Are you ashamed of your past? Do you feel like God can never use you for His Kingdom because of the things you have done? Of the four women mentioned by name in Matthew's genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:1-17), one is a prostitute (harlot). Not only was she a prostitute, but also a gentile (a non-Jewish person). It was unusual to mention a woman in a biblical genealogy, but a harlot, and a gentile—even more so!
Rahab: A Woman of Unexpected Faith
We read about this woman, Rahab, in several places in the Bible. Her story is told in Joshua, chapter 2, and she is referenced in Hebrews 11, in what is often referred to as the Hall of Faith chapter. Finally, James 2:25 refers to Rahab as being "justified by her works". In context, James is talking about the fact that our works are proof of our faith. Who was Rahab?
Some people try to say that Rahab was a cult prostitute in the Canaanite religion, but there is no proof of this at all. Others want to say she was simply an inn keeper who took care of her guests, but again there is little evidence for this. She is quite plainly referred to as Rahab the harlot multiple times—a simple prostitute.
The Risk of Faith: Hiding the Spies
The truth can be startling. The Lord can use us for His work in spite of a shameful past. When we meet others with shameful pasts we should remember this story. Don't judge other people by what they once were! Rahab’s redemption—from harlot to heroine—reminds us that no past is too broken for God’s grace. We must remember even Moses was a murderer. Her story in Joshua 2 is a simple one. Joshua sent two spies to scout out the land of Canaan, especially the important city of Jericho. It was a well fortified city with large defensive walls.
When the spies entered the city they came to stay at Rahab's home. What better place to escape detection than godly men staying in a prostitute's home? After hearing that spies were in their midst, the King of Jericho sent men to Rahab's home to look for them. In the meantime, Rahab hid the spies on the roof. She lied and told the King's men she didn't know where the spies were from, that they had left and she didn't know where they had gone.
A Confession of Faith: The Lord is God
She returned to the men on the roof and told them, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you" (Joshua 2:10). The faith she had in their success was more than many of the Israelites themselves had. When the spies eventually returned to Joshua it was with her very words that they described the situation (Joshua 2:24).
She knew these things because she had heard the stories of the parting of the Red Sea and the great victories the Israelites had over other enemies. The citizens of Jericho had probably all heard these stories, but only Rahab discarded her people's false gods and turned to the One who saves. As Paul tells us, "Faith comes by hearing..." (Romans 10:17). Then Rahab revealed why she helped the men, "...for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath" (Joshua 2:11).
Rahab’s Plea: A Family’s Salvation
Rahab feared God more than she feared the King of Jericho, whom she was defying. Her fear led to the correct response, siding with those who served the Lord. Many people today have a foreboding fear, a feeling that something bad is coming, but instead of responding with faith and obedience they cling to the world looking for comfort. But what led Rahab to such confidence in God’s plan? Her faith was not blind; it was rooted in the stories she had heard, stories that stirred her heart and convinced her that Israel’s God was the true God
In return for her kindness, for which she risked her life, she begged them to spare her and her family from the coming destruction. She then helped them down through her window in the city wall to safety. They promised to spare her and her family but she must hang a scarlet cord out of her window so they would know what house to spare.
This she would do. She then gave them advice on how to hide in the mountains for three days to escape capture, which they did. Rahab’s faith led to action. Recognizing the power of Israel’s God, she took a step beyond just believing and sought protection for herself and her family, knowing that judgment was imminent.
The Scarlet Cord and the Promise of Salvation
Rahab faithfully obeyed the spies and placed the scarlet cord, or thread, out of her window. Her obedience was evidence of her faith, just as our faith in the sacrificial blood of Christ saves us. This also reminds us of the blood of the lamb painted on the door posts and lintels of the Jews in Egyptian captivity. They were passed over by the angel of death and spared destruction, while the rest of Egypt's first born died (Exodus 12). Again, when Abraham took Isaac to the mountain to sacrifice him, God provided the blood of a ram instead, saving Isaac.
Rahab’s Redemption: From Harlot to Heroine
When Jericho was finally destroyed, only Rahab and her family survived. Even though she was a gentile and had been a prostitute, she was allowed to live in the land of the Israelites (Joshua 6: 17 and 25) . Hebrews 11:31 says, "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace." Rahab married an Israelite, Salmon, who was known as "a prince of the sons of Judah" (1 Chronicles 2:10). So this former prostitute married a prince and eventually became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth (Ruth 4:1-12) and later the great grandmother of the great King David.
The faith that Rahab showed, her courage, and her quick thinking aided the Israelites and saved her and her family. The simple faith of this simple woman in an ungodly profession was used by God to aid in Israel's conquest of the Promised Land and through her descendants to bring Jesus into the world.
God's Grace for Every Sinner
So if you remember a time when you were in the midst of darkness and sin, know and believe that Jesus, our sacrificial Lamb whose blood was shed for you, is here to wipe that sin away and transform your life into a new creation, one that can be used for His kingdom, just as He did Rahab. Rahab will be forever remembered, not for her sin but for her faith and obedience. May we, like Rahab, be remembered not for our past, but for our faith and obedience to the Lord.
Enjoy Shane & Shane singing, There is a Fountain Filled with Blood
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