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God Will Always Make A Way

Joshua 2

1 Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies from the Acacia Grove, saying, “Go and scout the land, especially Jericho.” So they left, and they came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab, and stayed there.

 

2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelite men have come here tonight to investigate the land.” 3 Then the king of Jericho sent word to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they came to investigate the entire land.”

 

4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I didn’t know where they were from. 6 But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had arranged on the roof.

 

8 Before the men fell asleep, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you. 10 For 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 Amorite kings you completely destroyed across the Jordan. 11 When we heard this, we lost heart, and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below. 12 Now please swear to me by the Lord that you will also show kindness to my father’s family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all who belong to them, and save us from death.”

 

14 The men answered her, “We will give our lives for yours. If you don’t report our mission, we will show kindness and faithfulness to you when the Lord gives us the land.”

 

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, since she lived in a house that was built into the wall of the city.

 

17 The men said to her, “We will be free from this oath you made us swear, 18 unless, when we enter the land, you tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down. Bring your father, mother, brothers, and all your father’s family into your house. 19 If anyone goes out the doors of your house, his death will be his own fault, and we will be innocent. But if anyone with you in the house should be harmed, his death will be our fault.

 

21 “Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. After they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord to the window.

 

Unleash Series

When God puts us into a place of tension, That is the place where he UNLEASHES his power and presence in our life

 

God Always Makes A Way

  • When you walk God’s way, he always makes a way

 

The people of Israel under Joshua are preparing to cross the Jordan river

  • Literally the line for the promised land (The promises of God for His People)

 

But to take the land, they must fight for it

  • There are other people living in the land

 

In this story, we see that there is a city called Jericho

  • Jericho stands as a major obstacle between the promises of God for the land, and where the Israelites had spent the last 40 years

 

We must understand that THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A JERICHO when God calls us to follow him.

  • There will always be an obstacle, that on your own, will seem impossible to overcome.
  • Your Jericho may be a fear, a disability, a person, or your past.

Whatever it is, it will seem at first glance to be basically impossible to overcome.

 

God is not so concerned about making this easy, but to make us HOLY

 

Whenever we come up against our own “Jericho’s,” we must remember that God always makes a way

 

So what does it look like when God makes a way

 

1: He Makes a way out

 

Joshua knows that the promises of God lie through Jericho

  • Sends 2 spies out to spy land and city

 

They are quickly discovered

  • They end up at the house of a woman named Rahab
  • She hides them on her roof
  • The king of Jericho’s guards accuse her of hiding them but she lies
  • She also makes a bargain with them to rescue her family (She was no fool)

 

But when we are walking God’s way, he will always make a way out/through

  • Your way out may be through

 

Many times, the Jericho that lies in front of us is our own sin/temptation

Our own struggles with

  • Forgiveness
  • Bitterness
  • Hatred
  • Lust
  • Jealousy
  • Trusting God

 

We are not fighting physical kingdoms, but spiritual kingdoms and principalities of Satan

 

 

1 Corinthians 10:13

13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.

 

God will never lead you to something and then leave you there

 

For the spies, the way out was a woman named Rahab

  • Someone they would not have associated with except for God placing her in their path
  • She was the one being used by God to protect his people in a foreign place

 

When you find yourself struggling, know that God will make a way out

  • It may not be the way that you want or where thinking

 

But this isn’t the only way God makes for us…

 

When we follow God’s way…

2: He makes a way for mercy

 

Spies had every reason not to trust or uphold their promise to this woman

  • A Prostitute
  • Pagan culture
  • Literally their enemy

 

God isn’t trying to make it easy; He is making us HOLY

 

We have a bad habit of pinning people’s mistake to them permanently

  • Downplay our own mistakes while elevating the mistakes of others

 

This isn’t new, has been going on since the beginning.

  • Satan the Accuser
  • Literally accuses people

 

But we are supposed to be something different

  • We can’t truly be merciful until we have a better understanding of mercy

 

Paul tells us this…

Romans 5

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

 

GOD IS MERCY

  • If you want to be used by God, then you must get used to mercy
  • For both your self and for others

 

We do not live in a culture that understands or values mercy

 

Was no different for the Spies, they should have canceled this woman because of WHO she was and WHAT she was

 

But the kingdom of God is a kingdom of mercy

 

Matthew 5

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

 

Our calling is never just for ourselves. We are to take people with us

  • Show grace and mercy to those who otherwise would not be someone we would associate with
  • Must battle against the “ME” centric world we live in

 

Lastly, When we follow God’s way…

3: He makes a way for rescue

 

There are two rescues happening here:

The spies from the King by way of Rahab

Rahab’s family by way of the spies promise to her

 

But Rahab is really the star of this story…

She is the only one in this story with a name

Only one with her profession given

 

Rahab also the only one to give an account of who God really is…

 

Joshua 2

11 When we heard this, we lost heart, and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.

 

Rahab understood that her family’s rescue lay with the people of God

  • That her future was dependent on God

 

She understood that this God was different

 

This take HUMILITY

  • Pride says that I can do it on my own

 

Most of us do not think we need rescuing

  • We want God’s help on our terms

 

Rescue means dependence on God for everything

 

Means laying down all of our desires and telling God, I’m yours

  • My future is yours
  • My past is yours
  • My Pain is yours
  • My sin is yours to forgive

 

2 Peter 2

9 the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials…

 

As we follow God into unknown things, we must trust that God will ALWAYS make a way

 

God made a way for Rahab and her whole family.

  • When the city fell, they were adopted as part of God’s people

 

Rahab eventually married an Israelite man and had a son named BOAZ

  • Who married Ruth

 

Rahab is also listed in the genealogy of Jesus

 

Proving that God’s rescue is never dependent on what you have done, but what you choose to do now

  • Do you accept God’s rescue in your problem?

 

Blessed is the family whose women seek after God

 

If you feel alone or discourage

  • Single mom
  • Dragging family to church
  • Have a past you are trying to overcome

 

All throughout the Bible, Godly women have changed the course of history is dramatic ways

  • The same God sees you and will bless you.
  • Stay faithful
  • Stay encouraged

 

When you walk in God’s way, He will ALWAYS make a way

  • A way out
  • A way for mercy
  • A way for rescue

 

 

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