John Bunyan, who is best known for the classic story, “Pilgrim’s Progress” was more than just a famous story writer, he was a pastor. But his trust in the Word of God caused him to take a stand against the traditions of his day. And because of this confidence he had in the Word of God he spent 12 years in prison. Because he knew it was wrong to hinder the progress of the Gospel by requiring certain licenses to preach the Gospel he refused to take one from the state church of England. Even when they granted him one he refused to take it because of the principle that the Word of God should not be chained by such a requirement. What was it that caused Bunyan to endure under such maltreatment? He trusted in the Word of God.
The author of Hebrews brings to us in these verses two instances of faith in action. And the key idea in this passage is biblical faith, genuine trust in God’s Word, changes a person’s heart so that they actually live according to the Scripture and not according to their own whims or men’s traditions.
I. Victorious Faith
The first way the author shows biblical faith in action is by describing victorious faith. When a person comes to trust in the veracity (the truthfulness) of God’s Word and they recognize its life changing power they have a victorious faith. The author uses the example of the Israelites conquering the massive city of Jericho. In verse 30 he notes, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” The event he notes is found in Joshua 6.
Since the author has defined faith as the explicit trust in the Word of God we must ask ourselves, “In what words of God did the Israelites trust to accomplish this impossible feat?” When we look at the beginning of Joshua 6, in verses 2-5, we read there the Lord telling the Israelite leader Joshua, “I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall be that when they make a long blast with the rams’ horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead.”
So we note that the words of God in which they trusted were that they were to march around the city of Jericho for seven days and then shout. When they had done this the walls would fall and they would be able to enter the city. There are two lessons we can learn about biblical faith from this verse.
A. By faith God accomplishes the unthinkable
The first lesson we learn about biblical faith is that by faith God accomplishes the unthinkable. This is described in the first part of verse 30. The author says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down.” When the people of Israel trusted the God’s Word to them they saw Him accomplish what would normally be unthinkable. Why should people walking around a wall cause it to fall? These walls of Jericho may have been as high as 30 ft. They were thick walls against which people could build their houses, as was the case with Rahab, whose house was against the wall.
To conquer the city of Jericho was an unthinkable event for the Israelites. They weren’t skilled in warfare. They had been slaves in the land of Egypt. To that end they had been trained, not to warfare. And yet God called them to carry out this impossible mission. But by believing the words of God, they were able to do what God told them to do and they did it with a great victory.
This is what is phenomenal about God’s Word. When we believe it He works in our lives to accomplish those things that would be otherwise impossible. This is what the apostle Paul described in 1 Thessalonians 3:13. He said that the Word of God performs its work in you who believe. What this tells us is that if a person comes to God’s Word doubting and says, “God prove it to me or I won’t believe” then God’s Word will not change them. It will be ineffective in their life. Many people go away from God because they complain that God’s Word never worked in their lives. God will not work in an individual without this trust in the Word of God. Why? Hebrews 11:6, one of the key verses of this chapter says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” If we are going to see God accomplish the unthinkable in our lives we need to believe His Word. There are so many promises to claim in regard to your life if you will only seek Him diligently in it for your transformation.
There are many who claim to love God’s Word but they never read it. They never desire to hear from within its pages a call from God to change. They are content to live with the comfortable god at arm’s length who isn’t the God of the Bible but simply an idol made in their own likeness.
After all the Scripture makes it clear that you cannot have eternal life if you do not believe His Word. And believing it means reading it to find out what it says. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” You cannot have eternal life without knowing the promises God gives for it. You cannot live righteously without bitterness, without fear, without anxiety, without anger if you are not seeking God’s promises in His Word. As George Mueller, that great man of God of the 19th century said, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.” Oh we can make excuses for not living according to God’s Word but it all boils down to this one kernel truth upon which the author of Hebrews has been pressing into our hearts and minds for this entire chapter. If you are not living according to God’s Word it is because you are not trusting what God says in His Word. Let’s look at the next lesson about biblical faith found in this verse.
B. Faith in God’s Word causes us to obey His commands
The second lesson about biblical faith we can learn is that faith in God’s Word causes us to obey His commands. Verse 30 reads, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.” Notice that it says the walls fell after they were encircled for seven days. Because the Israelites believed God’s Word they did what He had said. They had a strong conviction about doing what He had told them. Notice that the walls didn’t fall before they had encircled it seven days. The Israelites saw no evidence that this was going to work on days one through six. And on day seven they didn’t see anything happening until they had finished going around it seven times. Had the Israelites been discouraged as they continued to walk around it, had they decided to quit before they done what God had told them to they would never have seen God accomplish His work.
What happens in the lives of those without true biblical faith is that they quit before God’s promised time comes. They may obey halfway or partially but they never carry out what God tells them to do. This is not the heart of faith. The unbelieving heart says, “God I won’t completely commit myself to you until I see you do something for me.” The person without genuine faith says, “I will do some of the things God says but not all of them. I am going to hold out on God because some of the things He says don’t make sense.” This person will never see God act powerfully on their behalf.
And this verse also tells us that everything God says doesn’t always seem logical nor will it always appear practical. It didn’t make sense to walk around the walls of an enemy city. Had Joshua followed the wisdom of the day he would have surrounded the city with siege engines. He would have stopped up the wells and for a lack of a good attack might have starved the city out over several months. But these would have been manmade devices. They might have been useful and acceptable had God’s Word not specifically directed them otherwise. Now because this didn’t make sense from a worldly perspective doesn’t mean God’s Word is nonsense or that we are to act without wisdom but it means that God’s Word does not work on the same plane as what some might call “worldly wisdom.” When “worldly wisdom” is contrary to the clear Word of God then we must follow God’s Word.
Why then does God sometimes give us instruction that appears difficult or opposite to what our natural inclination would be? He wants us to trust His power to work out what He says in His way. And when it does work out we will find that He will receive all the glory and we will grow in our own trust of His Word. If He has said that He gives us all we need to live godly lives why do we seek manmade solutions to our sin problems? If He has promised His Holy Spirit to produce His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control then why would we try to work these up by our own attempts at righteousness?
The next thing we must note about this situation with the city of Jericho is that unless God had told them to do this it would have served no purpose. Had Joshua thought of this scheme to march around the walls in this fashion it would have accomplished nothing except to bring the name of God into disrepute. This shows us that Biblical faith is not about man’s whims or traditions. They mean nothing in light of God’s Word. To place tradition on the same level of Scripture is to dishonor God. Unless God’s Word has told us something clearly, “We’ve always done it that way” becomes idolatry instead of worship.
II. Delivering Faith
The second way the author shows biblical faith in action is by describing delivering faith. In verse 31 we read, “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.” In this verse also there are two lessons we can learn about delivering faith.
A. By faith God delivers the unlikely
First, we must notice that by faith God delivers the unlikely. Here we have a lady, if you could call her that, who is listed in one of the most important chapters in all of Scripture. And this woman is shown to be a paragon of faith. But how many of you, if you had lived in her day, would have disdained her? How many of you would have thought she certainly was not worthy of being rescued by God’s people?
As we have seen faith is always dependent upon God’s Word. But what was God’s Word to this Gentile pagan prostitute? Where could she have heard about the Lord to cause her to believe in Him? What was it that transformed her life from prostitute to purity? What did she hear that caused her to move from being a harlot to the hall of faith? Joshua 2:10-11 shows us.
She tells the spies this, “For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt…When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven and on the earth beneath.” She heard the reports of God’s work from Egypt. She heard reports of God’s work in the desert. And she heard the name of the Lord and believed in Him. As I mentioned earlier, Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” She heard the wonderful works of the Lord and trusted in Him. There were many people who passed through Jericho (it was a significant city) and they began to speak of this God who did mighty wonders in Egypt. And as Rahab heard more of what He did she recognized that He was not some local tribal idol but was the living God. He was God of heaven and earth. She placed her trust in Him and she was never the same again. In this verse we see two contrasts about Rahab that are worth mentioning.
1. Rahab is contrasted with her former manner of life
First we notice that Rahab is contrasted with her former manner of life. She is called Rahab the harlot, Rahab the prostitute. But the author does this to contrast her newfound faith with her previous life. Her faith in the living God changed her. This is what happens when a person experiences biblical faith. You will be a different person. Someone mentioned this to me just recently. They said that they had always gone to church but the truth never penetrated their heart. When the truth of the Word of God penetrates a person’s heart they are able to overcome their sinful past, even if it is a past of immorality and debauchery. Why is this? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” A person who has a living faith in Christ will no longer play church. They will experience a new relationship with God over which the old nature has no hold. When the light shines in the darkness the darkness cannot overcome it.
Rahab is so transformed that God mentions her in another place. In Matthew 1:5, she is listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. This great, great, great, great, great grandmother of Jesus married one of the men of Joshua’s day. And because of their faith they were blessed with a child who found his way into the tree of Jesse.
Let me say again, that there are those who love their religion in contrast to those who love their God. True biblical faith changes a person’s life into one in which Jesus Christ becomes preeminent. He is no longer relegated to a piece of one’s life. He becomes one’s life. This is what Paul says in Colossians 3. “If you have been raised up with Christ keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on the earth…When Christ, who is our life, appears you also will appear with Him in glory.” Rahab was a changed woman. And God will change you if you truly believe. Whether it means giving up your self-righteousness or giving up your sin, when you put your trust in Christ alone He will change you.
2. Rahab is contrasted with those who will not trust
Secondly, Rahab is contrasted with those who will not trust. The verse says that she “did not perish with those who were disobedient.” It could be better translated that she did not perish with those who were unbelieving.” This word is used to describe not just disobedience but a disobedience that results from unbelief. The King James more frequently translates it as such. Let me read some examples. In Acts 14:2 (in the NASB) it says that those “who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles.” Romans 11:30 says, “As ye…have not believed God, yet [you] have now obtained mercy through their unbelief.” In Romans 15:31 Paul uses this word when he says, “That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea.” Again in Hebrews 4:6 & 11 the word is used there to describe those who do not enter God’s rest because of their unbelief.
What was the result of the fact that she trusted while others did not. The Scripture says, “She did not perish.” Those who could think no better of her, rejected the faith she found that transformed her life. And because of it they perished. Many people today are like this. They have a theology that says, “God helps those who help themselves.” People think this comes from the Scripture but these were Ben Franklin’s words. The Scripture says that God helps those who recognize they cannot help themselves and trust in Him for deliverance.
The reason people think this way is that they think too low of God’s standard. They think they can measure up to it. But God’s standard to enter heaven is perfection. They don’t realize that God will judge according to a righteous standard. And all who do not have perfect righteousness will be cast out by Him. A holy God cannot wink at sin and still be considered holy or just. A judge who would let criminals off would not be considered just. The Scripture says that God will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
To those who might object and say that God is love, this is true but as love He still cannot go against His other characteristics. This is why God provided the cross. The cross is where God’s justice and mercy met. God placed our sin upon the cross. But He does not dispense His mercy and grace to everyone. He will only do it to those who trust in Him alone. Still someone may know about the death of Christ and believe about it but not have life. In order to experience deliverance from hell a person must have trust in Christ alone. They must humble themselves and admit that as hard as they might try they cannot please God by their own effort. They must acknowledge that their good deeds are vain attempts to earn eternal life. Paul said in Galatians 2:21, “If righteousness came by (obeying) the law, Christ died needlessly.” Those who continue to compare themselves with others have not given up their pride and self-righteousness. Until they see themselves as low as Rahab they will not see the kingdom of heaven. Until they see their need to be delivered by God’s deliverance they only have God’s wrath resting upon them. They must see their sin of smugness before God as an abomination.
Rahab was delivered because of her faith. Do you too need to be delivered by faith in Christ? Will you choose to humble yourself and receive Christ or will too perish like those who lived in the same city with Rahab and refused to trust in the living God?
B. Faith in God’s Word should cause us to take a stand for Him
The final lesson we learn about delivering faith is that faith in God’s Word should cause us to take a stand for Him. How does verse 31 end? It says that she did not perish, “after she had welcomed the spies in peace.” What did Rahab’s faith cause her to do? It brought her to identify with the people of God even though it might have cost her, her life. She chose to identify with them and protect them because she knew that these Israelites were following God’s Word. She took a stand to do what was right and not allow these men to be killed because they were Israelites. She protected them and sent them on their way even though it put her life in danger.
As believers in Christ, we should be willing to take a stand for Him. It is He who died for us; should we not be willing to live for Him? He is the one who by His resurrection and ascension has given us of His Spirit. He has given us power over our sin to live victoriously and He has given us His Word to show us how to live victoriously.
We must recognize that if we are going to side with the people of God we will receive persecution from those without biblical faith. We will be mocked, perhaps even physically harmed. But if we believe His Word then we understand, according to Philippians 1:28, that you are to be “in no way alarmed by your opponents – which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you…For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”
Take a stand for Christ. Humbly but unashamedly stand for Him even when it could possibly mean difficulty for you. Trust His Word. Obey His commands even when you don’t necessarily understand how God will bring to pass what He said. Let His Word perform its work in you as you read it and obey it daily. This is true faith.