And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying,
Go view the land, even Jericho.
And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
Joshua 2:1
We often name our children after some heroes in the Bible, such as Caleb, Daniel, Hannah, and even Moses. But we never hear of a child named Jezebel or Rahab for obvious reasons. Who would name their child after such women whose values are so much less than our own?
Interestingly, Rahab was an Old Testament harlot who vaulted in the New Testament for her faith. That’s right, she is mentioned right up there with Abraham, Noah, Joseph, and Moses. In Hebrews 11 (often referred to as ‘Faith’s Hall of Fame’), these characters from the Bible are referred to including Rahab the harlot. Hebrews 11:31 reads,”By faith, the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not.” She is there because of her faith…not her profession.
Joshua’s first test of leadership was Jericho. It was the only way into the Promised Land. He sent two spies there to survey the land and report back on what they saw. When they got there, they sought refuge in the home of Rahab, because strange men entering the home of a prostitute wouldn’t look suspicious to anyone.
The king of Jericho, however, received a report that the two spies had arrived in Jericho under cover in the dark of the night. “Behold”, he was told, “men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country” (Joshua 2:3). He immediately dispatched soldiers to search the home of Rahab, but Rahab had hidden the two men on her roof and she told the king’s men that the men had left the city before the gates were shut for the night.
Rahab’s courage allowed Joshua’s spies to report back to their new leader and as we all know from the song, “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.”
Rahab and her family were spared death because of her courage and the reason she is so esteemed in the New Testament comes from what she said to the two spies. “The Lord your God,” she told the two spies, “He is God in Heaven above and on earth beneath” (Joshua 2:11). In spite of the gods that Rahab worshipped, she realized and professed that the Israelites’ God was the real God and she proved her faith by works.
Don’t you see the message in this story? It’s all about faith! Faith is not, and cannot be viewed as, a private treasure for only us to enjoy. It must be shown for others to realize that God is the real deal! So I challenge you today to allow your faith to show up in the lives of others through serving God’s children. We do this by showing love, just like Rahab did to these men that she didn’t know. Would I do the same? I would like to think so.
Do you know the God I’m writing about today? He is the Real Deal and He loves you so much. He can shelter you from this world, giving you hope and rest and strength for this journey. All you have to do is pray this simple prayer:
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Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I need forgiveness. I ask that Your Son Jesus, the One and only Savior, come into my life and change me. I know that He died for my sins so that I may live forever with You. Thank You for loving me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
If you prayed this prayer today, let us know in the comments section so we can rejoice and pray with you!
