A new beginning for Rahab
In the account of the fall of Jericho there are three mentions of Rahab: First Joshua instructs that she should be spared while the city is destroyed. Then we hear that the young spies go and fetch Rahab and her family. Finally we're told that Rahab was spared and lives among the Israelites "to this day."Twice in the this passage she is called a prostitute and yet she is treated with dignity and respect. The thrice mentioning of her in this short passage demonstrates Joshua's integrity and affirms her worth as a person who helped Israel.
The next nice surprise is that she pops up in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus as one of only 3 women mentioned. (Genealogies usually only mentioned men.) Rahab, along with Ruth, and Tamar are mentioned by Matthew and what makes them stand out is that they are all gentiles. So while Matthew doesn't clearly specify that this is Rahab the prostitute from the city of Jericho, it is fairly obvious that this is her.
So this is a beautiful story of redemption: Rahab not only becomes part of Israel, but it seems she embraced Israel's faith, found love, married into Israel and became a mother to Boaz and mother-in-law to Ruth and great great grandmother to David and was part of the line of Jesus.
God doesn't see who we were. He sees what we can be.
| 17 The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. ... 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel... 25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the Israelites to this day. (Joshua6:17-25) |
