Genealogy of Jesus: Rahab, the harlot

Rahab helped the spies escape

Rahab helped the spies escape

 

The first thing we are told about Rahab, in Joshua 2, is that she was a prostitute.  There is no sugar coating it.  Her sins are put out there for everyone to know.

Joshua sent two spies into Jericho and they come to the house of Rahab.  She hides the men and watches out for them. When the king asks about the men, she lies about where they went.  She approached the men and admitted that she had heard of all the Lord had done for the Israelites.  She admitted to being fearful of the Lord.  They promised to protect her and she tied a scarlet chord in her window.  When the Israelites marched on the city, she and those in her house were spared.  They were incorporated into the Israelites.

What can we learn from the life of Rahab?016-joshua-rahab-spies

  1. She was willing to take risk—Rahab took in two spies. If she was discovered she could have been killed.
  2. She was crafty—Rahab was clearly able to think on her feet. She knew how to protect these men.  She could have easily handed them over to the king when he asked.
  3. She feared the Lord—she admitted to the spies that she had heard the stories of what the Lord had done. She believed that He was real.
  4. She was courageous—she marked her house with a red chord so the Israelites would know to pass over her home. To gather up her family and convince them to stay with her must have been an interesting undertaking on her part.
  5. She was spared—she and those in her household were the only ones spared when the Israelites marched on the city. She would go on to marry and Israelite and have a son, Boaz.  {Recognize him?}

What are you willing to risk for the kingdom of God?

 

Pictures from FreeBibleImages.org

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.