Rahab - a Prostitute
who chose to serve God
By faith, the
prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who
were disobedient... Hebrews 11: 31
Very few
women find mention in what is commonly known as the hall of faith (the eleventh chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews).
What is strange is that Rahab was a prostitute. And even stranger is the fact
that Rahab was not even an Israelite.
Please open
your Bibles and read Joshua 2 (entire chapter for the story of how Rahab helped
the Israelite spies) and Joshua 5: 13 to 6:27 (for the story of how Jericho fell and how
Rahab and her family was spared).
Though
Rahab was not an Israelite, she most certainly must have believed in the God of
the Israelites. Note how she narrates the fear in the minds of the people of Jericho because of how
God was helping the Israelites. She further says, “for the LORD your God is God
in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11). We must also note the
length she goes to show this new faith. She hides the spies, lies to the king
of Jericho, and
misguides those who come to kill the spies…something that would mean certain
death. It must have taken great courage and greater faith. No wonder, the
Apostle writing Hebrews makes a special mention of Rahab by name. And surely
enough, she was rewarded for her good deed. Everything in Jericho was burned except Rahab and her
family.
But a
greater reward awaited Rahab long after her death. She was married to Salmon and gave birth to
Boaz who was great grandfather of one of the greatest kings of Israel…King
David and eventually an ancestor of the prince of peace Jesus Christ (read Ruth
4:19-22 and Matthew 1:5)
Let us,
like Rahab, regardless of what our background, choose to serve Almighty God in
times when serving God is considered old fashioned.
Prayer: Dear Loving Heavenly Father, we
thank thee for the wonderful example of faith of Rahab. We earnestly pray that
our faith be built up in us for your good pleasure. We humbly pray in the
precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Rohan
Furtado, UBM, Dombivli
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