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Home , Rahab

From Prostitution to Purpose

SERMON SUMMARY:

Oct 22, 2016 Heb 11:31 - By Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

Rahab was branded a harlot… but lets also take a look at the genealogy of : l. Abraham lied to save his neck. 2. Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, cheated his brother, his father-in-law, his uncle. 3. Judah, Jacob’s son, committed incest with his own daughter-in-law Tamar. 4. Tamar seduced her father-in-law, Judah, and the product of the union was part of the line leading to Christ. Jesus is called “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah”, so we think Judah was this great . Judah was a hypocrite, Judah was an adulterer. 5. And What about Judah’s brothers? They sold their younger brother, Joseph, into slavery just because they were jealous. 6. David was the father of Solomon whose mother had been Uriah’s wife. What happened to Uriah? David had him killed so he could have his wife, Bathsheba. David, the adulterer and murderer, is also part of this history leading up to Christ. 7. ’s mother was Rahab. And we know that Rahab was a prostitute. 8. is mentioned. She was a foreigner, not even Jewish. 9. Manasseh makes the list, even though this wicked king sacrificed his own son in the fire to Baal and consulted mediums and spiritists. Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that 2 Ki 21 says, “He was a terror to his people.” (God used even Manasseh as part of the history leading up to Christ.) l0. His son Amon is on the list, even though Amon rejected God. ll. A lot of guys on this list are kings; almost half of these kings were crooks, and all but a handful worshipped an idol or two for good measure.

However in during the there is no mention of the sins of each of these people. The label has been taken off each of them.

I Cor 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, I Cor 6:10 nor thieves, not the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. I Cor 6:11 And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. DISCUSSION What are some of the labels that were put on people in ’s days? What are some of the labels we put on people today?

Were you surprised by the number of character flaws in the lineage from Abraham to Jesus?

In modern times many have defined tolerance to mean that we can never judge another person’s lifestyle as wrong. Is this true? Read 2 Tim 2:25. How does this verse impact your thinking when it comes to telling other people that their thinking and lifestyle might be wrong?

What would be some of the labels that you might wear if people knew your past?

How do we get these labels from our sin removed from us?

Knowing that our labels have been removed from us (1 John 1:9), how should we then treat others?

Rahab—From Prostitution to Purpose Heb 11:31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. 6:17 … only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. Joshua 6:25 However, Rahab the harlot and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out . James 2:25 And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? Rahab believed and confessed, “The Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” (Josh 2:11) Matt 1:1 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Matt 1:2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Matt 1:3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. Matt 1:4 Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of , and Nahshon the father of . Matt 1:5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Matt 1:6 Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. Matt 1:7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. Matt 1:8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. Matt 1:9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Matt 1:10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. Matt 1:11 Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. Matt 1:12 After the deportation to Babylon, Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. Matt 1:13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor. Matt 1:14 Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. Matt 1:15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar; Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. Matt 1:16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. I Cor 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, I Cor 6:10 nor thieves, not the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. I Cor 6:11 And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Matt 1:17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. Matt 1:16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. Rev 22:20 “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.