about when He was dealing with the Pharisees, because the Pharisees were hearing the truth. They're hearing the truth from the Son of God, and they weren't receiving it, but they were giving Him a hard time because He went and He spake to the publicans and the harlots, and He spake to the lowest of the people, you know, the people who these Pharisees, and their long garments and their robes, and they don't even want these people to touch them. You remember, one of the Pharisees was like, if this guy was a prophet, he'd know what type of person is touching him, like, and even wouldn't let her touch his garment, because they had this wicked, just puffed up type of an attitude, how holy and righteous and great they are, and how despicable everybody else is. That was the attitude of the Pharisees, that was a Pharisaical attitude. Well, Jesus calls them out in Matthew 21, look at verse number 31. Actually, we'll go up a little bit earlier, verse number 28. He gives this parable unto these Pharisees, start reading verse number 28, the Bible reads, but what to think ye? A certain man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not. But afterward he repented and went. And he came to the second and said, likewise, and he answered and said, I go, sir, and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father. They say unto him the first, Jesus saith unto them, verily I say unto you that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. So He gives them this example, He says, you know, there's two sons. He says, go out into my vineyard, work. One of them says, no, I'm not going to do it. But then he just ends up, he changed his mind. He's like, no, I'm going to go do it. I was told to go do this work. The other one says, yep, sure thing, I'll do it, and then doesn't go. Right? So he's like, well, which one actually did the work? Well, the one, he gave the wrong answer at first, but then he changed his mind and said, yeah, I'm going to do it. That's the one who actually did it. And what we have here is an example of these Pharisees that'll say, oh, yeah, we love the Lord. Oh, yeah, we love God. But they're not, they don't really, they're not really doing anything. It's all just for show. It's just a facade. And then you have these other people who maybe they've heard some of God's laws and they're sinners and they're doing some things they ought not to be doing. But when they hear the preaching of Jesus, they actually receive it and get saved. And they're like, yeah, Noah, that's the truth. They recognize I was wrong before, now I'm going to receive this. And that's what he's doing with the Pharisees in this passage. And he brings up the fact that, you know what, these harlots and these publicans, they're going into the kingdom of heaven before you. And we have this example here with Rahab, because Rahab was a harlot. And I believe Rahab is saved. That she, I mean, it's evident in what she says to them. She says that because of you, he says for you, the Lord, your God, he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. She's recognizing that the Lord is God. So regardless of her being a harlot, she has faith, she's justified, and she's spared from the destruction of the city. Now what's also interesting about this is how they had heard, look at verse number 10, here back in Joshua 2. Turn back to Joshua 2. It says, For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and we did. So they got news of this. Now the reason why I'm kind of focusing on this, we have heard. Because people need to hear about the Lord. Rahab heard about the Lord in another land. You know, farther away is pretty separate. It's not like she got online and, you know, was able to get the news on the internet of what's going on over in Egypt, right? The news was able to travel. And you know, the news will travel, but we need to make sure that the good news travels. We need to be bringing the Word of God and testifying and witnessing of these things. Now these things were happening at the time, but they were of God. God did some great works. God did some great works through Moses. And as a result of that, people heard far and wide because of the great works, the miraculous works that God did. But think about this. God never just does anything without using a human servant. Everything that we read about in the Bible is God using some man, some leader, someone that He chooses to be the vessel that's going to provide truth, that's going to go out and preach His Word or do whatever it is that He wants them to do. We don't see God just doing everything just on His own without using a human instrument. And the reason why I say it is important is because Moses was a man like we are. The Bible says that Elijah was a man with like passions as we are. Yet he was able to pray unto the Lord for it to not rain, and it didn't rain upon the earth by the space of three years. And then he prayed again, and it did rain. And he was just a regular man. And we're reminded of that over and over in the Bible, especially when we see the humanity of all these people. None of them were perfect. They all had their problems. They all had their sins. None of them were just super duper holy that just like, man, there's no way I could ever be like that. They all had problems. Some of them had very serious problems. But they were all willing, willing to offer themselves up, willing to know the truth, understand the truth, and to preach the truth. And because they were willing, God was able to use them. And the more willing they are, the more humble they are, the more God's able to use them to do greater and mightier things that is going to be made known farther and wider. Moses was the most meek man upon the earth, and God used him mightily so that people all the way in Jericho heard about the things that had happened in Egypt. But what if Moses had decided not to go? I believe God would choose someone else. God wants his name to be known. Turn, if you would, to 2nd Chronicles 16. Again, keep your place here. Things would have been very different. God is searching for people to use. And I'm preaching to a bunch of... God cares about the individual person. He cares about this church. He cares about groups of people. He cares about nations. But he definitely cares about the individual, and you know what he uses is the individual. And nobody can sit there and think, well, I can't serve God, or I can't do that much for the Lord. Don't have a defeatist attitude when it comes to serving God. It doesn't matter what your background is. You can serve the Lord and do a lot of great things for God. And who knows how, depending on how willing you are, God can really use you to do a lot of things. I mean, to do great things, to do things that are going to shake up and turn the world upside down, types of things. And not because it's your own skills and abilities and talents, but because it's God working through you. Moses wasn't that talented. I don't believe that. He himself was trying to talk to God and be like, God, I can't really speak very well. I can't do this. I don't have the skills to do this. Yet, he did it. The guy didn't treat him. He's like, okay, I'll give you Aaron. He's like, first he rebukes him. Am I not the one that formed your tongue? I think I know what you're capable of doing, Moses. And if I say you can do it, you can do it. He gives him a little help. He gives him Aaron. But what do we find out? Aaron does a lot of the talking at first, but then what do we find out? Moses just still kind of ends up taking over, and is still just being used. As time progresses, he gets kind of used to the role. Moses is just the guy. He is still the leader and doesn't even need Aaron as much as he thought he did. And I'm bringing this up because, yes, those things have already happened in the past, but God still is looking for people to do great things with. People who are willing to be humble and just willing of themselves to say, here I am, God. Send me. Here I am. Use me. I want to do what you have for me to do, Lord. 2 Chronicles 16. Look at verse number 8. The Bible says, we're not the Ethiopians and this is when Asa is being rebuked. King Asa, he's a good man of God. He's a good king overall. Earlier on in his reign as king, he trusted in the Lord. He defeated these great armies because he totally had faith in God. Just faith that God was going to protect him. He went out, beat these, against all the odds, beat these armies. But then later on, he ended up going to other people, not relying on the Lord, going to the, I believe it was the Syrians, and just asking them to, not the Syrians, he went, I forget who he went to, he went to another country and just asked them for help and just trying to rely on other people instead of relying on the Lord. So he's being rebuked here in his passage. Verse number 8 says, we're not the Ethiopians and Lubim's a huge host with very many chariots and horsemen, yet because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein now is done foolishly, therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. And that verse is important, he's saying, you know, God's eyes, he's looking to and fro throughout the earth. I believe he's looking continuously. God is looking for that servant that is willing, whose heart is right, whose heart is perfect with God, to say, God, I'm here. I don't know what it is you have for me to do, but I'm here. Lord, use me. And with that heart, if you have that perfect heart, you're going to be seeking, you're going to be getting in the Word, you're going to be doing everything that you possibly can to try to get yourself prepared to be a servant of the Lord. And if you have that attitude and you set your heart right, God can and will use you. You may not have the moment where like some big light shines and you know now God's sending you somewhere, don't wait around for that. But when you start getting into the Bible and studying and making this a serious priority in your life to serve the Lord, he will lead your path without you even necessarily knowing where he's leading you. You don't have to know. I know for me personally, I'm not saying I'm doing some awesome great Moses work for God, but just in my own little service to the Lord that I'm doing, you know, I never would have dreamed the path that especially coming here to Georgia. Never would have dreamed that path. But when you look back, it's always a lot easier to see where God had his hand involved, where you can see, oh yeah, this, you know, the hindsight always makes things a lot easier to understand. But going forward, you'd never get it. I didn't have the desire to pass or I didn't have the desire to do anything like that. But just having the willingness and the desire and the attitude that just says, hey, I'm going to be the best Christian I could be, the best church member I could be, you know, I just wanted to do more and just do whatever it is that God had for me to do. And he's going to end up leading where he wants you to be, what he wants you to do. Everyone, there's enough jobs to go around. There's a lot of people not doing any work and there's a lot of work to be done. So if you're willing, if you have the willing heart and God's looking to and fro, he will use you. And then just remember that and keep that as a motivating factor to help you keep moving forward. God could use you to do some great things. And who knows, especially as we go into the end times, you know, the Bible says there's going to be great exploits being done by those that know and love the Lord. There's a lot of good things that are going to be happening, a lot of great things. It's going to be a troubleless time, but I believe a very exciting time too, because there's going to be a lot of things just being done. Just as any, every time throughout history, throughout the Bible, anytime this persecution comes down on God's people, they end up doing that much more. There's all these great works that happen even more. Kind of lights a fire underneath God's people to actually get going. When you get a little lazy or just kind of status quo and just keep maintaining, when that persecution comes, man, that really sparks up the motivation and gets people active and gets people going. And you find that all throughout Scripture. And that's going to be coming ahead as well, when whatever that may be, when the tribulation period actually begins, and we believers are still here and start being persecuted heavily and experiencing tribulation such as was not, since the world began, no nor ever shall be, like that level of tribulation is going to get people more. It's going to get you going out. Why? Because when it gets that bad, what else is left? I mean, there's nothing else even to say that you might as well just go all out for the Lord. They're going to be persecuting you anyways. You might as well do everything you possibly can and just sell out completely. We ought to have that attitude before the persecution comes. You have that attitude now. You're going to be doing way better come the hard times, because you already be used to doing the work that God has for you to do, and you can be used that much more. Let's go back to Joshua chapter 2. Actually, before you go back to Joshua 2, turn if you want to Judges 7. I just wanted to bring up just one more example, because we also see here a pattern of the way that God works, and we see the fear kind of being instilled into these people of Jericho just based on what they hear. The fear of the Lord is coming upon people all over the world based on what they heard that happened in Egypt. It's a major event in history, and God uses this, and this is in the instance of Gideon in Judges chapter 7. We start reading in verse number 9. We're going to basically see the same thing, how God kind of spreads fear in the people based on just what they hear about the children of Israel. Judges chapter 7 verse number 9, the Bible reads, and it came to pass the same night that the Lord said unto him, arise, get thee down unto the host, for I have delivered it into thine hand. But if thou fear to go down, go thou with fura thy servant down to the host, and thou shalt hear what they say, and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with fura his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host, and the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude, and their camels were without number as the sand by the seaside for multitude. So this is a great, and if you know the story, there's a very, very small group with Gideon and with, you know, with Israel this time, and they're saying that these troops that are come out against them, they're like grasshoppers, I mean just all over the place, all over the field, all you look around and you see soldiers everywhere. I mean they're all over the place, they're hunkered down and they're ready to go. But verse number 13, it says, and when Gideon was come, behold there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow and said, behold I dream to dream. And lo a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian and came unto a tent and smote it that it fell and overturned it that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, this is nothing else save the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel, for into his hand hath God delivered Midian and all the host. And it was so when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the interpretation thereof that he worshiped and returned into the host of Israel and said, arise for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. It's almost the same story being told here when God uses Gideon as what's happening here in Jericho, because these spies come into the country, they're trying to figure out what, you know, all the defenses, how strong they are, their might. And then we hear Rahab saying, yeah, you know what, everyone's afraid. And then we hear the same thing with Gideon, he goes down to this host, there's all these soldiers all over the place. You know, perception means a lot. They're going to be thinking, you know, Gideon's going to be thinking, man, how are we ever going to defeat this army? I mean, they're all over the place, there's no way we could do this. But then he hears how they're afraid. What are they afraid of? They're afraid of what God can do, because they've heard about the Lord and they know what he can do. And they're afraid that the Lord's going to do something like he did in Egypt unto them, because God is that powerful. And see, we need to get the focus on God being the powerful, and we need to get the focus on it, because we want people, we want the unsaved heathen to hear about the Lord, and yeah, to be able to fear him. There's a great lack of the fear of the Lord, not only among Christians, but especially among the heathen today. I mean, people just don't care at all. As we see the wickedness abounding worse and worse, and the sins just piling up, and the things that have become acceptable these days, there is just no fear of the Lord at all. You know what the world needs to be reminded of? They need to be reminded of places like Sodom and Gomorrah. You know, the Lord is real, and he can rain down fire and brimstone, and he could save his people, and he could part the sea and bring his people through on dry land and destroy, no matter how big the army is that's following behind them, that God is real and God is that powerful. And people need to hear this. They need to hear the testimony. They need to hear this preach, and there's just been a dearth of God's Word being preached in this country that's supposed to be a Christian nation. There's no more fear of the Lord. It does good to have a nation that has a fear of the Lord. It did good for Rahab individually. She heard about it, and she feared, and she was supposed to say, hey, you know what? God is God. God is the Lord. The Lord is God. It did her very good. Let's keep reading. Let's go back to Joshua chapter 2. Let's pick up here in verse number 12. It says, Now therefore, I pray you swear unto me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, that you also show kindness unto my Father's house and give me a true token, and that you will save alive my Father and my mother and my brethren and my sisters and all that they have and deliver our lives from death. And you know what really came to mind while I was studying for the sermon tonight, because there are so many elements in here, we're going to get to one more in just a minute, of just salvation. We've got a harlot, we've got a sinner who recognizes the Lord, who says, no, Lord is God. And now, you know, of course, she's saved, but she's now entreating for her whole family. And she wants her whole family to be saved from the destruction. And the verse that instantly popped into my mind when I was reading this is Acts 16, verse 30 and 31. They brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And he said, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house. And then they preach the word of God unto the jailer's whole house. And then, you know, and they all get saved and baptized. Well, I believe this is a picture of that. Now, it's funny, I've actually heard one person, I found one person say that they believe, and this is ridiculous, I doubt this pastor is even saved. This is some pastor in Prescott Valley. But I'd stumbled upon one of his sermons, I was trying to figure out who some of the people were in the area and I went on their website. And, you know, where the Bible says that thou shalt be saved in thy house, he was teaching that, like, well, if you believe, then your whole house is just automatically going to be saved. Like, no, that's not how it works, right? Just because you believe doesn't automatically mean that everybody in your family is just going to heaven now because you believed on Jesus Christ. It was kind of funny, though, that he taught things, like, well, that's what it says in thy house. Like, yeah. Then the next verse says, and they preached unto them, you know, the word of the Lord, and they believed and they got baptized. So, yeah, that's why they were able to get saved, because they believed, too. But the point I'm making, though, is that, you know, if you're saved, it's incumbent upon you, especially, to give the Gospel to your family. Bring that home. Bring the word of the Lord unto them, so that not only you could be saved, but your whole house also. You ought to love them the most. I mean, there's a lot of people, they don't, they're not going to want to listen to what some stranger has to say. They might not hear it, but if it comes from a direct family, my direct relative, you know, maybe they will listen to you. And then there's the opposite, also, but that's all the more reason why we just need to make sure that, hey, but especially your family. If you love your family, you love your mom, your dad, your brothers, your sisters, your children, you know, and you're saved, and you haven't given them the Gospel, or at least asked to see, are you saved? You better do that. Don't forget, just as much as hell was real for you when you put your faith in Jesus Christ, hell's real for them, too. You want to see them, you know, one day being cast in a lake of fire when judgment day comes, and all the dead are brought before God, and they're judged according to their works, and they're thrown into that lake of fire. I believe we're going to see that. I believe we're going to witness that. Whether heaven and earth are passed away, I mean, where else are we going to be? I think we're going to be witnesses to that event. That's going to be a sad day for a lot of people who had an opportunity to give the Gospel to people that they knew, and then they see them being cast out into the lake of fire. It's real. Let that sink in, and then let that motivate you to want to say, you know what, I'm going to give my family the Gospel. I'm going to let them know about Jesus Christ. But we see, I mean, this is exactly what Rahab was thinking. She's concerned about her family. What about my family? I want them to be saved, too. So they make this deal with her to say, okay, well, everybody in your house, you know, because they're going to come in and attack. Like, we can't be responsible for your family in all these different places. They have to come into your house. Everyone that's in your house, you know, if they go outside of your doors, their blood's on them. We're not responsible for that. They say, but everyone that's within your doors, within your house, then if any of them get hurt, then their blood's on our head. You know, then we're responsible for that, and that's the oath that they make with her. And here's the symbol that they give her. Let's keep reading here. Verse number 14 says, it's been answered, our life for yours, if you utter not this our business, and it shall be when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. Then she let them down by a cord through the window, for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. So she, you know, of course the gates were shut at this time, they were on lockdown, but because her house is on the wall, she's able to let them down, like basically over the wall and down to the ground, and to get out of the city. It says, and she said unto them, get you to the mountain. Verse number 16, let the pursuers meet you, and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned, and afterward may you go your way. So she's saying, look, they're going to come back after three days, just hold tight, sit still, stay hidden, don't let yourselves be known, they'll be back after a few days, and then just the coast will be clear, and you can go. Verse number 17, the men said unto her, we will be blameless of this thine oath, which thou hast made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window, which thou didst let us down by, and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all thy father's household home unto thee, and it shall be that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless, and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath, which thou hast made us to swear. And she said, according unto your word, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed, and she bound the scarlet line in the window, and they went and came into the mountain and abode there three days until the pursuers were returned. The pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not. So this last symbolism that we see in this chapter is that scarlet thread. Like, why did it have to be this red thread? Well, the red thread, of course, is going to be representative of the blood of Jesus Christ, that her and her household are saved. They're going to be saved from that destruction because they're all going to come. They're going to destroy the city. The walls are going to come tumbling down, and everyone in that city is going to be wiped out. They're going to be annihilated, but Rahab and her household will not because they've made a deal. Ultimately, it's because she had her faith in the Lord, and the Lord decided to spare her and grant her salvation to her and her household. The red, the scarlet thread symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ, very similar to the story of the Passover where the children of Israel had to, you know, they killed the Passover lamb, and they put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. And when the death angel came through and killed all the firstborn sons in the whole land, the only way that they were going to be safe, that their children were going to be saved, is if the angel saw the blood on their doorpost. They had to have that red blood on their doorpost, and then they're safe. They're good. It's the same way here with this scarlet thread. That's the way that they're going to know that's what spared. Her household is going to be saved. It's a great picture of salvation. Let's finish up here, verse number 23. The Bible says, So the two men returned and descended from the mountain and passed over and came to Joshua, the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them. And they said unto Joshua, Truly the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land, for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us. This is the mindset that we need to have. You know, if God be for us, who could be against us? If you're doing the will of the Lord, God's with you. It doesn't matter how strong the defenses are or the offenses of the enemy. It doesn't matter what their appearances are. Deep down, they might all be scared to death. And you might not know that. God let Joshua know that, and God let Gideon know that. He let that come out. But that fear was in them whether or not they even knew that. We can't make any of our decisions, especially in this spiritual battle, based off of fear at all. And we can have the confidence and know if I'm doing right by God, there's nothing to fear. Nothing at all. So keep moving forward, keep pushing hard, and keep going on. Let's have a word of prayer. Dear Lord, we thank you so much for this chapter and for all the great symbolism here. And Lord, I pray that you would please just help us not to fear, help us to be bold and to spread the word, dear Lord. I pray that you would please use this church, all the church members here, to help to let the world know that the Lord is the God in the heaven and above and the earth beneath. That Lord, you are God and help this world to know all the things that you've done and the things that they might have forgotten about and know that there is judgment coming one day that Jesus Christ is going to come back and He's going to bring judgment. He's going to rule with a rod of iron. And God, I pray that you please lead us to those people who are seeking, those people who are humble and just need to hear the gospel. And once they hear it, they'll get saved, dear Lord. Help us to find those people and help us to warn the world of the impending doom that's to come, dear Lord. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.