Well, thank you, Brian. It is nice to be with you here this evening and trust that the good Lord will bless both you and I as we come together under the sound of his word. And to that end, I want to ask you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Joshua in the Old Testament and to the second chapter of the book of Joshua. Joshua and chapter 2. Joshua and chapter 2. Just before we come to read the word of God, I want to ask you a question. And the question is this, is it ever right to tell a lie? Are there occasions in life whenever it's okay to be untruthful and to be misleading in what we say? Are you one of the many people who believe that there are times whenever the right thing to do or perhaps the kindest thing to do is to tell a wee fib and that there's mileage in that old adage that says that the end justifies the means? What do you think? Is it ever right to tell a lie? Let me leave that question with you for the time being and hopefully we'll pick up some food for thoughts concerning its answer as we come to study our passage for today or for this evening. But before we look at Joshua chapter 2 and think about this woman called Rahab, who's at the heart of it, we'd best read the verses that we're going to consider. And so to that end, if you'll join with me as we take up in the second chapter of Joshua and read from the first verse down through. The Word of God says, the God of the Word says, And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went and came into an harlot's house named Rahab and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men and hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country. And the king of Jericho sent on to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house, for they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men on to me, but I wist not whence they were. And it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, whenever it was dark, that the men went out. Whither the men went I wot not. Pursue after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house and hid them in the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof. And the men pursued after them the way of Jordan unto the fords, and as soon as they were pursued after them were gone out, and they shut the gate. And before they laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof. And she said unto them, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all of the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how that the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side, Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts did melt. Neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you, For the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. Now therefore I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, that ye will also show kindness unto my Father's house and give me a true token. And that ye shall save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. Verse 16. which thou hast made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, and shall bind the line of scarlet thread in the window, which thou hast let us down by, and thou shalt bring thy father, thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's house home unto thee. For me, Hebrews chapter 11 is one of the most profound passages in the entire record of the Holy Scriptures. I often allude to its verses, and maybe that's due at least in part to the fact that when I was doing my Master's a number of years ago, I had to write a 50,000 word dissertation on it. But it is indeed a most wonderful chapter to think upon. Perhaps some of you will know that it's often referred to as the great royal call of the faith. And likewise, it's also been termed the Westminster Abbey of the Bible. As with that great building in London, as it houses the tombs and honors the memories of many of the great heroes of the British state, Hebrews chapter 11 memorizes and immortalizes the legacy of so many of the great heroes of the faith. as its verses highlight the exploits of people such as Abraham, and Moses, and Joseph, and Gideon, and David, and Samuel, and that these were all very likely candidates for being honored in this most momentous chapter. But then there are others who are not so obvious and not so well known as Hebrews chapter 11 makes mention of people such as Jephthah and such as Barak and the likes of Moses' parents, Amram and Jochebed. You knew that of course. However, of all those who are listed in Hebrews chapter 11, and who are set forth before us as wonderful examples of faith, surely the most unlikely candidate for inclusion in this great role call, this Westminster Abbey of the Bible, is that of a heathen harlot called Rahab. But nevertheless, her name is there in black and white for all to see. As verse 31 of that august passage says, and reading from verse 30, by faith the walls of Jericho fell down. After they were encompassed for seven days, by faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she received the spies with peace. That's wonderful. Now in beginning to think about this woman this evening, there are several things that I want you to take note of concerning her. And by way of alliterating things, I want to use the letter L and indeed give you four L's pertaining to this most unlikely heroine of the faith. And the first of these four L's that I want us to think about is her lifestyle, Rahab's lifestyle. And in doing so, let me begin by saying that, albeit the Bible doesn't say much by way of this woman's backstory, from what is said, we can see that her lifestyle was pretty unpleasant, that her lifestyle was very uncouth and unholy. For the defining characteristic that the Bible uses of her is that she is described as a harlot. We see this in verse 1 of our text as it says, And they went and came into a harlot's house near Rahab, and they lodged there. My friends, the Hebrew word for harlot conveys the same meaning as ours. It really speaks to us of a loose and an immoral woman. It's the Hebrew word zana. And in the Old Testament, it's often used to describe Israel's unfaithfulness to God. And it means to be habitually adulterous and to fornicate and to behave perversely. And indeed, the New Testament equivalent of the word zana is the word porneo, from which we get the English word for pornography. And this is the type of terminology that's used of this woman, Rahab the harlot, whose lifestyle was filthy as she was a loose and lewd woman. And such a lifestyle was an abomination to God in heaven, for he's a holy God who loathes such sinful and sordid living. But you know, friend, such would not have been true of Rahab's neighbors or her community or the clientele that she would have dealt with. For the Canaanites as a people were renowned for their immorality and were given to all manner of perverse activities. And so Rahab would perhaps not have been frowned upon so much by others in the way that we would perhaps think she should have been. But her lifestyle was altogether appalling in the sight of God in heaven. God who is of pure eyes and to even behold iniquity. And her home, it was some sort of a lodging house where these strangers to the city could stay as they went there. But it's often said that her home was a bordello, that her home was a brothel. And that may well be true and probably was, unpleasant though it be. But this woman's vocation as a landlady would prove to be central in her story, for by it, God would provide Rahab the harlot with the wonderful opportunity of salvation. For you see, friends, despite the despicable lifestyle of this woman, God yet determined to do a work of grace in her, and not only in her, but also through her. For as is often said, although God hates the sin, he yet loves the sinner. And the wonder of God's love is that no matter how far gone people may be in their sin, however immoral they may be, there is no one beyond the peel of God's redemptive desire, God's redemptive power, and God's redemptive ability. And as his word says, he is able to save even unto the uttermost all that come to God by him. And whether it be a harlot, or a heroin addict, or a hard man, or a heathen, the power of God in the gospel is able to save and transform any and every sinner. And as Corrie Ten Boom said, there is no sin so deep, but the grace of God cannot reach deeper still and redeem the sinner. A number of years ago, I was doing door-to-door and I spoke with a man whom I knew to be a badden. He had a very terrifying reputation. And he asked me to come inside of his house and I went in and I spoke to him of Christ and of how he could know Christ's peace and Christ's pardon. And he said, I don't think God could forgive me. You don't know the terrible things I've done. And I said to him, well, you're right and you're wrong, Leslie. You're right, I don't know what you've done, but you're wrong, for even though God knows, he can yet forgive you, and he will forgive you if you confess your sin and commit your life to him. And he says that in his word, for he says that whosoever shall call upon his name shall be saved. Even me? Yes, even you, I said. And then he said, will you come and see me again? And he asked me to do that and I said I will and I called several times, I couldn't get him in and left literature in the lake instead. And a while after that he was arrested. He was arrested for murder. Not just one, but it was believed that he killed anything up to seven people down through the years. He was a serial killer. And he died in prison a number of years ago while awaiting trial for just one of those murders. And I don't believe that he ever professed faith in Christ. I hope he did, but I don't know that he did. But can a man like that ever be saved? Well, this book before me tells me that the answer to that is yes, for he, Jesus, is able to save even unto the uttermost all that come to God through him, as the gospel gives hope even in the most unsavory and unlikely of candidates. And here we have what we would reckon to be an unsavory and unlikely candidate, who's not a hard man on a par with the guy I was speaking to, but who's a heathen. and a harlot called Rahab, but she's about to be possessed of a hope in the midst of the hopelessness of her sin that will transform her life and that will turn her into a wonderful trophy of grace. And that hope begins to take shape whenever this woman answers her door and opens her home to these two strangers who have come to stay. And as we've thought about Rahab's lifestyle, let's go on from that to think about Rahab's lodgers. And these two men who arrive at this woman's door were, of course, two Hebrews who had been sent to spy Jericho out. Now, many of us will know the backdrop to this, but perhaps just by way of reminding you of the back story to it, the Israelites haven't yet crossed the River Jordan to conquer the land of Canaan, which is, of course, the land of promise. And you'll remember that Moses, who led the Hebrews out of the land of Egypt and through the wilderness, that he has died. And the baton of leadership has been passed on to his young friend and colleague, Joshua, who called of God as to go forth and conquer Canaan for God's people, the Israelites. And Joshua knows that the first major objective after he crosses the Jordan will be the city of Jericho, a walled city, a fortress of the Canaanites, and it's going to be a tough, tough nut to crack. And as with any good military leader, Joshua knows that the intel is vital. And so he sends these two spies to gather intelligence and to do a reconnaissance that he might know how best to broach the task of taking Jericho. And so these two men go to this city, Incognito, in order to spy it out. And by divine coincidence, they arrive at Rahab's door, as in the providence of God, they intend to lodge in her home. And this was no fluke. This was no accident. It was by divine decree. It was by divine appointment. And it had a personal as well as a national tie to it. For you know, folks, albeit it doesn't say so in our text, I cannot but firmly believe that there had been something working in Rahab's heart from before ever these men arrived at her home that day. as perhaps on account of the lifestyle that she'd been living, she perhaps felt empty and guilty and miserable, as in her conscience and in her God-consciousness, that God-consciousness that every human being has, she yearned for a peace and a purpose of soul and was seeking that something or that someone that seemed to be beyond her. And surely the Lord on high regarded this as he saw this woman, this wayward woman, in the darkness and ignorance of her sin, searching for him and sought her out, directing those two spies to her door. You know, it's been said that if a sinner takes a step toward God, even if they may be ignorant of him, that God will take two steps toward them. Not so long ago, I went to hear Roger Carswell, the well-known evangelist, and he was sharing a story about how he was in Lebanon three or four years ago, and of how he and his niece had a day free. He was very busy, but they had this day free, and he wanted to go to Tyre and Sidon, cities that we read off in the Bible, and he was really looking forward to that, but his niece had arranged to go and visit a glassblower shop to see glass being made instead and he was none too plussed about that there but he went anyway and said nothing and when he was there and the demo was finished he spoke to the glass blower the glass maker and he was a muslim man and roger explained to them to him that he was a christian evangelist and before he left he asked the man if he'd be willing to accept the bible and the man looked stunned at him And he said, he said, three days ago, just three days ago, I prayed to the Christian God for a Christian Bible, and now you say this? And Roger said that he just kept repeating, three days ago, three days ago, I asked for this, over and over. And Roger and he swapped details, and a couple of weeks later, Roger was informed that the man had put his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. No, I thought that was a wonderful story of how God seeks out the seeker. The Lord says, seek and ye shall find. For God will regard and respond to those who yearn for him. And I believe that such was true of Rahab. And those spies, they didn't end up at her home perchance, but on a personal level, they were sent not only to spy Jericho out, but also to link up with Rahab, that they might be links in the chain of her salvation. But be that as it is, we're told that these men came to this woman's home. It was obvious from her passage that she knew who they were, she knew what they were about. They were Hebrews, they were sent to spy her home city. And knowing who they were and what they were about, she was yet willing to tell lies to prevent them from being captured and being killed. And this takes us to our third L, for having considered Rahab's lifestyle and Rahab's lodgers, let's now ponder Rahab's lie. Is it ever right to tell a lie? In verse two, we're told that the king of Jericho hears about these spies residing in the home of Rahab the harlot. Someone was caught on, and when the authorities come to get them, Rahab lies. and tells them that these two men have left for she knows that they're dead if she doesn't do that. Is it ever right to tell a lie? Was this woman justified in light of the consequences of telling the truth? That's the question that's begging here this evening. We talk about telling a wee fib. We speak about a white lie. Can a lie ever be white? What do you think? Was Rahab right? Well, considering this, let me offer three factors concerning Rahab that lean into the writer wrong of her telling a lie. And the first of these is that Rahab was possessed of a fear of God. Rahab was possessed of a fear of God. We know this to be so because of that which she said to the spies whenever she had them, when the authorities came to get them, and that we have our words recorded for us in verse 9 through to 13. As she speaks of believing, The Lord is giving the Hebrews the land and God of Israel's greatness and power as she has heard of these tremendous miracles, these mighty victories that he has given to his people. And as her heathenism has weaned, she makes this wonderful declaration that she makes in verse 11, if you'll read it with me. She says, and as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt. Now, Neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Here's a woman who is possessed of a healthy and holy fear of God. And that fear is and has given birth to faith. For the latter part of verse 11 is really a confession of faith, isn't it? One of the commentators highlights the fact that the use of God's personal name, Jehovah, translated Lord here, that indicates that she had personally believed in and believed on the true and living God. And that commentator says that God had graciously opened the heart and mind of this foreign prostitute who sought him and she accepted him as Lord. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And in her fear of God, I put it to you that Rahab was made wise onto salvation. And what was the arrival of these Hebrew spies and their imminent arrest and her action on that? She makes this confession that conveys a sacred fear onto faith. But a second factor to bring to mind here is that although she was possessed of a fear of God, she was yet ignorant of the nature of God. Yes, she knew that he was mighty, the almighty God who was awesome and fearful to behold, but she didn't understand the moral character of God and his utterly holy nature and that he was a God of truth, who loathes lies. No one had ever told her or taught her such. And so when she lied that day, she did so in her spiritual infancy and she did so in her spiritual ignorance, thinking that she was doing right even though that she was doing wrong. For although her motive was good, her means wasn't, but she didn't know that. So she lied. And it was wrong for her to do that, because it's never right to lie. But this was news to her. And so in answer to the question, is it ever right to lie? No! For God in his word forbids it. Yes, even when it can seem right or expedient for us to do so, and as Jesus said, you're to let your yea be yea and your nay be nay. Indeed, one of the commandments says, thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. And likewise, as Proverbs 12 and 22 says, lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are his delight. Our God is a God of truth and a lover of truth. And he calls us as his people to follow him in this and not to endorse nor entertain lies, whatever the circumstances, and yes, beyond that, whatever the consequences. And that's a lesson that some of us perhaps need to take heed of. For some of us, even if we profess Christ, some of us can play fast and loose with the truth at times, and we can tell lies as if it's a light thing or a right thing, if you're in a sticky situation or whatever. Maybe you've heard about the wee boy whose mum asked him what a lie was, and he replied, well, a lie is an abomination to the Lord. but yet it's a very present help in the time of need. And some folk can think like that, can't they? Try to tell the truth, but lie if you really need to. Yes, truth is sacred, but sometimes truth has to be sacrificed on the altar of expediency. And surely God understands that. Surely God allows for that. Surely God accepts a wee white lie that avoids greater hardship. or perhaps greater hurts. But no, he's a God of truth. And according to him, the lie is the sin. And yes, even when we and our fallenness seek to disguise a lie within the truth, that too is a sin to him. And friends, a half-truth can be much worse than a whole lie, as it's all the more misleading to yourselves as well as to others. I'm sure you've heard about the man who saw someone coming down his drive and he didn't really want to talk to him so he quickly ran and he stood outside the back door and he told his wife to tell him that he wasn't in. Well that was true but it was still a lie wasn't it? And maybe you and I have done things like that as well, and convinced ourselves that we weren't really lying, but we were really lying. Technically, it's the truth, yes, but morally, it's a lie. And God knows the thoughts and intents of our heart, and God wants us to reflect his character in our character, and be a people who are marked by the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And that can be so very difficult and challenging at times, when it can be so very easy for us to lie. And who knows what you and I would have done had we been in Rahab's shoes that difficult day whenever those authorities arrived at her door as she in her spiritual infancy and her spiritual ignorance told that lie. Now, she shouldn't have done it and I'm sure had she not done it that God would yet have made a way through both for her and for the those two men, impossible, though that might seem to us, but as someone has said, the word impossible is two letters too long for our God. But Rahab lied, as albeit she was possessed of a fear of God, she was yet ignorant of the nature of God. But then a third factor is that she was overruled by the sovereignty of God. She was overruled by the sovereignty of God. When my daughter Joanna was about four years of age, She came to me one day and she asked me this question, Daddy, is it ever right to tell lies? And I said, no Pat, God always wants us to be truthful for he's a God of truth. But Dad, she said, what about rehab? Now this is from a four year old. Now, what would you say to her? Well, with the Lord's help, I said, you know, Pat, our God is so good and our God is so smart that he can even turn a bad lie around and bring good out of it. He doesn't like the lie, but he doesn't let it ruin things, so he rules over it. And that pacified her, at least to the next time anyway. But that's what God does here. He overrules the slave, he offered in ignorance of his holy person. And from this he would indeed deliver those spies. And from that he would deliver Jericho into the hand of Joshua. And from that he would deliver this harlot and her household as she would receive the mercy that she had asked for. And her home would be marked with that scarlet cord hanging from the window and would be spared the sword. And that scarlet cord, of course, speaks to us of the blood of Jesus Christ. But that's another sermon for another day. However, here this evening, we can see that God overruled this lie and did a good thing beyond it, not because of it. but despite it, as he, as Lord, as Sovereign, as the spies escaped, and Jericho was conquered, and Rahab and her household were saved. And so we have pondered Rahab's lifestyle, Rahab's lodgers, Rahab's lie. Let's conclude by briefly thinking about Rahab's legacy. What became of this woman afterward? Well obviously she joined herself to God's people, giving up her heathen lifestyle and living as a Hebrew should. She married an Israelite and she bore him a son. Her husband's name was Salmon, Matthew chapter 1 tells us. And her boy's name was Boaz, yes, that same Boaz that married Ruth. And from that we can see that Rahab was David the psalmist, David the sweet psalmist of Israel and the king of Israel's ancestor. Wow. And so she featured in the lineage of great David's greater son, Jesus. That's awesome, isn't it? What a legacy to have. But then, second to that, as well as being in the lineage of Jesus, she also leaves us her legacy of faith, as the Holy Scripture cites her as an example to us, As was said, Rahab features in that wonderful Westminster Abbey of the Bible, that is Hebrews chapter 11. But she's also mentioned in the book of James, James chapter 2, alongside Abraham no less. And there it says in verse 25, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the spies and sent them out another way? They note that her works, not her words, that it's her faith, not her feb, that's commanded to us here. as she put her life in the line to spare the spies and sets us an example thereby. As her legacy of faith challenges us to exercise similar courage and conviction in the cause of God and in the cause of the kingdom. But be that as it is, this evening we've looked at this harlot who became a hero and whose legacy remains with us to this day. Let us think in her story. Let us learn from her example, and let us rejoice in her salvation, as this heathen became a Hebrew, and may the good Lord bless the good seed of his word to our souls, as we think in these things, in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's pray for a moment. Father, we thank you for the great examples of faith in the Holy Scripture. We thank you even for the story of this harlot of old, and Father, how you moved in her life, Lord, and how you used her even as part of the great plan of redemption, and Father, for the tremendous legacy that her faith leaves for us today. Help us to be marked with such, Lord. Help us to be men and women who go forward for you, and Father, who prove your grace and who provide the world with the light of hope that is the gospel. So bless us now as we yield ourselves to you, for Jesus' sake. Amen. I'm sorry for a wee bit of coughing and spluttering there, but I've been struggling a wee bit with that over this week now, so I'm sure you'll forgive me for that.