Our current message series is called “The Bible Series.” In this series, we are looking at stories that have been portrayed in The Bible miniseries recently broadcast on The History channel. Some may ask, what relevance do stories of what people have done thousands of years ago have to us today? Fair question.
First of all, these are not just any stories, these are stories that have been preserved for us in The Bible. The Bible is an incredible book, the best-selling book in history and the self-proclaimed Word of God.
Romans 15:4 (NIV) For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
This verse from the New Testament tells us that the things that were written in the past, which would be the Old Testament were written down so that we could learn from them. The Bible was written to encourage us and to give us hope. Who needs encouragement and hope these days? I think we all could use some more of that. So the stories in the Bible are not random, unrelated stories. The stories in the Bible have been selected by the Holy Spirit for the principles they teach and for the encouragement they bring.
Today, the title of our message is “From Bondage to Freedom.” Many people think that Christianity puts a person in bondage and restricts their freedom. However, the exact opposite is true. Jesus came to set people free from bondage to sin to live in the freedom that only comes from God.
John 8:34, 36 (NIV) Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. … So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
When someone becomes a believer, Jesus, the Son, sets them free from sin. However, even for a believer, there is a process of spiritual growth that results in greater freedom in our lives. So, whatever your spiritual maturity this morning, God wants you to grow in freedom.
Let’s look at the background of the story that we’re going to look at in detail this morning. The nation of Israel had been in bondage as slaves in the land of Egypt. God had set them free from slavery and they were now on a journey to reach the Promised Land. They had reached the border of Palestine, but a fortress city called Jericho stood in their way. God had instructed the Israelite leader, Joshua, to totally destroy Jericho for it’s generations of decadent sin. Yet, out of Jericho, one woman and her family would be rescued. One woman of faith would make the journey from bondage to freedom. Her name was Rahab and her story is also our story in many ways. Rahab is mentioned multiple times in the New Testament as a woman of faith.
Hebrews 11:31 (NIV) By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
So, let’s look at the story of Rahab in Joshua 2 and sees how it applies to our lives today.