LOOKS
CAN BE DECEIVING
(The Transformations of Rahab and Achan)
JANUARY 27, 2008
MF Blume
1
Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance,
or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the
LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance,
but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Joshua
2:1-14 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.
Joshua
7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the
accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son
of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the
anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
The
first conquest of Israel in Canaan at Jericho show us two very
contrasting pictures.
The
notable character in the conquest of Jericho was a little harlot named
Rahab.
Joshua
2:1-14 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. (2) And
it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in
hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.
(3) And the king of Jericho sent unto 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. (4) And the woman took the two
men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist
not whence they were: (5) And it came to pass about the time of
shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither
the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall
overtake them. (6) But she had brought them up to the roof of the
house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in
order upon the roof. (7) And the men pursued after them the way to
Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them
were gone out, they shut the gate. (8) And before they were laid down,
she came up unto them upon the roof; (9) And she said unto the men, I
know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is
fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because
of you. (10) For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the
Red sea for you, when ye 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. (11) And as soon as we had 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. (12) Now 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: (13) And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and
my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our
lives from death. (14) And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if
ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath
given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
Rahab
is a harlot who receives spies of Israel sent into her home.
This
little lady lied, she was a harlot, and a heathen ignorant of the ways
of God.
However, even at the risk of her life at the hands of Jericho's
authorities, she hid in her roof the spies.
Rahab
had to cover up those spies because she was in peril from Jericho for
harbouring enemy spies.
She
could not openly show the spies.
God
was cleaning out the land of Canaan form all the accursed things.
The
reason he was doing this was to make the land a blessing for Israel.
As
Rahab hid the messengers in her house, God's word tells us to hide
His word in our hearts, so that we might not sin against Him.
Rahab
had to hide her faith.
In
Joshua 6 we see Israel march to Jericho and conquer it.
As
Jericho is destroyed, we read a note about Rahab that actually links
us to the story of Achan and the battle of Ai, and gives us background
understanding as to what is so notable about Achan's sin.
Joshua
6:17-19 And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that
are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all
that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we
sent. (18) And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing,
lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing,
and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. (19) But all the
silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto
the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.
After
a woman is transformed from being accursed, as a citizen of the
accursed people in the accursed city of Jericho, into a righteous woman
whom we later learn came into the lineage of Jesus Christ(!), we read
the exact opposite of Achan.
Achan
for all intents and purposes was simply known to be an Israelite.
Joshua 7:1 shows his membership in the people of Israel right down to
the very tribe and family.
But
just as Rahab hid something in her home, so did Achan hide something in
his home.
What
Rahab hid was absolutely forbidden by the wicked accursed people of
Jericho.
If
we'd stand Rahab and Achan side by side, we slap Achan on the back
and shake his right hand in fellowship and say, "Praise the Lord,
brother."
And
we would disdain Rahab.
...beneath
the tent floor of Achan was a robe that Israelites do not wear.
Joshua
7:16-22 So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought
Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: (17) And he
brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites:
and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was
taken: (18) And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son
of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah,
was taken. (19) And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee,
glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell
me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. (20) And Achan
answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of
Israel, and thus and thus have I done: (21) When I saw among the spoils
a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a
wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took
them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent,
and the silver under it. (22) So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran
unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver
under it.
A
Babylonish garment.
Achan
hid these things in the earth in the midst of his tent -- in the floor.
Rahab
hid the spies in the roof of her house beneath stalks of flax.
This
is meaningful.
The
floor of Achan was made of earth and dirt.
Our
flesh, which loves to enjoy sin and has to be put at bay so as to
not commit every sin it desires us to commit, through our disciplined
lives for Jesus, is made from the dust of the earth.
The
roof is a covering.
That
lady had the covering of flax on her roof.
To
hide something of God in your heart when you are an outright sinner,
is to get ready for God to transform your life from an accursed
citizenship of people bound for a fire and devil's hell, to the blessed
citizenship of God's people who will live forever.
She
came from being accursed to BLESSED!
But
Achan....
He
also was transformed.
He
was amongst the righteous people of God.
God
said you would be transformed into being accursed yourselves, if
you take the accursed thing and poison the rest of the people because
of it.
And
when God's people become troubled because of sin in the camp, they
are going to call out to God, as Joshua did, and God is going to
uncover the plot, and the accursed person is going to be dealt with.
Joshua
6:21-25 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city,
both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the
edge of the sword. (22) But Joshua had said unto the two men that had
spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence
the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. (23) And the
young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her
father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and
they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of
Israel. (24) And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was
therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of
iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. (25) And
Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and
all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day;
because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
CONTRAST
WITH....
Joshua
7:24-26 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son
of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and
his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his
sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto
the valley of Achor. (25) And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us?
the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with
stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with
stones. (26) And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this
day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the
name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.
Rahab
and all that she had was taken out and deemed no longer accursed,
and spared to become part of the righteous people of God.
Achan
and all that he had was taken out of Israel and deemed no longer
of God, and accursed, and treated like the cities that were accursed by
being stoned and buried under rubble.
BOTH
ACCOUNTS SAY... UNTO THIS DAY.
UNTO
THIS DAY she was alive.
UNTO
THIS DAY Achan was beneath a heap of stones.
In
fact, ACHAN's name means TROUBLE.
Joshua
repeated this.
Achan
was indeed "trouble".
Churches
are mocked all the time by the world for harbouring hypocrites
while some sinners are more kind and good-hearted who profess nothing
about God.
But
God will root out the false and the fake.
Achan
would never have been known to be so wicked by all appearances.
The
man who committed one sin in Matthew 18, who would not repent, let
alone seek forgiveness, may have looked good with only one sin.
If we
do not get that sin out of hearts, you're in for a "heap of trouble"
one day.
God
is going to bring that out and you will be made known for what you are.
On the
other hand, if in your heart is a desire for God, and your
sinful life is something you do not want to continue in any longer, God
sees your desire hidden in the tent of your life.
And
he is going to make sure it comes out and you are transformed into a
righteous child of God!
Rahab's
heart was dressed up in God's robes of righteousness.
Although people never saw it.
Achan's
heart was dressed up in the devil's robes.
Although people never saw it.
Man
looks on the outward, but God sees the heart!
Jesus
went through Jericho in Luke 19 and came to a sinner's house who was
well known to be a thief.
Luke
19:1-2 KJV And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. (2) And,
behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the
publicans, and he was rich.
Luke
19:6-9 KJV And he made haste, and came down, and received him
joyfully. (7) And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he
was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. (8) And Zacchaeus
stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I
give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false
accusation, I restore him fourfold. (9) And Jesus said unto him, This
day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of
Abraham.
Luke
19:11 KJV And as they heard these things, he added and spake a
parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought
that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
Luke
19:13-14 KJV And he called his ten servants, and delivered them
ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. (14) But his
citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not
have this man to reign over us.
Luke
19:26-28 KJV For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath
shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be
taken away from him. (27) But those mine enemies, which would not that
I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. (28)
And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
Luke
19:43 KJV For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies
shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee
in on every side,
Luke
19:44 KJV And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy
children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon
another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
Luke
19:45-46 KJV And he went into the temple, and began to cast out
them that sold therein, and them that bought; (46) Saying unto them, It
is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den
of thieves.
Jericho
was levelled to the ground, but HOLY Jerusalem, the place of
the righteous and religious pharisees and sadducees and scribes, God's
CHOSEN PEOPLE, would be levelled to the ground!
