RAHAB part 2

 

Rahab is a great figure of faith, found in the Hall of Faith chapter in Hebrews. She is also found in the genealogy of Jesus as the great-great grandmother of King David. In Joshua, Rahab is only known as a prostitute, but one who through all her brokenness in a broken situation finds faith in God.

 

How does the story end? It is easy to lose sight of Rahab after Joshua 2, as the miracle of her rescue gets lost in a more known miracle. It is her miracle we are studying today.

 

 

     Joshua 6:22-23 (CSB):

 

Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, “Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you swore to her.” So they young men who had scouted went in and brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her. They brought out her whole family and settled them outside the camp of Israel.

 

 

This is the Word of God.

For the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

 

     In the introduction, I mentioned Rahab’s miracle gets lost in another miracle. The more well-known miracle was the fortified city of Jericho being defeated by the Israelites. They did not scale the walls or use any of the typical instruments of war. For seven days, at the Lord’s command, the Israelites marched around Jericho, and on that seventh day with a mighty shout the walls of Jericho fell. Incredible. But that is not the miracle of our focus, although it is critical to our miracle.

 

     Here in Joshua 6:22, the military element is now sweeping through the now defenseless Jericho, but Joshua gathers the two spies. Joshua has been informed about the deal they made with Rahab. The honorable, God-fearing, right thing to do is to make sure Joshua and the Israelites kept the deal.

 

     Here is the miracle within the miracle. Joshu 2:15 shares that Rahab’s house is attached to the wall around Jericho. The wall fell. Rahab’s house does not fall with it. In 6:20, Joshua says, “Go to the prostitute’s house.” The spies would know where to find the house, but the text gives no indication Rahab’s house collapsed. God honored Rahab’s faith and kept her home intact so the spies could find her.

 

     Verse 23 says, “They brought out Rahab and her father, mother, brothers, and all who belonged to her.” Rahab’s faith saved her and her entire family! No one from her house was left behind.

 

     The last part of verse 23 says, “They brought them outside the camp of Israel.” Why? Though Rahab had faith in God, she had come in all her brokenness. She and her family had to spend time in purification. They had to leave behind their idol worship and other unholy practices, including Rahab’s life of prostitution. The men would most likely be circumcised. This family would be absorbed into the people of God, but they had to make changes and align themselves with the ways of God.

 

     Rahab had faith, then the walls fell. Until the walls fell, Rahab had faith to keep the secret about the spies. When the walls fell, Rahab had the faith to be marked. In 2:18, the spies told Rahab, “Tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let us down.” She had to show her secret without revealing it! This mark (the scarlet color was not a coincidence) was a sign to God’s people she was with them. Then Rahab had the faith to gather her father, brothers, and all her family to keep them safe. Lastly, Rahab had the faith to go through the process of being absorbed into the people of God. Her place in the genealogy of Jesus evidences her willingness to belong to God’s community.

 

     The moment Rahab extended kindness to the spies was her moment of faith, in all her brokenness she trusted God. But notice that first decision was only the beginning of other decisions of faith. From tying the scarlet cord to the process of being outside the camp, Rahab chose God each time. Every decision was a step closer to God and the life He had for her. At any point she could have turned back, but each time Rahab had the faith to trust and obey.

 

     Faith is more than a momentary decision; it is an aligning of life. We do not come to God and then continue with the same life and patterns like we have found some new lucky charm or trump card. It is leaving the fishing boats behind, leaving past sins behind to focus our eyes on Jesus and doing everything to get to Him. There will be many dangers, toils, and snares, but of each one there will be a decision to proceed in faith or turn back. If we choose Jesus nothing is impossible, including everlasting life.

 

     The good news is we do not face these choices alone. God extends His love to us as we are absorbed. This absorption is into the body of Christ, the Church. Our goal as the Church is to make sure we all make it home and get as many others as possible to safety with us. We may start off like Rahab, but our story is being grafted into the story of Jesus.

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