Hebrews 11:31 -Be predisposed to living faith in God?

Hebrews 11:31 -Be predisposed to living faith in God?

Dodging a discussion about faith

We have heard this phrase before in our discussions:

– “You have faith!” « .

Yet we all have faith

Last time, we were able to reflect on the fact that faith is one of the characteristic traits of humans, so this observation from our friends would be relatively stupid if it was really just about faith.

However, when this remark is made to me, I still kindly point out that everyone has faith. But the real question is in what and in whom do we place it?

Several topics are discussed

But when our friends say:

• “You have faith! », they mention several subjects at the same time:
• “You have spiritual faith! »

Or

• “You have the Christian faith! « .

And there lies the idea that since they don’t have it, they are exempt from continuing the conversation. They are not concerned by the subject, or it can also be hidden that you have a Christian thing and that they, as they do not have it, they are not of this culture or this same spirituality and therefore that does not does not concern them…

We could ask ourselves the question: are they right?

Today we’re going to take a closer look at the fascinating story of a person who wasn’t one.

She has everything against her

She is not part of the Hebrews. He is even a person who is part of the enemy nations of Israel. She works as a prostitute. She’s a traitor. She is dissembler. She is a liar and she is one of the rare women to be cited in the genealogy of Christ!

(Matthew – Chapter 1

5 Salmon had Boaz of Rahab; Boaz had Obed by Ruth; 6 Obed had Jesse as his son; Jesse had David.)

This shows that we can not be “initiated” and still be concerned by God!

How is it possible ?

How can this be? We will see this in the book of Joshua.

But before reading, I would like to highlight several aspects.

Nationalism, favoritism on the part of God?

We sometimes have the impression that the Old Testament engages in blind nationalism with Israel, that all nations are mere rubbish and negligible quantities.

The experience of Rahab, the person we are going to follow today, because the epistle to the Hebrews invites us to do so, shows us the opposite.

Three observations on why Israel

But above all the emphasis on Israel is due to three main aspects:

• the fact that God concluded alliances, contracts with the patriarchs, the people and the kings of Israel;
• that Israel has a mission of example and exemplarity, it, this people of nothing at all (Deuteronomy 7.7) is irresistible when the Lord is in their midst but it becomes common as soon as He neglects it;
• the solution against sin that God puts in place for humanity comes through the history of this people.

God loves everyone and even proves it in the OT

But God does not lose interest in other nations by focusing exclusively on the Hebrews:

• Naaman, the Syrian,
• Ruth, the Moabite (about whom an entire book of the Old Testament is dedicated),
• For example… ,

are proof of this.

God does not “awaken” to the world in the New Testament.

We are going to see it particularly with Rahab…

Joshua – Chapter 2

1 Joshua the son of Nun sent two spies out of Shittim secretly, saying to them, 

“Go explore the land, especially Jericho.”

They went and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and slept there.

Prostitute and innkeeper are often synonymous.

It was in these places that it was easiest to spend the night for this mission.

2 They said to the king of Jericho:

“Some Israelites came here tonight to explore the land.”

3 The king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying,

“Bring out the men who came to you, who entered your house. In fact, it was to explore the whole country that they came.”

4 The woman took the two men and hid them.

She betrays her homeland.

Then she said:

“It is true that these men arrived at my house, but I did not know where they were from 5 and, as we were about to close the door, at nightfall, they came out. I don’t know where they went. Hurry after them and you will catch up with them.”

She lies.

6 She brought the spies up to the roof and hid them under stalks of flax that she arranged there.

7 These men pursued them along the path that leads to the ford of the Jordan, and the gate was closed after their departure.

8 Before the spies went to bed, Rahab went up to them on the roof 9 and said to them,

“I know that the Lord has given you this land.

You saw this conviction, she understood who the active power was, the Eternal One!

The terror you inspire has taken hold of us and all the inhabitants of the country tremble before you.

10 For we have learned how,

 when you leave Egypt,

the LORD has dried up the water of the Sea of ​​Reeds before you

and how you treated the two kings of the Amorites on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you destroyed.

11 When we heard it, we lost heart and fell in spirit before you,

for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

• A shame. The generation before was afraid of the people of the land of Canaan, but in fact, it is the opposite.
  • When Israel walks with the Lord, the echo of what they experience is resounding (see confession of faith in verse 11).
  • This echo is enough for Rahab to position herself in favor of the Lord.

12 And now, please,

swear to me by the Lord that you will show the same kindness to my family as I do to you.

Give me the assurance that 13 you will let my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters and all their relatives live and that you will save us from death.”

His faith led him to be certain of Israel’s victory over Jericho.

14 These men answered him:

“We swear on our own lives if you do not disclose what concerns us. And when the LORD gives us the land, we will deal with you in kindness and faithfulness.”

15 She let them down with a rope through the window, because the house where she lived was on the city wall.

16 She said to them:

“Go towards the mountain, otherwise your pursuers may encounter you. Hide there for three days until they return. After that, you will continue on your way.”

17 These men said to him:

“This is how we will fulfill the oath you made us make.

18 When we enter the land, tie this cord of red thread to the window through which you bring us down and gather your father, your mother, your brothers and all your family into the house.

19 If one of them goes outside the door of your house, his blood will be on his head, and we will be innocent.

On the other hand, if we lay a hand against any of those who are with you in the house, whoever he may be, his blood will be on our heads.

20 If you also reveal what concerns us, we will be released from the oath you made us make.”

21 She answered:

“Let it be as you said.”

So she took leave of them and they left. Then she tied the red cord to the window.

22 They departed and came to the mountain, where they remained three days, until those who pursued them returned.

Those who pursued them searched for them throughout the region, but without finding them.

23 The two men came down from the mountain and crossed the Jordan.

They came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them.

24 They said to him:

“It is certain that the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, and all the inhabitants of the land will tremble before us.”

What a difference between the first spies in defeatism and in rebellion against the Lord and here the assurance of these last 2 spies.

Joshua 6

17 The city will be dedicated to the LORD, it and everything that is in it.

But Rahab the harlot will live, and all who are with her in her house,

because she hid the messengers we sent .

Joshua 6

22 Joshua said to the two men who had explored the land,

“Enter the house of the harlot

and bring out this woman and all her people, as you swore to her.”

23 The young spies entered Rahab’s house and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers and all her people.

They brought out all the members of his family and settled them in a safe place outside the camp of Israel.

24 They burned the city and everything that was in it. However, they put the silver and the gold and everything made of bronze and iron into the treasury of the house of the Lord.

25 Joshua spared the life of Rahab the harlot, and of her family, and of all her people.

She has lived in the midst of Israel until today,

because she had hidden the messengers that Joshua had sent to explore Jericho .

A repetition, it should be noted!

-Well ! When there is a repetition in the Bible, it should alert us.

You noticed in verses 17 and 25, the good, the concrete, active, enterprising faith of Rahab is emphasized. We will come back to it…

Accessible to everyone

But what we can remember is that

#Rahab’s story shows#

####that faith is not something for initiates but for determined people####

The difficult context

• Our origin (enemy of Israel),
• our social condition (prostitute),
• our education, personality, character (liar, dissembler, traitor)

are not an excuse for not asking the right questions about faith in God.

The little knowledge of the Lord

Just as the little I know about God is no excuse for me to remain indifferent to His person; Rahab only had the echo, which she was unable to verify, of what Israel had experienced, 2 are noted:

• crossing the Sea of ​​Reeds (by the way, if it had been a fake, the inhabitants of Jericho would not have been terrorized);
  • and the victory over the two kings of the Amorites Sihon and Og.

This little light was enough to position oneself for God to demonstrate concrete faith.

A faith which is an example for us today, as the epistle to the Hebrews shows us.

#Rahab’s story shows#

####that one does not need to be predisposed to faith in God, to believe####

#The story of Rahab is an example#

####of faith that can be seen####

Faith is seen

This is what is noted in the repetition of verses 17 and 25 of Joshua chapter 6:

Joshua 6.17c

because she hid the messengers we sent.

Joshua 6.25b

because she hid the messengers that Joshua sent to explore Jericho

But also in the verse of the day in the epistle to the Hebrews:

Hebrews 11:31

By faith Rahab the harlot did not die with the unbelievers,

because she had welcomed the spies with kindness.

James 2.25

Was not Rahab the prostitute, in the same way, considered righteous

based on his actions,

when she welcomed the messengers

and made them go another way?

The epistle of James emphasizes that faith is seen in action in what we do.

#If I believe#

####it can be seen (James 2.25)####

The little understood acts powerfully

Even the little bit I know doesn’t stop me from acting strongly.

The story of Rahab shows us this.

Knowledge does not act for me

Very often, we would like to know more before acting, a bit as if knowledge were going to act in our place… What I understood from God, I can put into action now and it has an impact on the course of my life, on that of others, it changes my influence.

Matthew – Chapter 1

5 Salmon had Boaz of Rahab; Boaz had Obed by Ruth; 6 Obed had Jesse as his son; Jesse had David

What am I learning from God

Universal gaze

It is the same in the Old Testament as in the New Testament.

He is not racist.

He is not a nationalist.

He is not sexist.

God will point it out

• to Pierre, of his experience with Corneille:

Acts 10.34

Then Peter spoke and said:

“Truly I recognize that God does not show favoritism

• to the destination churches of the epistle to the Galatians; it is said in chapter 3:

Galatians 3:28-29

28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 If you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of Abraham [and] you are heirs according to the promise.

Here in addition to ethnic origin, it is also a question of social condition. His kingdom is made up of people of all origins.

Revelation 7:9

After that, I looked and saw a huge crowd that no one could count. They were men from every nation, tribe, people and language.

Homogeneous personality

• His all knowledge,
• His omnipotence

allowed the wall to collapse, except for the part where Rahab lived. It’s interesting because it illustrates something important to us: the attributes of God are not autonomous, independent. As if His omnipotence was acting uncontrollably, disconnected from the rest.

No, everything that represents and characterizes Him is interconnected.

Almighty power is always linked to His love, His justice, His grace and His other attributes.

There is no selection, no domination of one to the detriment of others but balance.

Consequence for us

Often, we love in God what we believe suits us: goodness, grace, creator… But these aspects only have greatness because they are in harmony with the other attributes of God.

To go further on this subject, I recommend the excellent work of

Your Youth n° 294

“Who is God”

30 days discovery.

which you can download for free from the site

294 – Who is God?

May this text help us to have with His help a more complete vision of His person.

What am I learning about myself?

False excuses

To be wary of my false excuses for not moving forward in faith in God or in Christ like:

• I am not an insider.
• I don’t know much.
• I am a woman or a man.
• I have a damn temper.
• I don’t have the right education.
• My personality.
• My life path is too chaotic or too hard.

All these are pretexts that Rahab’s example shattered. We put out these lies to stay as we are, even if we are dissatisfied.

• “My life sucks, but I don’t want to change it!” »

But God shows us through Rahab that there is something better than complaining to exist: it is to take hold of Him, trust Him and act accordingly and that is the other enormous challenge…

Faith is seen

Faith is seen. It pushes you to action. Ok, we don’t have to lie, betray our country like Rahab! (She acted with what she was at that moment, without knowing anything about the commandments of the Lord). But she acted.

What areas are activating your faith in Christ right now?

Is your faith secret?

The little you understand, try to see how you could live it.