As we read through the Old Testament, we see that God chose Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery under Pharaoh and toward the Promised Land—a land flowing with milk and honey. However, due to their unfaithfulness and rebellious attitude, none of that generation entered the Promised Land except for Joshua and Caleb. After Moses’ death, God appointed Joshua to lead the people into the land.
Before Israel’s battle against Jericho, Joshua sent two spies to scout the city (Joshua 2). When their presence was discovered, they took refuge in the house of Rahab, a harlot, to avoid capture.
A short video of Sunday school kids to get a picture of the whole story.
A quick fact about the City of Jericho
City was covered about eight acres
With the inner and outer wall surrounding the City
Inner wall was 12 Feet thick and outer wall was six feet thick
The wall itself was 30 feet.
Who is this Rahab?
Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute in Jericho, played a key role in Israel’s conquest of the city (Joshua 2) -Joshua 2:1 'Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. '
Rahab’s work of faith has got her the tag “Prostitute” across the Bible in New Testament
Her name is listed in the genealogy of Jesus - Matthew 1:5 'Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, '
Hebrews 11:31 'By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. '
James 2:24-25 'You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? '
Rahab was a sinner living in Jericho, a city condemned by God. Her sin was sexual immorality, which God hates.
She was known for her sexual sin.
Sin is sin—while many sins remain hidden, Rahab’s was openly known as she was a harlot. That’s the only difference between her and us.
Like us, she was a sinner, as it states Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Jericho was already under God’s judgment, and it was only a matter of time before it would be destroyed.
As I was meditating the Word, one question that got my mind was
How did a harlot become righteous and earn a place in the Bible three times?
1. Rahab was given a period of Grace
The Jericho city has been set aside for Judgement for many years, we read on this in Deuteronomy 7:1-5, 23:24; 12-2-3; Deuteronomy 7:1-6 'When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord ’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. '
God permitted Judgement to come to the land of Jericho and she had heard about God’s miracle of Red Sea. Joshua 2:10 'We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. '
The period of Grace was not known to her, but she was living under the grace.
2. Rahab heard the Word of God
When the messengers came to meet, even though she did not know God, In the messages She calls God “The Lord” from the miracles of Red Sea
Joshua 2:9 'and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. '
3. Rahab feared God / Acknowledges God as True God
She feared God and acknowledged God’s works - Joshua 2:11 'When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. '
4. Rahab believed the word
Faith comes from Hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17), it’s the faith that Saves Sinners, the most ungodly (here Rahab was a harlot).
We are told in Hebrews 11:31, she was saved because of her faith. Hebrews 11:31 'By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. '
What was the faith that Rehab had “Lord has given this Land” as it recorded in Joshua 2:9 'and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land
5. Rahab proved her faith (Belief) by works
The fact that she risked her life to receive, hide and protect the spies is a proof that Rahab trusted God.
She identified herself with God’s people James 2:24-25 'You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? '
6. Rahab sought to win others
She not only wanted to save herself, but her family as well.
She had Faith that she also will be saved from Death, She did not have the faith for herself, but for the entire family’s salvation - Joshua 2:13 'that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.” '
7. Rahab was delivered from Judgement
When the Jericho walls were destroyed, the fire that destroyed all that was inside Rahab’s house, where she had to escape by a rope. Joshua 2:15 'So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. '
When Joshua commanded not to bring down the Rahab’s house and its implications if they do.
Joshua 6:17-18 'The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the Lord . Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. '
Joshua 6:22-23 'Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. '
Joshua 6:24-25 'Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord ’s house. But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day. '
As followers of Christ, this gives us a immense strength of Faith that we will also be protected from God’s wrath when things will change in Jesus second coming. Many of us today see the world shaking all about them, but they can be assured, God will rescue them before he sends his fiery judgement on the world
1 Thessalonians 1:10 'and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.'
1 Thessalonians 5:9 'For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. '
Lessons for us to Learn from Rahab Prostitute
Like Rahab, we are also sinners. Don’t be offended by the comparison—her sin was visible, while ours may be hidden, but in God’s eyes, sin is sin. We may appear holy on the outside, yet carry deep sin within. There is no big or small sin in God’s judgment; we are no better than Rahab when God measures our sins.
God has all the power to do what he has, he could have chosen another house to hide for the Spies, but he chooses the Rahab the Harlot’s house is to give us a message. No matter how bad we are he is looking for bad people to be saved than good people. Jesus came to the world to save Sinners 1 Timothy 1:15 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”
Rahab’s faith saved her and her family because she feared God and believed He is Lord. In the same way, having faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior—believing He died for our sins—saves us from God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10). We are saved only through faith. God used Rahab as an example to show that faith can save a sinner and bring them into His promise. The same applies to us today.
Rahab was mentioned in the New Testament about 2,000 years after her faith and actions, showing that faith leads to eternal life. Just like Rahab, through faith, we too can have life forever in eternity.
Rahab had faith, and she proved it through her actions by hiding the spies. Likewise, faith without action is dead—we must live it out. Use the power of the Cross to break free from sin and the bondages of Satan. Faith requires action to bring salvation. Simply knowing about Jesus is not enough; like Rahab, take the first step—confess your sins or pray for someone’s deliverance.
Like how Rahab was given Grace, we are also given grace before the wrath that’s coming, its coming when Jesus comes in his 2nd coming, the world may look quite normal or many of his coming may sound as a broken record for many, The time we live is a time of Grace to repent and come to God. The call for us is to use this time to turn to God and show our faith in action.
Amen