James abraham and rahab

JAMES 2:19 DEMONS: James is speaking to the one whose claim is that they have an orthodox faith – a classical creed that is essential to every Hebrew and Gentile that would claim to be a Believer. James goes to the most essential creed of all Judaism: Deuteronomy 6:4.

But the Believers claiming the orthodox creed find themselves in the company of demons – for they, too, also believe the creed! Similarly, James may have reflected on the demon’s confession in Mark 1:23-24.

James draws a distinction between doctrinal belief (believing that something is true) and genuine Christian faith (believing in Christ with trust and obedience). The demons confess the truth but they do not act in obedience to it.

JAMES 2:21-23 ABRAHAM: James uses an example without repute: Abraham. Abraham was counted as righteous before God (Genesis 15:6 quoted by James in 2:23) and was a friend of God (2 Chronicles 20:7 and Isaiah 41:8).

Abraham’s actions in Genesis 22 are based in the promises of God from Genesis 15. Hebrews 11:17-19 backs this up.

Your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac. This is the order of the Hebrew.

The classical Midrash commentary followed by Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi, 1040-1105) catches the resonance of the order of terms:  He said to him, “Your son.” He said to Him, “I have two sons.”  He said to him, “Your only one.” He said to Him, “This one is an only one to his mother and this one is an only one to his mother.”  He said to him, “Whom you love.” He said to Him, “I live both of them.”  He said to him, “Isaac.”

Texts Ishmael Isaac Genesis 21:16; 22:2 Threatened with death in the wilderness (in Threatened with death (in the presence of the presence of his mother) and by the hand of his Father) Genesis 21:17; 22:11 God intervenes through an angel (mal’ak God intervenes through an angel (mal’ak Elohim) Yehova) Genesis 21:17; 22:12 Called ‘lad’ or boy (na`ar) Called ‘lad’ or boy (na`ar) Genesis 21:18; 22:10 Hagar called to “hold her hand” on the lad – Abraham’s hand holds the cleaver literal rendering of the Hebrew Genesis 21:19; 22:13 God opens Hagar’s eyes, she sees Abraham lifts up his eyes, he sees Genesis 21:19; 22:13 God provides a well God provides a ram Genesis 21:18; 22:17Promised to be the progenitor of a great Promised to be the progenitor of a great 18 people people The mountain where Abraham is sent – in a similar manner to his initial calling (see Genesis 12:1 cf Genesis 22:2) – is ultimately Mt. Moriah. Similar in sound (assonance) to the Moriah is the Hebrew, yir’eh, “he sees.” God seeing is key to both passages: Sarah sees Hagar laughing (21:9), Hagar sees the well (21:19); Abraham sees the mountain from afar (22:4); Abraham sees the ram (22:13). The theme runs through the story with the emphasis on God seeing and calling us to see.

James does not claim Abraham’s offering of Isaac is what justified Abraham for he knew that Scripture taught that Abraham was justified prior to the offering of Isaac (again, Genesis 15:6). What James argues is that faith is active along with Abraham’s works (in the Greek it is a wordplay: faith was working with his works) – faith completed in action (James 2:22).

JAMES 2:25 RAHAB: If Abraham is the paragon of a trusted example, Rahab is the opposite. A prostitute. A resident of Jericho. A woman outside the covenant: a Canaanite.

Yet the principle applies to all: not only was Abraham needful of faith resulting in work—thus authenticating faith through trust and obedience—but Rahab needed the same.

Rahab confessed belief in the God of Israel (Joshua 2:8-12). So strong was her belief, that she put everything on the line for it. Going before the King of Jericho, she denied knowing where they were from and where they were. She hid the men of Israel and protected them when a search was put out for them.

Jericho seemed impenetrable. Its walls were six feet thick and 26 feet high. Jericho sat upon a 46 foot embankment. In the time of Joshua, this would seem impossible. The people of Jericho would feel very safe, indeed.

Yet Rahab had to stand against this civic pride and confidence. She had to stand against her own people. She had to side with Israel even before the battle began.

In the midrash, Rahab is named as one of the four most beautiful women the world has ever known, along with Sarah, Abigail, and Esther. In the Babylonian Talmud, anyone who mentions Rahab's name immediately lusts after her (Megillah 15a). Rahab is said to have converted at the age of 50 and repented according to three sins, saying: Master of the Universe! I have sinned with three things [with my eye, my thigh, and my stomach]. By the merit of three things pardon me: the rope, the window, and the wall [pardon me for engaging in harlotry because I endangered myself when I lowered the rope for the spies from the window in the wall]." (Babylonian Talmud, Zevahim 116a-b).

A similar tradition has Rahab declaring, "Pardon me by merit of the rope, the window, and the flaxen [the stalks of flax under which she concealed the spies].”

Her faith was working with her works and Rahab became a great, great grandmother to David – and in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). She is not only mentioned by James, but she is in the “faith hall of fame” of Hebrews 11 (11:31).

JAMES 2:26 Note the parallelism: Body to faith; Spirit to works. This is not how we might normally think of it. Because faith is interior we might make it parallel the spirit, and the exterior of works to the body.

James understands that that works come out of the spiritual reality of faith. Works alone, apart from faith, cannot justify anyone. Works must be done IN faith as an expression OF faith.