It was by faith that Rahab, the prostitute, was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. Hebrews 11:31 (NLT)
Yes, you read correctly, a prostitute. Rahab, a biblical woman of influence, was a prostitute in Jericho, the city that God was about to give to the Israelites. We all think of prostitutes as bad, shameful, horrible, worthless women but God didn’t think so. We meet Rahab through the spies that Joshua sent to Jericho and it just so happens that these Israelite spies end up at a prostitute’s home. This alone lets me know that God is up to something. I mean, of all the places for the spies to go, they find their way to a prostitute.
These spies were devoted to God and His authority. They were surrendered to God and wouldn’t even think of committing any act with a prostitute. God knew this. The spies thought they were going to scope out the land but God had another plan. The spies were there to give a new life of freedom and redemption to Rahab. God had heard her cries for freedom from the life she was living.
When the soldiers of Jericho heard there were Israelite spies in their city and that they’d gone to Rahab’s home, they went to her home to get them. Rahab lied to the soldiers saying she saw them leaving on a certain road away from the city but she’d actually hidden them. Once the soldiers left, Rahab told the spies that she knew that their God was going to destroy the city and she believed in their God even though her people didn’t. So in return for her hiding them, she asked them for a favor. She asked that she and her family’s lives be spared. The spies agreed only if everyone was in her home once they came to destroy the city and takeover. To Read More, Click Here!
Be blessed & encouraged,
Shannon
