RAHAB – THE PROSTITUTE

KEY VERSE:“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” Hebrews 11:31 (NIV)

Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho. As a prostitute, she lived on the edge of the society, one stop short of rejection. Her house, built right into the city wall, provided both lodging and favors to travellers. It was a natural place for the Israelite spies – Salmon and Ephraim, sent out by Joshua, the son of Nun to stay, as they would be mistaken for Rahab’s customers.

Stories about the Israelites as they journeyed from Egypt to the promises land had been circulating for some time, but now it was evident that the Israelites were about to invade Jericho. Living on the wall, Rahab felt especially vulnerable. And while she shares the general mood of fear with the rest of Jericho’s population, she alone turned to the Lord in faith for her salvation. Her faith gave her the courage to hide the spies and lie to the authorities…”So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country. Then the woman (Rahab) took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from.” Joshua 2:3–4.

Rahab knew her position was dangerous; she could have been killed if she was caught harbouring the Israelites. She took the risk however, because she sensed that the Israelites relied on a God worth trusting. And God rewarded Rahab by keeping her and her family safe…”Now before they (the spies) lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “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.”…”Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you will also show kindness to my father’s house…and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters and all that we have, and deliver our lives from death.”…So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall (of Jericho) fell down flat…And the young men who had been spies (Salmon and Ephraim) went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers and all that she had. So they brought out her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.” Joshua 2:8–9, 12-13, 6:19, 20&23.

Rahab was a woman of her word. The state had great confidence in her – for the soldiers did not doubt her and could not suspect her of treason when she told them that the spies had left Jericho as she had proven herself loyal to the king so many times in the past. She could have tipped off the king to the whereabouts of the hiding Israelites as in the past when she had made prosperous living gleaning information from strangers so that she could report to the king and receive rewards. Instead she sent Israel’s enemies on a wild goose chase. Why? Because she really believed that God was about to handover her city to the Israelites.

In her book, “Lineage of Grace”, award-winning author, Francine Rivers presents Rahab as having being given out to the king by her father at an early age against her wish. When she left the king’s palace, she became a big time prostitute who serviced visitors who had lots of money to spare, the King, and other power brokers in Jericho. She benefitted immensely from her relationship with the king and had previously facilitated the capture of enemies of the state because of the strategic placement of her house.

But when the chips were down at this point in Jericho’s history, Rahab knew who to trust in. She didn’t put her faith in the king whom she was obviously familiar with; neither did she put her faith in the gods of her ancestors; or in the thickness of the wall in which her house was built in. Rahab put her faith in an unfamiliar God whom she’s only heard of and her faith not only saved her life and that of her family members but also earned her a place alongside four other peculiar women – Tamar, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary in the lineage of Jesus Christ…”Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar…Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth…David the king begot Solomon by her (Bathsheba) who had been the wife of Uriah…And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.” Matthew 1:3a, 5,6b &16.