Our person of interest this week is Rahab the prostitute. Her story is written in Joshua Chapter 2 and 6.

I picked Rahab this week because her story is unique. She was qualified as a prostitute every time the bible referred to her. I used to ask the Lord why her story was written in the bible and what I needed to learn from her. You see Rahab even though she had the qualifier as a prostitute feared the Lord. She lied to the king on account of her fear of the Lord. Having done some research on Rahab, I found out that the original Hebrew word used to describe her was “zonah” which could either mean prostitute or a female who gives food and provisions (an innkeeper). I also noticed that the very explicit bible did not give us a great explanation for her profession. I was kind of confused because the bible is known to be incredibly detailed when it wants to show you something.

Any way I digress. The story goes that the 2 spies from Israel were sent to scout the land of Jericho and see what’s what about the land. This is the same Jericho that Joshua, Caleb and others went to scout in Moses’s day and found giants and the rest could not comprehend defeating the giants. These men came to Rahab’s home and lodged there. Why specifically her? I would imagine, these 2 guys wearing different clothes, talking differently walking into the town and everyone staring at them because they were different and the very image of them set fear into the hearts of the people of Jericho so much so that the king heard of it. Rahab was probably the only one who welcomed them in. From this it shows that Rahab knew of the Lord of Israel, had a holy fear of him that she did not dare mistreat these 2 spices. Think about it. She did not think she was unworthy to keep these spies because of her profession, she was fighting for the life of her family. She knew without a doubt that if she was able to make a deal with these men her entire family would be saved.

In Chapter 2 verse 8 -14. She spoke about how the city of Jericho had heard about the exploits of the Israelites and how God did mighty work on their behalf and how this has sparked fear in the hearts of all the surrounding towns. She made them swear an oath that her and her family would be spared. She later let them down by rope to the outskirts of the city. Her home was at the wall. Fast track to Chapter 6 when the walls of Jericho crumbled. The walls fell so badly that not one stone was placed upon another. I can imagine how scared she must have been lying to the king's guards about the whereabouts of the spies and the calamity that would befall her if she was caught.

Hebrews 11:31 says

“It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome”.

A prostitute was able to make her way into the Bible hall of fame of faith. How did she have faith? She obviously did not have a relationship with the God of Israel? She had only heard stories. I realized that everyone’s relationship with God is different. You do not have to be the most skilled at reading the word or the oldest Christian in the room to be used by God.

The insights I want you to get from this series are as follows

1. God loves to use people of ill repute. Vance Havner said “It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever.” Keep in mind that as humans you already are broken but Jesus has restored you even before you were born.
2. Get rid of the preconceived notion that people who are not Christians cannot be used.
3. No matter what you think you have done to make you unworthy of God’s love, God still and forever will love you. Read Romans 8 31- 39. Feed on that word. Read it till lit becomes your daily mantra.

If Rahab, a prostitute, could have faith, mislead/lie to the king's guards, save her entire family from destruction how much more you who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and can boldly come into his presence. Remember, this said prostitute gave birth to Boaz, the man who saved and married Ruth and became a direct line of Joseph Jesus’s father. What grace!