Introduction

Hello, everyone. In the blink of an eye, we have reached Lesson Six of Imitating the Great Heroes of Faith. Before we knew it, we were already at the sixth lesson. The series on Grace and Truth still feels as though it was yesterday, yet more than a month has passed. So whom are we discussing today? Lesson Six of Imitating the Great Heroes of Faith—Rahab.

There is something remarkable in the Gospel of Matthew. It opens with: “The genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah; Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar; Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon; Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab; Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth; Obed the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David; David the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.”

Let me tell you, when I first became a believer and read this, I knew none of these people. I thought, “So many names in a genealogy. Skip it.” But once you understand what you are reading—goodness, these people are fascinating. Do you know who appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ? David, and David’s descendants. Where did David come from? From Rahab. Salmon fathered Boaz through Rahab; Boaz fathered Obed through Ruth; Obed fathered Jesse; Jesse fathered King David; and David fathered Solomon through Uriah’s wife. This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

The genealogy of Jesus Christ is fascinating. Today, I will tell you some stories. There are four extraordinary women. We are discussing one of them—Rahab. She appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Ask Matthew: Why write this? It is a most unusual thing. Why did Matthew include these women? Why not simply write, “Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed”?

But he wrote, “Judah fathered Perez and Zerah through Tamar; Salmon fathered Boaz through Rahab; Boaz fathered Obed through Ruth.” Interesting, is it not? Let me tell you: Rahab’s faith was greater than Salmon’s. Then there is Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. David fathered Solomon through Uriah’s wife. That is even more interesting. Many people cannot understand it. But because these women appear in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, wherever the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, in any age, their names will be remembered: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba.

I thought carefully about Rahab. What is the logic here? Rahab was a prostitute by profession. Tamar pretended to be a prostitute. Rahab was a real prostitute, not a pretend one. In Jericho, she was a sinner among sinners. So why should we imitate her? Does imitating Rahab mean becoming a female or male prostitute? No. That is not what we imitate. We imitate their faith. Rahab, this professional prostitute, was a person doomed to perish in the doomed city of Jericho. She was among those headed for destruction. But what happened? Hers was the only household in Jericho to be saved. Not only was she saved; her family was saved as well. Let me tell you, whether her family members were good or bad, nobody can say for certain. At times, they may well have made her furious.

Rahab later married Salmon. Remarkable, is it not? In other words, Rahab was quite a strategist. Whose mother did she become? Boaz’s mother. She knew Israel’s history like the back of her hand. She understood it thoroughly. Here was a formidable woman in a city facing destruction. She had suffered every kind of discrimination in this world. Her hopes in this world had been utterly destroyed. After all, who would respect a prostitute?

Then, do you know what happened? She began to seek God. And the result of seeking God—let me make it clear that we are reasoning backwards here—was that she entered the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Without some strategic thinking, how could she have got there? She must have asked around and eventually chosen Salmon. Why? Because he belonged to the tribe of Judah.

If a person wants to seek something—eternal life, blessings in eternity—let me tell you, that person must abandon hope in this world. If you have great hopes in this world, you will not merely live under human pressure; you will be crushed by it. You will also live out human corruption. Having hope in this world is not a good thing. What should you do when you have no hope in this world? Seek the glorious hope of eternity.

Rahab came from a background of prostitution. What she went through is beyond the understanding of ordinary people like us. Do you understand? In any age, prostitution is hardly a distinguished profession. Being the CEO of a company—that sounds good, does it not? A senior executive in a listed company—that sounds good. A senior government official—that sounds good. But imagine going out and declaring, “I am a prostitute from Jericho!” Why are you shouting? Why so loudly? Does anyone do that? Nobody does.

After hearing that, people would say, “That is it. She used to be a prostitute; now she is mad as well.” Is that not so? So let me tell you: understand this—when God saves people, He does not look at their profession or their social standing. Do you understand? Rahab later married into a fairly respectable family, Salmon’s family. Her circumstances changed completely.

After she was saved and Jericho collapsed, what did she do? She certainly did not continue as a prostitute! If she had, would that mean Salmon visited a prostitute and took a liking to Rahab? What sort of story would that be? It would become impossible to explain. But there is one thing I want to tell you: a sinner among sinners cried out to God. God destroyed Jericho, but He saved Rahab’s household. Are you beginning to have hope? Never say, “Look how wretched I am.” Yes, precisely because you are so wretched! Someone says, “I have so many faults.” Yes, you do, but so did Rahab. She had little hope in this world. Think about it: what hope does a prostitute have? Very little. Prostitutes also commonly suffer from many illnesses. It is a hard life. But when a person’s hopes in this world are completely destroyed, that person begins to seek glory in eternity.

Today, I encourage you. If your faith is the faith of Abraham, it must be a faith that places no hope in this world, that expects little from this world. Do you understand? Rahab began to seek. How did she begin? With no hope, she searched for the meaning of life. As she searched, God opened her understanding. Once her understanding was opened, she began to walk the path of Abraham.

It is not only a great clan chief who can seek God. A prostitute can seek God as well. In a city marked for destruction, a sinner, a prostitute, sought God, and God saved her. Did her faith not surpass that of those before her? Does it not seem, in some respect, to surpass Abraham’s? You are a clan chief, leading thousands of people, and you seek God. Fine. But here was a prostitute seeking God. She knew to seek Him. Let me read it to you.

Joshua 2:8 says: “Before the men lay down, the woman went up to them on the roof and said, ‘I know that the LORD has given you this land.’” A prostitute knew this. Do you not find that remarkable? “And that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this land are melting in fear because of you.” She, too, was an inhabitant of that land. Well, of course they were afraid: an army of six hundred thousand men, three thousand five hundred years ago!

“We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear, and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”

Did you hear that? Here was a prostitute saying, “The LORD your God.” She did not dare call Him her own God. “Your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below!” My goodness, what a revelation! “The LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. If I have the opportunity, I too want to receive this God!”

Then she discussed with the two spies how she could be saved. Do you understand? If a person had never sought God, how could she possibly know Him? Is that not so? “You two spies have come to my house. Let me tell you, this is no coincidence. God intends to save me! I want to negotiate with you. When you enter the city, do not destroy my household as well.” I know that every breathing person in this city is to be destroyed. Can those of us who are still breathing be saved? Here was someone with no hope in this world, whose hope was in God. A person at the very bottom of society, at the bottom of the hierarchy of contempt. Anyone could despise her. Do you understand? But God did not despise her. Are we still despising ourselves today? Let us turn back to God and imitate Rahab. Rahab sought God, and God saved her. Tell me, is our God not a God who saves?

God had originally commanded that everything breathing in Jericho, whether human or animal, should be killed. Rahab was in that city. Was she among those to be killed? Yes, certainly. But she sought God. Would you say God contradicted His own decree? If saving someone who trusts in Him means going against His own decree, God does not mind. For God saves those who seek Him and know Him. Blessed are those who trust in Him! Should we not imitate Rahab?

If any of us live at the bottom of society, do not be afraid. Do not wear yourselves out chasing the things of this world. Do not seek the things of this world. Seek Almighty God. He is God in heaven above and on the earth below! If your hope is still in this world while you struggle at the bottom of society, you should imitate Rahab.

Through prostitution, Rahab had acquired property, and it was right by the city wall. Was she capable? Very capable. But she had no hope in this world. Her hope was in God. She knew that she was among those doomed to perish. She, too, was one of the breathing inhabitants of Jericho. Do you know what was happening behind the scenes? She was crying out to God to save her—not merely so that she could keep drawing breath in this world. She did not want to perish like that.

She began to study the God of Israel. As she did, she discovered that Israel’s God was God in heaven above and on the earth below, mighty in power, great and awesome. She may have been at home praying and crying out to God. She may not even have known His name. She had only heard that Israel’s God was called the LORD. She did not even know what that name meant.

Then the two spies arrived. Think about the risk to her life. “What are you two Israelites doing here?” “Joshua sent us. We do not really know what we have come to do.” “Then let me tell you. Because I have been praying here, Joshua has sent you to save my household!” “Oh, is that so? Otherwise, what are we doing here? What have we come to spy out? What is there to investigate?”

Remarkable! Those two spies came precisely to save Rahab. By ordinary reasoning, Joshua had been a spy himself, and the other ten spies who entered Canaan with him had been struck down by God. Sending spies was, in fact, an enormous risk. Without that spying expedition, the Israelites might have entered Canaan forty years earlier. Why did Joshua send only two spies? He searched and searched but could not find twelve! With great difficulty, he selected two who bore some resemblance to Joshua and Caleb. Have you noticed how extraordinary this is? He searched everywhere, could not find twelve, and settled for two. “You must learn from me. Whatever you do, do not bring back a bad report! Do you understand? And you must imitate Caleb! Do you hear me? You are Caleb. I will give you a nickname: Caleb the Second. And you are Joshua the Second.” That was how great the risk was.

Joshua must have reminded them again and again: be Joshua the Second, be Caleb the Second. They entered Jericho, and then they went through a doorway. Was God not directing their steps? They did not wander around the city. They did not take photographs or map the place. They went straight into Rahab’s house. Was God intending to save Rahab? Yes. Rahab must have been crying out to God. Certainly. If people do not cry out to God, how can God save them?

Today, let me tell you: if everyone in Jericho had surrendered, do you know what would have happened? They would all have become like Rahab. They could all have surrendered: “Kill us or cut us up if you will. We are coming out to surrender. The LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Although He is your God, surely we can draw water and cut wood for your God?” The problem is human stubbornness! Among the people of Jericho, not one sought God except Rahab.

Not only was Rahab saved; her whole family escaped disaster. Never imagine that the kingdom of God is short of seats. If you cry out to God, there is no shortage of room with Him. Do you understand? God could appoint Judah to the position of firstborn while appointing Joseph to save the family.

Today, we too are among those headed for destruction. Let us imitate Rahab. We deserved destruction, but when we cry out to God and seek Him, He will surely save us. Do not belittle yourself today. Is it not remarkable that you have come among us? It is remarkable! Not because you are good enough, but because, wretched as you are, God has nevertheless guided you.

If we were to talk about the remarkable things of the past, they are truly remarkable! But some have persevered until today and will continue into eternity. Others experienced remarkable things but wandered off halfway. More than ten years ago, a sister had severe depression. I do not know where she got my email address, but she sent me an email. She sent it at three in the morning, and I replied at four. Remarkable, is it not? When she received my reply, she thought, “Wow! There really is a reply!” There was more than a reply. God wanted to save her. Her depression was healed, and her working life prospered, step by step. Did she have faults? Far too many. A whole mess of them. Then there was another sister who listened to our teaching online. As she continued listening, her husband broke down in tears in their former church. Why? The pastor’s wife in that church had cancer, and now his own wife had joined a “heresy”, listening to Chinese Mingding Doctrine all day.

He became worried. Eventually, with airfares being cheap, he bought tickets and came with his wife to investigate me. They travelled a long way to check me out. I led them through the Bible, passage by passage. However they looked at it, it did not seem much like a heresy. The Bible studies seemed rather interesting. After examining things, they were reassured. Thank God. They had a whole collection of faults, but God saved them. That was how they came.

Those are two cases I know personally. Later, as the church grew, I no longer knew all the people served by the different pastoral districts. There are many I do not know. You listen to my sermons and Bible studies every week, but I may genuinely never have spoken to you. Your pastor knows you, however. Is not every one of you a miracle? Every one of you is a miracle. Those who seek will find, and to those who knock, the door will be opened.

Today, God has led you onto a path with a destiny—a destiny! We may still have many faults. Let me tell you, Rahab would have had plenty of faults to deal with in the years that followed. What is most remarkable is that many brothers and sisters among us were brought here by someone else. The person who brought you has left, but you are still here. Rahab sought in the same way. Remember: those who seek God will surely be enabled by God to find Him.

If you seek a glorious homeland in eternity, God will certainly lead you there. If you seek imperishable blessings in eternity, God will reward us with eternal life. We are grateful. Step by step, the church has come this far, walking as though on thin ice, fearful of forfeiting God’s grace. How many among us today—of course, you are not prostitutes—have had experiences like Rahab’s? Many! So many have had similar experiences. If that is not God saving people, what is it?

Scripture

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient. (Hebrews 11:31)

Prayer

God, You are the God who saves. Today we draw near to You. God, we live among those headed for destruction. But we seek You. We want to seek Your salvation and a better homeland. God, may You do wonderful works in us and guide us once again. As You guided us in the past so that we could seek and find You, guide us today. Let us keep running forward with hearts that trust in You, until we see Your face. Let us have the faith of Abraham. Let us have the faith of Rahab the prostitute. God, bring salvation today and lead us as we run this glorious path. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Background to the Scripture

The writer of this passage is remarkable. He mentions that Rahab the prostitute, by faith, welcomed the spies in peace. Can you understand what he is conveying? The enemy had arrived. If Rahab had said, “I refuse to be a traitor. I will report you two,” those spies would never have entered. Just as they were about to knock, God’s voice would have said, “There is a wicked person inside, someone I intend to destroy.”

Then they would have gone further. Just as they were about to knock again: “Yes, this is the house!” Think about how wonderfully God arranged this. They entered Rahab’s house, and Rahab said, “I have been waiting for you for a long time. You have finally come. I had wanted to send someone to carry a message to you, and now you have come yourselves. Do you not know that the king of Jericho wants to kill you? His men will soon come looking for you. Hide quickly. There is a pile of straw in the loft. Hide yourselves there and settle down.”

Rahab the prostitute became a traitor, a collaborator with the Israelites. Was there anything wrong with becoming a collaborator with Israel? “I will do it.” Why? Because their God is God in heaven above and on the earth below! So she welcomed the spies in peace. Was Rahab not formidable? Ordinary reasoning cannot explain it, because Rahab was certainly not, by character, the sort of person who would betray her people. She was someone seeking the living God, someone who did not want to perish. Otherwise, she could never have made such a decision.

Did she know she was becoming a collaborator with Israel? Yes. She had studied not only this but much of Israel’s history. Remarkable! So, brothers and sisters, it is not because of what the Israelites were like. It is because the God of Israel is God in heaven above and on the earth below! Do you understand? Rahab was looking for this God who saves. Let me tell you: if you seek God, seek the God of heaven and earth. When I became a believer, I certainly did not believe in those little minnows. Do you know what I mean by little minnows? Tiny fish in the river. Very small, insignificant things.

A minnow of a god is no use, is it? You might at least believe in the Bull Demon King. He is quite formidable. But even the Bull Demon King is not great enough, is he? Believe in the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and that sounds somewhat more impressive. But why believe in some creature called “Coming and Going”? “What is your name?” “Coming and Going.” “And yours?” “Back and Forth.” Why would you believe in such things?

I thought: if you know today that He is God in heaven above and on the earth below, should you not seek Him and worship Him? If you can find the greatest God, the God of heaven and earth, then forget all this talk about being a collaborator. Every breathing creature in the city was destroyed. “I became a collaborator, I was saved, and I believed in the God of heaven and earth.”

What did the king of Jericho amount to? They could still breathe today, but in a few days they would not be breathing at all. Why should I perish with them? What would be the point? Within days, they would be destroyed, like the Southern Song dynasty. Why should I put my faith in that? Better to believe in the God of heaven and earth.

Brothers and sisters, our homeland is not Jericho. Our homeland is not this earth, not this global village. Our homeland is God. We will never stand against God. We will not betray God; we will be His children. We will not be traitors to God’s kingdom; we will be children of His kingdom. That is our homeland! Brothers and sisters, today I am crying out with all my heart: we truly have no hope on this earth. No hope! Cut off your earthly hopes. Cut them off, and look to heaven alone.

But let me tell you: when the king of Jericho could no longer breathe, Rahab was breathing perfectly well. We do not survive merely because we cling to life and fear death. We seek God and rely on Him, and that is why we are still breathing today. Is that not so? The author of Hebrews wrote of this prostitute Rahab: “By faith, because she welcomed the spies in peace, she did not perish with those who were disobedient.”

Do you understand? Why should we perish with the people of this world? Why should we not seek the God of heaven and earth in eternity? Why should we not enter God’s kingdom and have a glorious, eternal hope?

The author of Hebrews deliberately mentioned Rahab the prostitute. Let me tell you, her social standing was lower than yours. If Rahab had an opportunity, do we have one? The author of Hebrews is telling us that we all have an opportunity. He originally intended to write to the Israelites, the Hebrews—that is, the Jews. He wanted them to understand that hope in this world is no hope at all. We are wretched, but we all have an opportunity. However wretched we may be, if we imitate Rahab, we still have an opportunity. Is that not what the author of Hebrews was saying? Do you want to be saved? Yes. Then you need not perish with the disobedient. Understand this today: those who obey God prosper; those who oppose God perish! Either you follow God or you oppose Him. Oppose God, and you will be crushed beneath the wheels of history.

Imitating Rahab’s Faith, Part One: Know That You Are Someone Facing Destruction

Let me tell you, you are facing destruction. “Never mind! I will die for Jericho!” Is that great? No. “I will live or die with Jericho! Prepare the ammunition! King of Jericho, come and train us!” Rahab was not like that.

Rahab said, “If you want to perish, go ahead. I want to know this God. Why should I oppose Him? Those who obey God prosper; those who oppose God perish. I know I am someone facing destruction. The God of Israel has spoken. What has He said? Not one breathing creature in Jericho is to remain. And I am one of those breathing creatures.”

Let me tell you: in such circumstances, she could still hold firmly to the faith that God would not destroy her. Can you understand that? What kind of knowledge of God did that require? Rahab’s faith was no ordinary faith. “Oh, my family is a cursed family.” Listen to that sort of talk. Rahab was not like that. “I am a sinner in Jericho. I am a prostitute in Jericho. Can God save a prostitute like me?”

Now, let me ask you: does that line of thinking not seem reasonable? “I am a breathing inhabitant of Jericho, and God intends to destroy us. I am a prostitute in Jericho. Do the Israelites want a prostitute? Will they accept a prostitute? Would that not be a filthy stain?”

Let me tell you, Rahab did not concern herself with any of that. God is the God who saves those facing destruction. A God who saves people facing destruction—how mighty He is! Today, we keep looking at ourselves: “Oh, I am unworthy. I am not ready. I cannot do it yet. I cannot bear so much pressure. I cannot manage it. Look how capable everyone else is. I am not.” That is the end of it! Rahab did not think that way.

“I must find a way out from among these people who are going to perish. I will pray to Him. Though I do not know Him or understand Him, though I am a person from Jericho, I will seek the God of Israel, and He will surely save me.” Let me ask you: did Rahab know about Abraham? She certainly did! She had been asking questions everywhere, had she not? Before the Israelites crossed the Jordan, they had crossed the Red Sea as though on dry ground. She knew all about it. Did she know how they had destroyed Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan? She did. Where did she learn this? Do you think it was on Toutiao? There was no Toutiao then.

Whenever news came about the Israelites and what they were doing east of the Jordan, she made a note of it. She paid close attention. She had already become a follower of Israel’s God, a follower of the God of heaven and earth. How did she know? The news reached her. News travelled in those days as well.

While the king of Jericho was drilling his troops, what was she doing? Studying the God of Israel. “Their ancestor was called Abraham. Can I get hold of a copy of Genesis to read? I do not understand Hebrew, but never mind. I will work through it slowly.” Rahab put her heart into it. And then? “I want to seek the God of heaven and earth. Though I am among those facing destruction, though I am one of those God intends to destroy, I can still seek Him.”

Imitating Rahab’s Faith, Part Two: Seek God

I do not like people being blind. I detest blind belief. That is superstition. We seek God, studying the Bible book by book and coming to know Him as though we have discovered a priceless treasure! We have worn out English Bibles and Chinese Bibles. Even after all our reading up to today, there is much we still do not know. Our understanding of God remains indistinct. Brothers and sisters, can we put in some effort to know God better? Stop looking at your wife’s faults. Stop looking at your husband’s faults. Look more at God.

Why study those things? Why study your wife’s faults? Why study your husband’s faults? When you picked him up on Taobao, he was already like that. Why did you not do your research before choosing him? You did not know then; now you know. But the more you study him now, the more miserable you become.

With that time, could you not study God properly? Can you come to know Him? Can you understand what it means to be an enemy of God? What does it mean that those who obey God prosper and those who oppose Him perish? Do you think it is great to remain willingly among those headed for destruction and perish with them? Seek God and know Him. Know that God is our salvation. Know that God will certainly let those who seek Him find Him. He has been waiting for us for a long time! When you chose your spouse, you were looking for a bargain and thought you had found one. Today, can we find a genuine treasure? Can we seek out God and come to know Him? How do we seek? Let me tell you, Rahab’s seeking was no ordinary seeking. The Bible records very little about her. If it had recorded too much, what I am giving you today would be The Further Adventures of Rahab.

Do you know how Rahab sought God? As she sought, she prayed to Him. Although she knew, “He is not my God,” she nevertheless regarded Him as her God. She said, “This is your God, the God of Israel, but I very much want to know Him too.” When Abraham began seeking God, God was not yet Abraham’s God either, was He? God was not inherently the God of Israel. “Today, I want to belong to Him. Though He may not necessarily accept me, I will begin to seek Him.”

At this point, Rahab began to experience miracles! Let me ask you: before you knew God, did you experience miracles while seeking Him? Yes! God sits on His throne, looks down and says, “There is someone with depression seeking Me.” Then God guides that person. Once Rahab began seeking, miracles began to happen. That is how it works. While the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, Rahab had already begun learning about them.

In fact, the spies entering her house was simply a perfectly normal miracle. So she welcomed them in peace. Do you know what might have happened? As Rahab kept seeking, God spoke to her in a dream: “Rahab, do not worry. Two spies will come to your house.” I have made that up. But let me tell you, it is not impossible. Things could well have unfolded along the lines of the story I have made up, could they not?

“Rahab, do not be afraid. These two spies are coming to save you.” “But what if the king of Jericho wants to kill me?” “He will not. I will protect you.” Do you understand? So she welcomed the spies in peace. She was not panicking and saying, “Quick! Hide here!” The king of Jericho sent men to Rahab’s house, while the spies were hidden in the pile of straw in the loft.

Think about it: if they had found those two spies, the spies would have been killed, and Rahab’s entire household would have been dragged out as traitors. Yet Rahab was at peace. Why? God could lead the Israelites through the Red Sea as though on dry ground. God could bring them out from under Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Could He not protect one insignificant Rahab? He certainly could!

This is putting faith into practice! When you seek God, He lets you find Him, and you will experience many remarkable things. Let me tell you, no one who seeks the LORD God fails to experience remarkable things. You say, “Teacher, look, I am not a prostitute.” Being a prostitute is not the entry qualification. Faith is. You do not have to become a prostitute first and then become Rahab. Do you understand? What I am saying today is this: first, know that you are someone facing destruction, someone destined to perish among those who are perishing. Second, learn to seek. You must understand this. Have you sought? Yes. Have you searched? Yes. Have you found? Yes. Why, then, did nobody else in Jericho seek God? Let me tell you: there are plenty of foolish people!

Imitating Rahab’s Faith, Part Three: Know That God Is the God Who Saves

Know that God is the God who saves. What a powerful statement! Let me ask you: had Rahab heard how God led the Israelites to destroy Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan? She had. What conclusion should she have drawn? Is God a God who destroys people or a God who saves them? Let me ask you today: is God a God who heals or one who does not? What kind of God is He?

Let me tell you: if you do not know that He is full of grace and mercy, if you do not know that He is the God who saves and does not desire anyone to perish, that is a tragedy. Today, those among us who are ill—can you be certain that God is the God who heals you? Yes! Be certain that the precious blood of Jesus was not shed for you in vain. Be certain that Jesus did not suffer those stripes for you in vain. You will surely be healed! Even in days of intense spiritual battle, you will surely be healed. Do not rely on yourself.

Do you understand? Do not grit your teeth and foolishly struggle on by yourself. Know that God is the God who saves. Not only that: know that God is deeply considerate of human feelings. Do you know that? If Rahab alone had come out and been saved, while her father, mother and family had all been killed, what would you think? That would not be good!

Imitating Rahab’s Faith, Part Four: Cry Out to God for Salvation

If you know that God is the God who saves, should you cry out to Him? Yes! Cry out not only for your own salvation, but for the salvation of your entire household. Remarkable! Rahab’s faith was extraordinary! Was the God Rahab knew the same God we know? Or, to put it another way, is our understanding of God the same as Rahab’s?

Brothers and sisters, many people sought God, crying, “Son of David, save us!” Did they not? There were two blind men in Jericho crying, “Son of David!” They made as much noise as they possibly could. Jesus’ disciples said, “Be quiet! Be quiet! You are making such a racket.” Did Jesus heal them? He did.

Were they good enough? No. Were they wretched enough? Yes. Do you understand? Our God particularly desires us to cry out to Him. Yet some people seem to say, “God, save me if You want to. If not, kill me.” What sort of talk is that? Do you believe or not? Some pastors teach precisely that. A pastor once went to a sister’s house. She said, “Look, our pig is ill.” An actual pig, not the sister. The pastor said, “Come, let me pray for your pig. God, if You want to heal it, heal it. If not, let it die.” But this sister had great faith, and their pig miraculously recovered! From then on, she learned this prayer: “God, if You want to heal it, heal it. If not, let it die.”

One day, the pastor fell ill, and this sister went to see him. “God, if You want to heal him, heal him. If not, let him die.” The pastor said, “What sort of prayer is that?” She replied, “That is how you prayed for our pig, so that is how I am praying for you.” A pastor gets the kind of congregation he produces. Then the pastor recovered too!

What on earth had they learned? It was all God’s mercy! “However you prayed for the pig, that is how I will pray for you. You prayed that way for our pig, so I will pray that way for you.” Is that crying out to God for salvation? No. Brothers and sisters, today we must have God’s grace and mercy, cry out to Him for salvation, and never give up.

That was Rahab! Rahab was formidable! She did not focus on her identity as a prostitute. Nor did she focus on being one of the people marked for destruction in Jericho. She did not concern herself with God’s earlier declaration that every breathing creature in Jericho was to be killed. She set that aside! “What concerns me is that God is the God who saves me!”

God was pleased. He was delighted! “There is actually such a treasure in Jericho! Never mind. Save her! Every breathing creature in Jericho is to be killed, but not this household. This household is My treasure!” One conviction: I want to know my God! One conviction: my God will save me! My God is the God who heals me. My God is the God who saves me! My God is exceedingly great, God in heaven above and on the earth below, full of grace and mercy! Does that not sound powerful?

Imitating Rahab’s Faith, Part Five: Break Free from the Bondage of Moral Notions

Let me tell you, people readily form hierarchies of contempt. Yesterday, I chatted with a friend, a fellow alumnus who had just returned from Tibet. He said there was a hierarchy of contempt among those travelling into Tibet. Those arriving by train looked down on those arriving by plane. Those driving looked down on those taking the train. Those riding motorcycles looked down on those driving. Those riding bicycles looked down on those riding motorcycles. Those walking looked down on those riding bicycles.

Then there were those who crawled, making a full prostration every five steps and a smaller bow every three. Such a person said he looked down on nobody, because he was a sinner. I found that interesting. People in this world really do have a hierarchy of contempt! But among the people, Rahab was at the very bottom of that hierarchy. Anyone could look down on her. “But I will not look down on myself. So what if I am a prostitute? What of it? Is there a problem? No. I entered the wrong line of work back then.” So, brothers and sisters, you need neither think highly of yourselves nor look down on yourselves. Whether you think highly or poorly of yourself is not important. Think about it: having been a prostitute, she had gone a very long way in breaking through moral notions. People who act in Category III films have tremendous psychological resilience.

Now she had to betray Jericho. She was a traitor to the city. Do you want to be a traitor? Let me tell you: today, all of us who trust in the Lord, who trust in God, are traitors to this world. I will betray this world! The world is behind me; God is before me. I will leave darkness and turn to the light. Among those headed for destruction, I want to be someone who is saved. I will repent and turn to God. I will trust this God of heaven and earth. I will enter eternity. I will be with God.

Moral notions are deeply corrupting. Remember: if you have a very strong sense of morality, very strong moral notions, you are in trouble! Someone with strong moral notions is certainly someone deeply bound by this world. “Then I will betray Jericho. This is the place that gave birth to me, raised me and despised me. I will despise this place. You are all going to perish, and I despise that destruction.” Let me tell you, strong moral notions are detestable.

There may be no prostitutes among those who have come to us today. But even if a prostitute came, we would not look down on her. Even if a mistress came among us, we would not look down on you. “Because I am at the bottom of the hierarchy of contempt. Anyone may look down on me, but God regards me highly!” I have put moral notions completely behind me. Do you understand?

Those among us with strong moral notions today will pay a heavy price for them. Be careful! This world has a hierarchy of contempt, but God’s kingdom does not. In God’s kingdom, what counts is faith. I have met people who think lying is wrong and explain lying through a religious system of reasoning. They end up bound by moral notions.

The men sent by the king of Jericho asked, “Rahab, did those two men enter your house? A neighbourhood auntie just called to say they went into your house.” The neighbourhood officials said, “They really did enter. Someone reported it!” “Where have they gone?” Let me ask you: suppose Rahab had thought, “I must not lie. They are upstairs in our house. I have just hidden them. I do not lie. I absolutely refuse to lie.” That would be religious refusal to lie. Those would be moral notions, the thinking of a religious person. But Rahab said, “I do not know. They have just gone out and run that way. Hurry after them. Perhaps you can catch them.” All the while, they were hidden in her loft. Do you understand?

Suppose she said, “I do not lie. I absolutely will not lie. I want to be a great, honest person.” Very honest, is it not? But how would she be saved? You told a lie. Did God object? No. You told the truth. Did God care? Yes. “Then you can be destroyed along with them.”

So, brothers and sisters, I realise that many people cannot accept breaking through moral notions. What is a grey lie? There are white lies, black lies and grey lies. “No, that will not do.” Why will it not do? Brothers and sisters, be careful today. If you are bound by such things, that is religious morality. Have you learned to imitate Rahab? Imitate Rahab. Whatever you do, do not imitate those religious people. May God bless you all!