Rahab: a woman of faith over fear and uncertainty

The story of Rahab is one of my favorites in the Bible. Rahab was a clever and wise woman who devised an escape plan for her and her family. As the stories of the Israelites traveled to Jericho and whispered among its citizens, she heard about the amazing things the Israelite God could do. She decided that she would put her faith in this God she didn’t know in an amazing act of faith. Her decision would mean her death if she was find out but she still took the risk. Although she was a prostitute and an idolater and would see her city and her people destroyed, her act of faith would be rewarded as God gave her a new life among his people and a place in the ancestry of his Son. What was her story? Why would she take such a risk? What does her story tell us about fear and God?

Jericho may be one of the world’s oldest cities as its ancient ruins can be found approximately 17 miles northeast of Jerusalem. The walled city was the gateway to Canaan, the final obstacle for the Israelites to overcome to claim their promised land. Rahab’s home was inside the thick surrounding walls. She would entertain the visitors to the city as well as many of the locals. This is how she heard the strong and marvelous stories of the God of the Israelites including the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-28) and the victory against Sihon and Og (Numbers 21:21-36). When the spies that Joshua sent into Jericho made their way to Rahab’s house, she hid them on the roof under stalks of flax which were out drying. When the king asked Rahab about the two men, she claimed not to know who they were or where they were from. She tells the king they left at dusk and men were sent out in pursuit. When it was safe, Rahab tells the men a warning and asks them for their assurances that she and her family would be spared (Joshua 2:12-13). They agreed and tells her to hang a scarlet cord out her window and her family would be spared. Rahab watched from her window the gathering army, their strange walking around the city, the final thunderous cry, and the crumbling of city’s walls (Joshua 6:12-20).  Rahab and her family were spared and joined the Israelites into the promised land.

The significance of the red cord cannot be overlooked. Scarlet has become synonymous with salvation and redemption. In similar fashion of the lamb’s blood on the doorframes of the Israelites, the red cord spared Rahab and her family from the coming siege (One for Israel, 2018). While the Messiah was promised to the Israelites, the scarlet cord in Rahab’s story is a connection that the promised Messiah was coming for the Gentiles as well. The scarlet cord is a fore of how redemption will come to faithful Gentiles (Jews for Jesus, 2001). Rahab’s faith was rewarded with the honor of being the great grandmother of King David and an ancestor in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5) and one of only two women mentioned in the Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11. Rahab’s redemption is also an example of how God’s grace no boundaries. Anyone who comes to him with faith will be saved. It would seem strange that God would choose to save Rahab, a prostitute, however; God saw her heart, not her profession. God often chooses many people of various backgrounds, especially those who are on the lowest rung of the societal ladder. No one is beyond his influence or his grace. The scarlet cord saved Rahab and her family just as the blood of Jesus saves those who believe in him. Rahab’s story is just another example of God’s willingness to use the less than perfect, the outcasts, anyone who society may see as unsuitable to accomplish his holy purposes

Fear and feelings of failure will often keep us from moving forward in our faith. While she was afraid, as she heard the stories of God, she rose above her situation with faith and trust. Her faith gave her the courage to risk her life. She knew it was certain death if the king of Jericho found out she lied. It would also certain death if she turned the spies in. She would have been destroyed along with the city. In the face of certain death, Rahab placed her faith and trust in the Israelite God who had accomplished the unbelievable. She was resourceful and willing to help others at great cost to herself. Despite her profession, she is remembered for her faith. Rahab is an example of how not to let feat affect your faith in God’s ability to deliver. One of my favorite quotes from Tessa Afshar’s Pearl in the Sand is “It’s time to leave fear behind or you’ll be robbed of your destiny. You don’t need confidence in yourselves or in your own power. Be strong in the Lord. When disaster seems close, don’t be discouraged. God will never leave you.” Acting on faith is like the saying, which has many forms but generally says, that courage is being afraid and going forward anyway. That’s what Rahab did. She put her faith over her fear. If we can find the strength to put our faith over our fear, what wonders could God do in our lives?

In conclusion, Rahab was a woman of great faith in a God she didn’t know. She heard the stories and believed that the Israelite God was more powerful than the idol gods her city worshipped. Her story is another example of who God doesn’t wait for us to be spotless or matured faith. He takes the ordinary, the willing and accomplishes the extraordinary both in their lives and the lives around them. There is a saying that goes around that says roughly that God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called. Rahab didn’t set out to be important or honored or rewarded. She simply wanted to survive. God saw her heart and saw a woman of great faith. He honored her in many ways.  Her story matters as our stories matter today. Rahab’s simple decision to help the spies made a huge difference. What simple decision in our lives could make the difference?

                                                                  References

 

Jews for Jesus (October 1, 2001). The Scarlet Cord of Redemption. Jews for Jesus. www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/newsletter/newsletter-oct-2001/the-scarlet-cord-of-redemption. Retrieved December 19, 2020.

 

One for Israel (June 10, 2018). The Secrets Of Rahab’s Rope. One for Israel. www.oneforisrael.org/israel/jericho-rahab-and-the-rope-of-hope/. Retrieved December 19, 2020.

 

For Further Reading

 

Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar, a fictional account of Rahab’s life including the events of Jericho and her life after marrying Salmon and becoming an ancestor of Jesus.

 

Jesus (Yeshua) is a Worm…and a Snake too Among Other Things by Kendall T. Shoulders, an analysis of often overlooked metaphors and symbols which point to the coming Messiah in the Bible.

 

both books are available in paperback and eBook

 

 

Joshua: lessons in strength and courage

Joshua. The next chapter in the history of the Israelites. Moses has died and their new leader, Joshua, must now lead the people into the Promise Land. Joshua was a man who must step into big shoes as he led the Israelites into battle and settle the Promised Land. As I read and studied Joshua, I realized that this book is about faithfulness to God, obedience to His calling despite our fears and reservations. There are many lessons and miracles, reminders and encouragements in the book of Joshua which can demonstrate this themes. Reminders to be strong and courageous are mentioned throughout the book of Joshua. Lessons that anyone can be used by God for His purpose when there is faith. And the conscious and sincere choice to serve God.

First, the phrase “be strong and courageous” repeats many times in Joshua. In Joshua 1:6-7, God is speaking to Joshua as he takes up his new role. “Be strong and courageous because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous.” In His first instructions, God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous twice. God is telling Joshua to be strong and courageous because the Israelites had proven to be a difficult people to govern. Joshua needed to be a man of action. To be alert and prompt and ready to act when the occasion called for it. The phrase is repeated again in Joshua 1:18 and 10:25. The reminder to be strong and courageous served as a point to remember that the Israelites successes were not due to their own strength or their leader’s wise actions but their faithfulness. What lesson can God’s instructions to Joshua be for us? When God calls us for His purpose and wherever it may take us in the world, He calls us to be strong and courageous. To be alert, prompt and ready to act when it is needed. When we are faithful to God and in His promise to go before us, He will give us the strength and courage we need to get the job done.

Second, Rahab is only mentioned in the second chapter but her part in this story has a lasting impact. Joshua has sent two spies into Jericho. When they were there, they stayed at the house of Rahab, a prostitute. Rahab hid the men on her roof to save them from the king. When it is safe, Rahab pleads with the spies to spare her and her family when the Israelites destroy the city. She has heard of the Lord’s power. The men agree and gave her specific instructions to stay inside during the siege. After the Fall of Jericho (Joshua 6), Joshua spared Rahab and her family. This could be in the end of her story but it is not. She is mentioned again in Matthew 1:5 as the mother of Boaz, making her the great great grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ. She is also mentioned in Hebrews 11:31, as by her faith she welcomes the spies and spared her life. In fact, she is one of two women mentioned in Hebrews 11 Hall of Fame. She is considered righteous in James 2:25 as she demonstrated her faith by hiding the spies. One single action placed Rahab among the faithful and becomes an ancestor of two important men in two religious faiths: King David in Judaism and Jesus Christ in Christianity. God remembered her because of her faith and not her profession. Even the lowest people of society can be chosen by God to do great things.

Lastly, Joshua 24:15 is a powerful verse. It is a verse which states that everyone has a choice. The verse is: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Chapter 24 is Joshua’s last instructions to the Israelites. His final words for the people. In verse 15, he is firm: make a choice. Everyone must choose. Everyone comes face to face with the decision to serve and follow God. We do not have the power to compel anyone to worship and follow God. Service to God should be sincere, free and a willing allegiance of the heart. Joshua pledges that he and his household will remain faithful. As a follower of God, I take this to heart as I will teach my children about God and His glorious presence, His power and majesty. I hope that through my instructions and my life, my children will follow the Lord as well. But it is a choice they will have to make themselves as well. Following God is a deeply personal commitment which cannot and should not be dictated by another. You aren’t born a Christian. You may have been raised in a Christian home. However, you must make the conscious choice to follow Him.

In conclusion, the book of Joshua is the story of the Israelites as they take possession of the Promised Land. They finally made it but they had work to do. It is a book about strength and courage when our fears tells us to run. But by faith, God will prove the way to get the job done. With the story of Rahab, we see a great faith in God. She trusted God to keep her and her family from the destruction of Jericho. He rewards her faithfulness by making her an ancestor of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What can God accomplish in our lives if we have the faith of Rahab? The book of Joshua is also a reminder that fellowship with God is a conscious choice. It is an active relationship in which God wants us to interact with Him. By faith, we can have strength and courage from a loving relationship with the Creator of the Universe. How cool is that?