James now picks out another Hebrew Bible character, Rahab, to prove his point on justification by works. Paul uses her also, but as an example of faith. "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace" (Heb. 11:31). Paul emphasizes the faith that prompted her to receive the spies. James emphasizes her receiving the spies, which her faith prompted. In both cases it is a faith that worked. Again, as with Abraham, she is an example of a faith that is more than a mere formal thing. If Rahab had believed only in a mere formal way concerning the God of Israel, she would not have received the spies, and she would have perished. Others in Jericho may have believed in a formal way, just what Rahab believed, but they did not believe enough to do anything about it.

Rahab and Abraham: What contrasting characters we have in Rahab and Abraham. Abraham was a fine man, Rahab a bad woman. Verse 23 calls Abraham a "Friend of God"; our verse calls Rahab, the harlot. Abraham was the father of the faithful, Rahab, a Gentile woman. He was an aged saint of God, having believed for many years, she, just manifesting the first signs of faith. His offering Isaac was the highest point in a life of faith, her receiving the spies was the start in her life of faith in God. How this demonstrates the grace of God. He can save and use the old, the young, the good, the bad, the Jew, and also the Gentile. He can use you as well as me, but we must trust and obey Him, and prove we believe by what we do. We may not be able to be great men of faith like Abraham, but surely we can do what Rahab did. She received the messengers of God, and believed their word. She also forsook her own unbelieving people, and joined the people of God. Because of what she did, her name is found in the hall of fame along with Abraham (Heb. 11).

Rahab the harlot: Every time we read of Rahab, excepting in Matthew 1:5, she is designated, "the harlot". Others in Scriptures are similarly designated by some special term. For instance, nearly always when we read of Jereboam, it is "Jereboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin". When we read of Nicodemus it is always, "he who came to Jesus by night". Judas and his betrayal are never separated. Sad to say, some today are similarly designated by some deed they have done. When Rahab is called a harlot, it is not to her dishonor, but to the magnifying of the grace of God.

Rahab saved by grace: The Scripture never belittles sin. It was not to Rahab's credit that she was a harlot. Fornication is a sin that the Word always strongly condemns, but it is a sin that can be forgiven. One is not saved because of any sinlessness in his life. In fact, the Word tells us that all are sinners, and none are saved on their own merits, but are saved by grace on the ground of Christ's sacrifice.

Rahab was changed: When we are born again, saved, we should no longer continue in the sins wherein we were held. No doubt, Rahab did not live as a harlot after being rescued from Jericho. We know from Matthew 1:5 that she married Salmon, and became the mother of Boaz, the hero of the book of Ruth. Boaz was the great grandfather of David, putting Rahab in an honored place in the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"... Rahab ... justified by works ..." It is interesting to notice in the last part of Joshua 6:25, that Joshua saved Rahab and her father's house, "because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho". Of course, her faith prompted her to hide them, and this was the source of her trusting and obeying, but Joshua could only act on what she did. This was true of the spies, too. They could not see her faith except in her works. They made promises to her, because of what she did. To them she was justified by her actions.

"... she ... received the messengers …" When James speaks of the spies, he uses the word "messengers." This is the word usually translated "angels" in the New Testament. "Angel" is an untranslated word meaning "messenger." Would you like to be an angel? Every time you bring God's message to the saved or the unsaved you are one of His messengers, one of His angels. We are bearers of a better message than Joshua's spies, by proclaiming the glad story of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rahab's act of faith: For Rahab to receive these spies into her house was an act of faith. Humanly speaking, it was a very risky business. What would the king of Jericho do if he knew that she was willfully harboring enemy spies? Many have been executed in wars for doing the same thing. She did it because she believed her city was doomed, and her only hope of salvation lay in casting in her lot with the people who soon were to conquer the city. What a Gospel application we can make here. The poor sinner is living in a doomed world. His only hope of salvation lies in receiving God's messengers, and their message concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning work on Calvary's cross.

She hid the messengers: The king of Jericho heard that two spies entered into Rahab's house. Soon someone is knocking on her door. What to do now? Normally we would expect her to turn these men over to the king to be executed. Instead of opening the door, she leads these men up to the roof of the house, and hides them among some bundles of flax. She then goes downstairs and opens the door. They request that she deliver to them the two spies. She deliberately lies to them. "There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: And it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wont not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them" (Josh. 2:4, 5).

Rahab's lies: Some have severely criticized Rahab for telling these lies. Of course, we must never condone telling lies, but remember, she was, at this time, a harlot. No doubt the Lord could have saved his servants another way, but He used her lies in this instance. Some, who have condemned Rahab, have probably told lies under far less trying circumstances. If a little lie could save you from death, what would you do? Supposing these men, instead of believing her lies, had decided to search the house, and had found the spies? Rahab would have been found guiltier than they. What prompted her to betray her own city and people? We read in Joshua 2:9, "And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land," and in verse 11, "The Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath." She hid the messengers because she believed. She asked to be shown kindness: In Joshua 2:12 Rahab says, "Therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token." This request was also prompted by her faith. She was convinced that Jericho would soon be destroyed, and she wanted to be spared. You will notice that she did not plead to be shown kindness on the ground of her faith, but on the ground of showing mercy to the spies.

She wanted a token: She was not satisfied with their bare word; she wanted them to swear by the Lord, and also wanted a true token. Notice how she pleaded not only for herself, but for her father's house. In order to be saved, her relatives had to believe like she believed, and seek shelter in the home that was protected by the sign of the scarlet cord. We, too, may plead for our friends and our relatives. We must tell them of the danger, and that there is salvation only as one shelters under the blood of Christ. If we seek shelter under His wings, we will be spared the destruction that awaits the wicked world. "When I see the blood, I will pass over you" (Ex. 12:13).

"... sent them out another way?" After their conversation, she does not open the door of the house and tell them to find their own way to safety. Her home is on the wall, so she opens a window on the outer side and ties a scarlet cord and lets them slide down it. She also tells them not to go directly back to Joshua's camp, but to go to the mountain, and hide there three days until the pursuers had returned.

The scarlet cord: Without this scarlet cord the spies could never have escaped from the city. It is significant that it is specifically mentioned that this cord was a scarlet cord. There was no reason to mention its color apart from the fact that the Spirit of God desired to press home that it was typical of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rahab's token: It is also significant that the very cord that saved the spies also meant salvation to Rahab. She was told to hang this cord in her window, and when the armies of Israel came to attack Jericho, they would spare everyone in the house thus protected by this cord. It is interesting to think of Joshua's attach on Jericho (Josh. 6). Joshua's army marched around Jericho once every day for six days. On the seventh day they marched around it seven times. After the seventh time they blew their trumpets and gave a great shout, and the walls of the city came tumbling down. One place in the wall stood erect. It was the part holding up Rahab's house, and she and all within it were spared the destruction of the Lord.

A faith that works: So we have seen Rahab's faith and her works. Her faith prompted her works. Her faith prompted her to seek safety before destruction came. It also caused her to cast in her lot with God and His people before they had gained any victory. Her faith made her willing to forsake her own people and city. From that day forth she lived a new life with a new people. Has our faith in Christ done similar things for us? Has it changed our life completely?

Scripture Reading: James 2:26 (KJV)

This is a summing up of all James has said on faith and works. It is the triumphant conclusion on the whole matter. "... as the body without the spirit is dead ..." The word "spirit" in our verse is literally "breath." Breathing is essential to life; without it we have death. A dead body is utterly useless; it can do nothing, say nothing, it is only fit to be buried. We may love one ever so much, but when death comes we cannot keep him. Abraham loved Sarah very dearly, but when she died, he immediately sought a burying place for her. He says to the sons of Heth, "Give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight" (Gen. 23:4). If not buried, a dead body soon becomes loathsome and offensive.

"... so faith without works is dead also." A profession of faith that produces no fruitful works is like a corpse. We know a baby is alive because of its actions; we also know a faith is alive by its actions. We know that Abraham and Rahab had a living faith because of what they did. Some made profuse profession of faith, but their actions belie their words. This is not only useless, but like a corpse, loathsome and offensive. Let us make sure that we have a living faith that has raised us to a life of love and good works. Let us not be satisfied unless real life has been put into our dead existence.

The barren fig tree: In Matthew 21:19, we read of the fig tree that had no fruit on it. It had nothing but leaves, which speak of profession, but no fruit to satisfy the hunger of our Lord Jesus. Is our profession of faith a mere formal thing, producing none of those wonderful fruits of the Spirit? (Gal. 5:22, 23). Just as the curse of the Lord Jesus came down upon that barren fig tree, so will His curse rest upon any who make great professions, but lack a real life for the Lord.

A sinful woman's faith: We read in Luke 7:36-50, of a sinful woman like Rahab, who also demonstrated a living faith. She came into the Pharisees house where the Lord Jesus was eating. Verse 38 says, "And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment". These actions first of all proved true repentance because of her sin, then true devotion to the Lord Jesus, and finally, a willingness to sacrifice for His sake. We read in Mark 14:3 that this alabaster box of ointment was very precious or costly. We would do well to ask ourselves these three questions. The faith which we profess to have, has it brought us to a point of trusting and obeying Jesus...To being born again? Has it produced true devotion to our Lord? Has it made us willing to sacrifice time, money and talent for Him and His cause?

The evangelical and the ethical: There are two principal schools of thought in Christendom; the Fundamentalists and the Modernists. The Fundamentalists have emphasized the evangelical, but to a great degree seem to have neglected the ethical. The Modernist has emphasized the ethical, but well nigh rejected the evangelical. We should never separate the two. They are like man and wife. "What God hath joined together let not man put asunder." As Adam came first, so first we must certainly believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. As Eve was made from a rib out of Adam's side, so works in a Christian's life must be the natural outcome of obedience. As Adam and Eve were complements of each other, so faith and works are not contradictory, but supplementary. Every preacher should preach salvation through trusting and obeying Christ, and he should also preach and teach the natural effects of that salvation, which is a life to the glory of God. Every Christian should seek not only to promote the doctrinal truths of Christianity, but should seek to live out the practical exhortations of the Word.

Paul and James: We need Paul to show that there is no pleasing of God in dead legal works apart from trusting and obeying Christ. We need James to tell us that there is no pleasing of God in a mere dead formal faith that has no life in it. As Adam and Eve needed each other, so Paul and James are both needed. Remember, they both are writers writing the inspired Word of the living God. Both Paul and James teach a living, vital, productive, faith. Paul emphasizes faith, while James emphasizes the effects of that faith.

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