The Courage of RahabSýnishorn

Rahab Put Family Before Self

I wonder…if tragedy struck, would I think of my extended family first at my own peril?

Rahab cared about her family’s safety, not merely her own pretty neck. When it came to being spared from certain death, Rahab’s family was even less “deserving” than she was. We’re not told that they recognized the God of Israel or humbled themselves or kept their mouths shut or even thanked her when it was all over. Yet she loved them, provided for them in her home, and asked the spies to guarantee their safety as well as her own. What family wouldn’t want a warrior princess like Rahab fighting for its safety?

The men were quick to agree, probably out of relief and gratitude and more than a little respect.

Her newfound faith empowered her to trust these complete strangers—and a strange, new God—to save her family’s lives. Their seasoned faith enabled them to trust a harlot wearing her changed heart on her sleeve to save them from death. We’re talking a God-size miracle here.

Joshua’s command was to decimate everything, take nothing for themselves, and kill everyone in sight. Rahab and her family waited, holding their breath inside her house of ill repute, while outside their whole world fell apart. After seven days of relative silence, the horrible sounds of death and destruction outside her door must have tested Rahab’s new faith to the core.

Imagine the tension in Rahab’s house, filled with children and grandparents and every extended family member they could squeeze in. No doubt desperate fists pounded on her door day and night, demanding more information about the spies who’d disappeared without a trace. The siege lasted seven long days, during which the citizens of Jericho heard the Israelites marching around the city. Not storming the walls, just marching. How a sense of dread must have filled the lost souls inside those walls! Under Rahab’s roof, hope still lived, though it surely was put to the test.

But look who went in to lead her out to safety—the only two Israelites she knew and trusted.

Rahab’s trust in God saved many lives, not just her own. What has God asked you to do that requires trust in him?