Portraits Of Women In The BibleSample

Rahab , A Discerning Deliverer

Rahab was obviously an intelligent woman. She showed a remarkable knowledge of the recent history of Israel as well as of what God was doing for the Israelites when they approached her country. In fact, she seemed more aware of God’s intervention for Israel than Israel was (notice the similarity of her words in Jos 2:9–11 with Jos 1:2,11,13). In addition, she obtained an agreement for protection from the spies, hid them and outsmarted her own people when they came looking for them.

Rahab also showed initiative in arranging for the deliverance of her entire family. She was a woman of great courage. Siding with the Israelites was treason, punishable by death, not only for herself but also for all her family. Once she made her decision, there was no turning back.

Finally, Rahab was a woman with spiritual insight. She recognized the disparity between Israel’s God and the gods she and her people served. Israel’s God was supreme—he did not share the rule in the heavens and the earth the way their gods reportedly did (Jos 2:11). Rahab’s initial confession of faith is seen in the use of the name Yahweh. Without any support or input from her world or Israel’s, she claimed the covenant name God gave to Moses when the Israelites first left Egypt (Ex 3:14). Then, again without any encouragement from others, she acted on her commitment by hiding the spies. This kind of faith was not often seen in God’s people in the Old Testament, let alone from a Gentile harlot.

Rahab is a role model for making the right decisions and standing firm, even when it means going against your own peers. No wonder God wanted to honor her faith and courage by placing such a woman in the line of the Messiah. Boaz, one of the most gentle and godly men in the Old Testament, was her offspring (see Mt 1:5 and the book of Ruth; see chart, The Family Tree of Jesus). God honored Rahab’s faith and courage by placing her in the lineage not only of Israel’s great King David (Mt 1:6) but also of Jesus, the King of Kings (Mt 1:1).