Imperfect People in the Bible Sýnishorn

Rahab

The story of Rahab is quite possibly the most encouraging one to read. In Joshua 2, the new leader of the Israelites, Joshua, takes the lead. He sent two spies to scope out the land the Lord gave to them and see what they were up against before they attempted to take it. And when they went into Jericho, they found a woman named Rahab who was willing to help them. The catch? She was a prostitute. 

It didn’t take long for the king of Jericho to hear about the spies, with a variety of men who were sure to be going in and out of her house. So, the king sent a message to Rahab demanding that she bring the men out of her home. Prior to this, she actually chose to hide them and then ended up lying about where they went to her own king. She provided a safe place for them to stay hidden until dark and then sent them on their way. Her brave choice in defying her king would pave the way for the safety of her family and her once the Israelites attacked. 

Here are two takeaways from the life of Rahab:

God’s Power Says It All
Rahab admitted to the spies that the people of Jericho had heard of all that God had done for the Israelites and how His power had actually caused the people there to fear and fret for their lives. Rahab even said, “for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” This came from a woman who clearly didn’t know God but only knew of Him. God is sufficient in power and doesn’t need us to explain Him or His plans. He does what He does and people can’t help but notice. 

God Isn’t Concerned With Our Past
God could have led the two spies to another home to provide assistance to the spies, but He didn’t. He chose to use a very scandalous woman to protect the two men Joshua sent. She was someone who was scorned by society and judged harshly for her actions. Yet, God still used her to protect His people. No matter what we’ve done, said, or thought, our God isn’t concerned with our past. He just wants to know if we’ll be faithful in our future.

Possibly the most powerful part of the story of Rahab is that she was in the lineage of Jesus. Yep, that’s right. In Matthew 1, many eyebrows raise when we’re told that way down the line from Mary, the mother of Jesus, we’ll see Rahab’s name. This scorned, judged, and scandalous woman was an ancestor to the son of God, the Savior of the world.