“Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.” (Joshua 2:1)
We often name our children after some of the heroes in the Bible: Joshua, Caleb, Ruth, Sarah. Yet we never hear of a child named Jezebel or Rahab for obvious reasons. Who in the world would name a child after a prostitute?
Interestingly, Rahab was an Old Testament harlot who was vaulted in the New Testament for her faith. That’s right! She was mentioned right up there with Abraham, Noah, Joseph, even Moses. In Hebrews 11, often referred to as the Faith’s Hall of Fame, references are made to all of these famous Biblical characters and many more, including Rahab the harlot. “By faith,” Hebrews 11:31 reads, “the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not.”
Obviously, Rahab enjoys an important place in the New Testament, not because of her profession, but because of her faith. The early chapters of Joshua explain why Hebrews and James accord her such honor.
After the death of Moses, God appointed Joshua to lead 2 million freed slaves into the Promised Land, but it did not come without great struggle or help along the way.
Word had reached Jericho about how the Lord had dried up the Red Sea to help the Israelites in the swift departure from Egypt; and how Moses and his army utterly destroyed the Amorites. Fear now gripped this city located just inside the Promised Land and 11 miles from Jerusalem.
Joshua’s first test of leadership was Jericho. It was the only way into the Promised Land. In preparation, he sent two spies to Jericho to conduct reconnaissance and report back on what they saw. When they arrived, they sought refuge in the home of Rahab largely because strange men entering the home of a prostitute would not generate very much in the way of concern.
The king of Jericho, however, received reports that the two spies had arrived in Jericho under cover of darkness. “Behold,” he was told, “men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.” (Joshua 2:3) He immediately dispatched his soldiers to search the home of Rahab. But Rahab hid the two spies on her roof and told the king’s men that the two men had left the city before its gates were shut for the night.
Rahab’s courage allowed Joshua’s spies to ultimately report back to their new leader and as we all know from the childhood song, “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.”
Rahab and her family were spared death because of her act of courage. More importantly, the reason she is so esteemed by in the New Testament comes from what she said to the two spies. “The Lord your God,” she told the two spies, “He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” (Joshua 2:11) In spite of the gods that Rahab and her fellow citizens worshipped, Rahab knew and professed that the Israelites’ God was the real deal. She proved her faith by her works.
The message here is that although faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, real faith must have works. In other words, our faith is not and cannot be viewed as some private treasure that only we can enjoy. It must be shown for others to realize that it, too, is the real deal.
Allow your faith to show up in the lives of others through service to your church and community. The Gospel can only be advanced by the expressions of love we show in the ways we serve others. There is simply no better way to win the lost for Christ.
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