Joshua son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as scouts, saying, go, view the land, even Jericho. And they went and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab and lodged there….Joshua 2:1
The two spies Joshua had sent to scout out Jericho, landed in a harlot’s home! Most studies on Rahab and Jericho focus mainly on Rahab and her “profession”. But what most people fail to realize is that, the spies being under cover, and because we know from Rahab later that the inhabitants of Jericho knew about the God of Israel and His power and majesty from the stories of Egypt….
And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard now how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. ….Joshua 2:9-10
The harlots den would have been the safest and non-suspicious haven for them, being men. But once they landed at Rahab’s, she somehow came to the realisation that the end of Jericho had come, and instead of raising an alarm that the two men were in her house, she bargained for her “salvation” and that of her family. All inhabitants, including Rahab must have heard about this great God of Israel. But the difference is they all knew about Him, but Rahab did more; she believed, enough to profess out loud! Which is strange considering her lifestyle..
….for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath….Joshua 2:11 (b)
What could have led Rahab to acknowledge this, when the rest of the inhabitants of Jericho were too “blind” to grasp this revelation to be led to accept and worship God of Israel instead of rebelling and fighting Him? [Remember, the spirit that dwells in and rules human beings, is either accepting of or rebellious towards God]. We read in Joshua 2:2 the King sent men to Rahab’s house to get the strangers, I doubt it was a friendly move.
However, one would be led to argue that perhaps Rahab just pulled a “survival tactic”. For she did “good” and bargained for good in return. But if that was so, soon after she was freed, she would have run for the hills to continue her lifestyle. But no, we read of the amazing integration of Rahab, an outsider, into Israel and further, being bang! in line of the anticipated Messiah!
Only divine action would have led to this, so I would believe Rahab received the grace of divine faith for her salvation.
This is a lesson to us humans that no matter what sin we are carrying [or “bad” for ease of comparison to Rahab’s “good” deed], everyone, even a prostitute has wired in her, some sense of “good”. After all, we are made in the image of God, whose office is about doing good, but human beings are born in sin and rebellious until they “see the light”. Everything God made, including man, He saw and said was good! But later sin came through the deceiver in the Garden of Eden, and changed all that. We see even the great apostles, acknowledging that before their calling and salvation, they once were “children of disobedience”, under the control of satan….
And you [He made alive], when you were dead (slain) by [your] trespasses and sins. In which at one time you walked [habitually]. You were following the course and fashion of this world [were under the sway of the tendency of this present age], following the prince of the power of the air. [you were obedient to and under the control of] the [demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of disobedience [the careless, the rebellious and the unbelieving, who go against the purposes of God]…..Ephesians 2:1-2
How clear this brings out the “before” and “after” picture of Rahab’s life and most of ours! Paul continues..
Among these we as well as you once lived and conducted ourselves in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by our corrupt and sensual nature], obeying the impulses of the flesh and the thoughts of the mind [our cravings dictated by our senses and our and imaginings]. We were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [indignation, like the rest of mankind]. …Ephesians 2-3
If you continue to read the rest of Ephesians 2, you will find Paul being grateful and acknowledging that salvation of God, is not by merit (what we have done), but is through God’s mercy and love; by grace, through faith! Faith being a gift!…..Ephesians 2:5, 8 and one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit..1 Corinthians 12:9
Studying the bible, we see later when Jesus walked the earth and Simon Peter proclaiming that He is the Messiah, Son of the Living God…….Matthew 16:16 And Jesus responding that there was no way on earth Peter would have come to this steadfast knowledge unless, given to him by God Himself in heaven! ………Matthew 16:17. I state steadfast because remember Jesus kept telling them who He was and despite the miracles, they appeared to suffer bouts of doubt…Matthews 8:27, Mark 4:41, forgetfulness….Matthew 16:9, and faithlessness…..Luke 8:25 Indeed we have no capacity to believe in our hearts and proclaim that Jesus is Lord, to be saved, unless God Himself, enables you, under the power and influence of God the Holy Spirit, here on earth….
If you declare with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…..Romans 10:9
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking under the power and influence of the [Holy] Spirit can [ever] say, Jesus be cursed! And no one can [really] say, Jesus is [my] Lord, except by and under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit…..1 Corinthians 12:3
May God in His mercy and grace, through faith, by the power of His Holy Ghost, touch your heart as you read this, and, open it to acknowledge the need for salvation, in Jesus name.
As just before their exit from Egypt, when all first born of the Israelites were saved by the scarlet mark from the blood of the Passover Lamb on their door posts, Rahab and family too, were saved by the scarlet rope that hang out of her window, but the rest of Jericho perished. We read in the book of Isaiah, that though …your sins be red as scarlet,they will wash you white as snow..Isaiah 1:18-20 Rahab was saved, despite her being part of the accursed Jericho and a prostitute, a lifestyle which is considered detestable to God…..Deuteronomy 23:18, and immediately placed by her rescuers “outside the Israel camp” as an outsider….Joshua 6:23, 25 but her history (slate) must have been cleansed, for unlike the items Achan took from Jericho and hid in the camp of Israel…Joshua 7:13 Rahab’s presence was not considered “accursed”, meaning she was eventually accepted into the camp! She was integrated into Israel, married Salmon from the great tribe of Judah and bore a child, Boaz, who was the father of Obed whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the King…..Mathew 1:5 the line of the Messiah, Jesus Christ….
The book of the ancestry (genealogy) of Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the son (descendant) of David, the son (descendant) of Abraham….Matthew 1:1
An amazing turn-around! Whatever you have done in this body, while you yet live on this earth, you are not beyond redemption! Like Rahab’s scarlet rope hanging on the window awaiting salvation from the destruction of Jericho; Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, hang at Calvary on the cross and became a curse for us, as His scarlet blood dripped, to wash our sins away and save us from this world, that is destined for judgement of the ungodly and reserved for fire...2 Peter 3:7 Hallelujah, thank you Jesus! What makes The diferences? THE BLOOD!
Rahab was part of the accursed of Jericho, ordered for destruction by God..Joshua 6:17-19. But saved by the scarlet rope, she joined and was accepted into God’s people Israel. That scarlet rope, changed Rahab’s status from accursed to accepted! Christ by hanging on the cross, became accursed on behalf of you and I; changed our status from accursed to accepted by bringing us salvation and acceptance into His family! Like Him we have the Spirit that cried “Abba Father” in Gethsemane! (Mark 14:36)
But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on the cross, He took upon Himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree”….Galatians 3:13,
God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God…..2 Corinthians 5:21
God sent Him to buy freedom for us, who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as his very own children. Galatians 4:5
Glory to God!
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