Mountain Movers

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. (Hebrews 11:31)

Rahab is one of the few women listed in Hebrews 11. In the Bible, there are 3 different Rahabs mentioned. One is a mythical sea monster, another is the mother of Salmon listed in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, and the third one is the Rahab referred to in Hebrews 11.

We know very little about the life of this Rahab. In the aforementioned verse, she is labeled a prostitute. In other versions, she is mentioned as being a harlot or a loose woman. In the Contemporary English Version, it mentions that she "had been a prostitute."

Whatever the case may be, Rahab is mentioned as a model of faith. She may have been a prostitute before, but by the grace of God, she had obviously changed. She had decided to live an obedient life, and God rewarded her for that.

Rahab is first mentioned in Joshua 2:1. Joshua sent some spies to scout the land and they decided to stay at Rahab's place. They were on a mission for God and about to face some severe opposition. The king of Jericho discovered they were staying with Rahab and some messengers decided to pay Rahab a visit. They confronted her about Joshua's men. She told them they left the house and the messengers took off in the direction Rahab had told them. In reality, though, they were hiding the roof of her house.

After the king's agents departed, Rahab went up to the roof to confer with the spies. Here we get a glimpse of Rahab's heart:

"I know that the Lord has given this land to you 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. 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. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 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."(Joshua 2:9-13)

The spies made an agreement with Rahab that if she kept their whereabouts secret as they went to Joshua, they would protect her and her family. Furthermore, Rahab helped the spies plan for the safest route back to Joshua.

What we see from what Rahab told the spies is a direct contrast in faith between her and the city's other inhabitants. All the other people were well aware of what happened around them. They all heard about the parting of the Red Sea and the great wrath of God brought on the Amorites as they were totally destroyed. Rahab's response sharply contrasted to that of her people. Those whose hearts were melting in fear still remained disobedient to the will of God whereas Rahab decided to surrender in complete obedience.

Was she also not filled with fear? Yes, she was. However, she was determined not to be paralyzed by terror and acted upon what she knew was right. In the midst of fear, she found that the strength of God was able to allow her to overcome her weaknesses.

Rahab developed convictions in several areas. She began by saying to the spies that she knew that the Lord had given them the land. She knew that God has a plan, mission and purpose for each of His people. Furthermore, she realized that God is determined to carry out His will and nothing anyone else can do, no matter how powerful they are, can thwart God's plans. She also knew the God was sovereign, the Lord of heaven and earth and controller of all things created.

Rahab also knew that in order to have faith in God, she needed to trust His people. She asked that they would spare her and her family. In the end, she and her family were set aside as protected while the disobedient of the city were put to death.

In James 2:24ff, we see what really distinguished Rahab from the rest of her city's populace:

You see that a person is justified by what he does 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? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Rahab possessed a vibrant faith that had nothing to do with what people thought about her. Really, what kind of credibility and reputation would a prostitute have? Her righteousness and faith came from what she did. If she had merely done what the rest of the people around her did, she and her family would have suffered the same fate as all those around her. It didn't matter that there were zero role models in the city that she could emulate. She had heard about what God had done for His people, and that was enough for her to develop an active faith in God.

In the next chapter we will take a look at the faith of Gideon. Like Rahab, Gideon came from a background that nobody would have been proud of. Yet, because of his faith, he was able to lead an army of God to victory against seemingly insurmountable odds.