Saturday Scripture Gold with Bibi: The Faith of An Unlikely Heroine

Rise up, rise up, Rahab,
And bind the scarlet thread
On the casement of thy chamber,
When the battle waxeth red.

From the double feast of Gilgal,

From Jordan's cloven wave, 

They come with sound of trumpet,

With banner and with glaive.

Death to the foes of Israel!

But joy to thee and thine,

To her who saved the spies of God,

Who shows the scarlet line.

'Twas in the time of harvest,

When the corn lay on the earth, 

That first she bound the signal

And bade the spies go forth.

For a cry came to her spirit

From the fair Egyptian coasts, 

And a dread was in her bosom

Of the mighty Lord of Hosts.

And the faith of saints and martyrs

Lay brave at her heart's core,

As some inward pulse were throbbing

Of the kingly line she bore.  -C. F. Alexander

Throughout the Bible, we see that God likes to use the "unlikeliest" of people to do awesome things in His name. This week, we will briefly profile one such person and examine the part they played in God’s plan to fulfill His promises. Rahab was referred to in the Bible as “the harlot of Jericho” who eventually came to be honored among women for her courage on behalf of the Hebrew people.  

She was a Canaanite who lived in the city of Jericho at the time Joshua was preparing to march the Israelites into the Promised Land. Her house was located on the wall of the city and was strategically placed to lodge travelers. This was a prime location for her trade. Clearly, Rahab was a very “unlikely” person, wouldn't you say?

She is mentioned in several places in the Bible: Joshua 2, Joshua 6, Hebrews 11:31, Matthew1:5, James 2: 25. For our purposes this week, we will refer to Joshua 2. The story begins with Joshua doing something Moses had done years earlier: sending out spies (remember, Joshua himself was once a spy) and asking them to check out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho, which was considered the strongest fortress in the land of Canaan. 

When the spies arrived in Jericho, they stayed at Rahab's home where, presumably, they would be safe. But when the king of Jericho found out that two men had come to spy on the land, he sent Rahab orders to bring the men out of her home and turn them over.

She had the spies hidden in the house. But she told the king's servants that, yes, they had been at her home earlier; but they had left and she didn't know where they had gone. Rahab even offered to let them search her house, but they were in too much of a hurry to catch up with them.

By hiding the spies she faced the risk of being killed if caught by the authorities. She did not want to perish with the rest of Jericho. But she also knew that if she did nothing - this would lead to her own destruction. No one can serve two masters. Now, Rahab had heard of the God of Israel (probably from some of the travelers she entertained and sinned with) and made a conscious decision to act in faith (or take a step of faith) on what she heard about God to get her out of her present predicament.

With that threat taken care of, Rahab went to the hidden spies and told them, “I know the Lord has given you this land. We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt” (Joshua 2:9–10). 

Rahab's actions in saving the two Hebrew spies earned even her mention in the New Testament - in the epistle to the Hebrews and the epistle of James. The writer of Hebrews pointed out that it was by faith that she did what she did (Hebrews 11:31), and James tells us that it was her actions that demonstrated that faith (James 2:25).

Rahab wasn't the kind of girl to mince words. She and her family and friends in Jericho were terrified because they knew that Joshua's God was supreme. But she then made one request, one the men were happy to grant since she had helped them out: “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families” (Joshua 2:12–13).

The men swore to her that she and her family would be safe, and Rahab let them out of her home through the window - but only after hearing their terms for keeping her and her family safe. After that, they hid out and waited for three days, avoiding the search party that was looking for them to return.

They then returned camp and reported to Joshua what Rahab had told them. The Hebrews readied themselves for the crossing of the Jordan, and the river dried up so that the children of the Lord could cross over. The people surrounded the city of Jericho. Trumpets blared and the people shouted, and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. The Hebrews went to claim Jericho, destroying men, women, children, and animals “…with the edge of the sword” (Joshua 6:21).

Joshua told his spies to go to Rahab's house and get her and everything she had with her, including her family. The men did as they were told, taking Rahab and her relatives to a place outside the camp of Israel. They then torched the city. “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” (Joshua 6:25).

Finally, did you know that Rahab was an ancestor of Jesus (Matthew1:1-6)? Her faith brought her into an immense inheritance. From a prostitute to the lineage of Jesus Christ; this is what faith can do. Her story tells us that no matter your stand in life, irrespective of where you are or who you are, a simple step of faith in Jesus Christ can turn your destiny around.

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6; James 2:17-18; Romans 10:17; Psalm 119:18; Revelation 22:5; Romans 5:1; Jeremiah 33:3; Matthew 17:20  

Now, let's pray...

O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. This we ask for in thy name's sake. Amen

-special thanks to James Stuart Bell and Tracy Sumner

Until next time...

Have a blessed week!

Bibi