New insight into Rahab the Harlot

I learned about Rahab the Harlot in Sunday school, though she was probably called Rahab the Sinner or some such.  If you are unfamiliar with her story, it starts in Joshua chapter 2, but it doesn't end there.  As a matter of fact, it doesn't end until late in the New Testament.  It is for that reason I won't include the whole story from scripture.  I'll summarize most of it, but scriptures will be linked.

Even though the story of Rahab is a Bible story learned by children, God has shown me some things about her recently that have me pretty excited.  If I can get to them, there are three different things that I hadn't thought about, or at least hadn't given them the thought they required.  Honestly, like most of my posts, I write to help me to work things through in my head.  It seems that if I can put it down in a way that can be understood by others, it helps me understand, too.

Before I go too much further, let me tell you her story.  Rahab was a prostitute whose house was on the wall in Jericho.  Jericho was the first city in the promised land that the Israelites encountered and had to conquer.  Joshua, following the example of Moses, sent spies into Jericho to scout, though only two and not twelve.  Those two happened to stay at Rahab's house which was likely an inn.

Someone told the king that there were spies among them and so the king sent men to Rahab and demanded that she hand them over.  She lied.  She told them that they had just left and if they hurried, they would surely find them on the road.  She had really hidden the spies on the roof under some flax.

When the king's men had gone, Rahab went up and spoke to the two Israelites.  She said, "Since I have shown you kindness, please promise that you will spare my family and me when you take the city."  

The spies agreed that she and her family would be spared but only if they were all together in her home and only if she left the sign so Israel would know her house.  The sign was a scarlet rope hanging from her window (Joshua 2:18).

The first thing I kind of knew is that Rahab was a convert.  I mean, all my life I knew she believed in the God of Israel.  It says so right in the Book of Joshua.  She said:

"I know the LORD has given you this land," she told them.  "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.  And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed." Joshua 2:9-10

What I never thought through is that she had a salvation experience.  One day she was tooling along and hears the Good News (for her and her family it was certainly good news).  She took it to heart.  She believed it and acted on it. It saved her.

Like I said, we all knew her belief saved her, but I guess I hadn't grasped the depth of it.  She wasn't just saved physically (Joshua 6:22-23), she was saved spiritually and became King David's Great-great grandmother (Matthew 1:5).

The second thing that came out of the first is, this story reiterates a principle found throughout the Bible, "Faith without works is dead," (James 2:14-17).  All her belief wouldn't have mattered one bit if she hadn't acted on it.  As a matter of fact, she would have been just like everyone else in Canaan.  They were all terrified and had heard what God had done for Israel.  Remember, Joshua 2:9 where she said, "We are all terrified of you.  Everyone in this land is living in terror."  The belief of the Canaanites didn't save them. 

This brings us to point three, what were those spies thinking?  Deuteronomy 7:2-3 says:

When the LORD your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them.  Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy.  You must not intermarry with them.  Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters. (see also Deuteronomy 20:16-17

It sounds to me like those spies violated God's command to show no mercy.  Furthermore, it sounds like God was okay with it.  When you read the story, Rahab had already sent the king's men on their way when she struck her bargain with the two spies.  They didn't have to show Rahab mercy.  Why would they do this?  

Jericho was the very first city they came to.  It's not like it had been years since God gave the command to wipe everything out.  Why would they have thought it was okay to spare this woman and her family, especially a harlot?  I think it was because of what they knew of the story of Abraham, Sodom particularly.

If there is one thing the Hebrews have always been good at, it is passing their story from generation to generation.  Even today, the most secular Jews knows their history, the Exodus, the Torah, etc.  It is certain that these two spies had heard the story of Abraham and how God was going to use his family to be a blessing to all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:2-3).  And you can be sure that they had heard one of the most dramatic stories in their history, the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

This story can be found in Genesis chapters 18 and 19.  In Genesis 18, God and two angels come and visit Abraham.  As a matter of fact, they had lunch with him.  As they were leaving, God said to the Angels (and I paraphrase) "Hey Guys, should we let Abraham in on what we are about to do?  After all, he is the man I have chosen to pass on my ways to the generations to come."

God then told Abraham that he was on his way to Sodom to see of it is as bad as the outcry against it.  He was going to destroy it.

What follows is a long intercessory prayer from Abraham to God, for Sodom.  Abraham asks, "Surely you wouldn't sweep away the righteous with the wicked.  Surely the Judge of the earth will do what's right."  Abraham goes on for several verses asking if God finds 50 righteous people would he spare the city.  God assured Abraham that, if he could find 50 righteous people, he would spare the city.

Abraham goes down in increments of fives and tens all the way to ten.  "Lord," he asked, "If you find ten will you spare it?"  

The Lord said, "If I find ten people, I will spare it."

The interesting part of this story is that the two angels that were with God, left at the beginning of the story.  God didn't call them back and say, "Hang on, Guys.  We may have a change of plans."  No, God knew there weren't even 10 righteous people in all the Cities of the Plain.  This whole exchange was to show Abraham the nature of God which is just, but merciful.

Those two spies knew that God honors repentance.  They knew that God is anxious to show mercy.  That is why they could say to Rahab, "We will spare you." 

This story gives me great comfort in these last days.  God judges nations, but in His judgments, you find pockets of mercy everywhere.  The Bible is full of these stories.

Here are links to other of my related posts you may be interested in:

Sodom and Gomorrah

An Unlikely Prayer Warrior: Sodom and Gomorrah pt 2

Yet More on Sodom and Gomorrah

The Weirdest Picture of the Gospel: Genesis 15

Thanks for stopping by.