“Rahab’s Faith”
“For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan,
Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted;
neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth
beneath.” (v.10-11)
Which is
harder for God to do, conquer a city with thick, thirty-foot-high walls, or
conquer the heart of one person? The answer, of course, is that neither but in
the ancient city of Jericho, He did both.
Jericho
stood in the Israelites’ path as they advanced into Canaan, and the people of
Jericho were under God’s judgment for their gross immorality. He brought the
walls down by His sovereign power without an arrow being fired. But, because
God is also gracious, He opened the heart of a women there who seemed to be the
least likely candidate for salvation.
Rahab, a
harlot in Jericho, had heard about the approaching Hebrews and their great God
who parted seas and flattened enemies on their behalf (v.10). Like the rest of
her neighbors, Rahab feared this God. But hers was a different kind of fear
(awe) – producing a belief in the God of Israel (2:11).
James 2:25 says
Rahab’s faith was genuine because she acted on it by receiving and hiding the
Israelite spies. Rahab’s faith was rewarded by the salvation of her entire
family. She came to live in Israel, and even became part of Jesus’ lineage by
marrying a man named Salmon and becoming the father of Boaz, David’s
great-grandfather (Ruth 4:21; Matthew 1:5)
Because of
her faith and God’s blessing on her, Rahab came to be highly regarded both by
Jews and by Christians despite her former life as a prostitute.
The Truth
“Therefore
if anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creature; the old things passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2
Corinthians 5:17)
