- She was the talk of the town, but nobody talked to her.
- She was lovely to look at, but she was unloved.
- She had a reputation in the community for “loose living.”
- Women despised and shunned her.
- Men leered at, joked about and visited her.
Many of you today know what it’s like not to be able to get past your past. You daily live with the constant ache of regret. Thoughts of your previous mistakes and sins still haunt you and you say to yourself over and over…, "If only …" "If only I’d done this. If only I hadn’t done that. Life would be as I have always dreamed." Because you can’t get past your past you suffer from depression and fear. You have a constant sense of failure. You lack joy or an awareness of purpose. Emotionally you often feel numb. Spiritually, you’re cold. Worst of all is this nagging sensation that your life is on hold and you’re waiting to really live.
If any of those descriptions are true of you today… get ready to see how you can get past your past. Rahab did it. She found that your past does not determine your future, but your choices do. Godly decision-making is the key. Rahab made some decisions that changed her life and moved her past her past.
HOW RAHAB MOVED PAST HER PAST…
1. She Went With The GOD MOMENT. (2:1-7)
Read Joshua 2:1-7. Every person in this room faces “God moments” in their lives. It is when God “intersects” our lives and meets us where we are.They’re interruptions of our daily routine. They’re people or events that shake us out of life as usual. Rahab’s life was dramatically interrupted by a God moment. Two foreigners appeared at her door asking for lodging. They’re clothes are different. Their language is different. She recognizes them as Israelites. Something in her spirit told Rahab that this was a God moment.
God plans these God moments so that we’ll turn and respond in faith. That’s what Rahab did. She took a risk on God.
When the king ordered Rahab to bring out spies it wasn’t a request (v.3). He wasn’t offering a reward for their capture. He wanted them dead. Anyone who aided them was guilty of treason as well. Rahab hid those men at the risk of her own life.
She decided to go with the "God moment" and it helped her to get past her past. I don’t know what your "God moments" are right now, but you do. If you sense God calling you from the routine, from your comfort zone, from your safe life to a place that’s unfamiliar and dangerous … go with it. Take the risk. It’s a wake-up call from God.
Recognize it today and respond to his invitation. "God moments" always push you into the future and never leave you desiring for the past. There’s another thing that must happen to get past your past.
2. Confess the reality of your situation. (2:8-11)
Let’s see how Rahab did this. Here, we’ll also see how she understood what God was doing. Read: Joshua 2:8-11. Basically... she denounces her old religion and past and puts her faith in the God of the Israelites.
3. Shift your focus. (2:11-13)
Her focus used to be on herself and now it turns to her family. She recognizes the Hebrew God "Yahweh" and immediately is concerned about the welfare of her family. Her lifestyle was formerly "self-centered" and now it is "God-centered." When you get right down to it… living in the past is selfish. You can’t serve anybody because you’re too busy nursing your old wounds. There’s no such thing as meeting other’s needs if you’re caught up in your own. To get past your past you’ve got to make the decision shift your focus onto others and off yourself.
4. Dare to dream again. (2:14-16)
Don’t you imagine that Rahab had lost the ability to dream? We can get so bogged down by our past and the pain it’s causing us in the present that we stop envisioning a better future.
The good news is that you can dream again! A new start, a new community, life with the people of God, these were the things Rahab dreamed. A life that had been relegated to finding the next "John" suddenly took on fresh and exciting possibilities. She dared to dream that it could be better. She could be a woman respected rather than rebuked. She could have a family. She could grow in her relationship with God. This former prostitute dreamed big.
Thought: A dream without God is A NIGHTMARE!
5. Act On Your Dream. (2:17-21)
It’s not enough just to dream it. You’ve got to embark on achieving it. Rahab did exactly that. If you want to get past your past you’ve got to start right were you are with what you have to pursue your dream.
There are things you can do to get out of the rut you’re in. There are also people who can help, encourage and advise you along the way. You have to make the decision to never go back to the way it was and keep moving forward to the way you want it to be. No matter the cost, no matter the pain, no matter the fear, keep pursuing the life God has for you.
Remember that your past does not determine your future, your choices do.
Question: What's past your past? (2:22-24)
Let’s look at what happened when Rahab made it past her past.
1. A New Life
- Not only did she survive the battle of Jericho, Rahab became a member of the Israelite community.
- She packed up and moved on with the people of God.
- She started completely over.
- The Bible informs us that she later married a nice Jewish boy named Salmon and raised a family of her own.
- She gained respect in the community and in her new nation because of her choices.
Rahab also established a godly lineage. The first chapter of the book of Matthew chronicles the ancestors of Jesus Christ. Guess who’s in that list? Rahab. Her descendants became the kings of Israel and Judah. Jesus Himself… was of a former prostitute’s lineage. Why? Because of her choices.
3. A Legacy Of Faith
Jewish tradition holds that Rahab was one of the four most beautiful women who ever lived.
She’s renowned as a hero of Israel even today. She even made it into the New Testament. The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews lists men and women set apart for their great faith.
Hebrews 11:31 (ESV) 31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
Remember: Your past does not determine your future, your choices do.
How many of you are ready to get past your past?
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