Rahab, the Prostitute

INTRODUCTION

Last week, we started a series of sermons that look at some of the scandalous accounts lurking in the past, leading up to the Christmas account in Matthew and Luke.

We started with the account of Tamar, the Deceptive Daughter-in-Law and her selfish father-in-law, Judah.

As we saw in the account, Genesis 38 includes marriage, death, sexual selfishness and taboo, conspiracy, deception and pregnancy.

Yet, despite the mess that was present in Genesis 38, God redeemed the story for His glory.

He matured Judah from a selfish individual who was far from Him to becoming a selfless family leader.

He changed Tamar’s abandoned state to a state of being cared for and having an inheritance for her children.

Not to mention, the child of Judah and Tamar (Perez) is part of the lineage of Jesus.

And just like grace cleaned up the mess in Judah and Tamar’s lives, grace enters the mess of our lives through our faith in Jesus, and promises to clean up our situation, as well.

This week, we are going to move along a little further in the Old Testament accounts to the book of Joshua.

At this point in history, God has begun the process of honoring His land promise to Abraham and his descendants.

It has taken some time, as they were slaves in Egypt for over 400 years, then they had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years due to their disobedience to not enter the land God was giving to them.

Now, under the leadership of Joshua, the people are entering the land that God was giving to them.

And he sends spies into the city of Jericho to see what they are up against.

Read Joshua 2:1

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Notice that: God uses a prostitute’s home to house the spies.

What kind of god chooses a prostitute’s house?

I’ll tell you what kind of God does!

The same God who chose to use Tamar’s relationship with her father in law in the lineage of His Son.

The same God who chooses the lowly, the broken, the outcast, to be the recipients of His grace.

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 (ESV)

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

Rahab’s not just a prostitute, she’s not even an Israelite.

Like Tamar, she is not part of the people of God.

They are Canaanites…idol worshiping, lost people who don’t even know about Jehovah God, except for rumors they’ve heard about Him.

Some say the spies went to Rahab’s house because men going to a prostitute’s house wouldn’t seem unusual…they wouldn’t stand out.

I believe it is simply because God orchestrated it to happen that way. He had a plan. He had a person in mind who would make a difference.

That person was Rahab.

Read Joshua 2:2-7

RAHAB’S EXPRESSION OF FAITH (Joshua 2:2-7)

Rahab hid the spies from the king’s men (Joshua 2:3-4, 6)

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The king of Jericho finds out about the two Israelite spies, he sends men to Rahab to catch the spies.

Now, she has a choice:

She can either save her own hide, or risk it all.

The easy thing to do would be to betray the spies and give them over to the king’s men.

But Rahab decided she would honor the spies who came to her house.

This was an opportunity given to her by God to prove her faith was real.

James 2:24–25 (ESV)

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

What Rahab did in hiding the spies and protecting them was an act of faith, which she goes on to explain in the subsequent verses.

Read Joshua 2:8-11

RAHAB’S REASON FOR FAITH (Joshua 2:8-11)

Rahab describes some of the reasons she had become a believer in the God of Israel:

She knows the land belongs to the Israelites (v. 8)

It appears that she knew about the covenant Yahweh made with Abraham

She heard about them crossing the Red Sea on dry ground (v. 10)

This would have occurred about 40 years before the spies came to Jericho

She heard about what happened to Sihon and Og (v. 10)

Sihon was the king of the Amorites

Og was the king of Bashan

Both are recorded about in Numbers 21

Rahab ultimately makes the proclamation that Yahweh is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

No matter when or by what words, her heart knew something was different about the God of Israel and she became a believer in that God!

Read Joshua 2:12-16

RAHAB’S EVIDENCE OF FAITH (Joshua 2:12-16)

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Rahab’s faith in Yahweh and confidence in His goodness is shown through her concern for her family.

She knew that the Isrealites were going to be taking the city.

She asked that they would show kindness to her family, including her parents and siblings.

Most people, then and now, would seemingly be more concerned for their own well-being…but this concern of Rahab for her family speaks volumes.

May all of us desire to see our family members taken care of and prepared to meet the Lord.

This type of concern for others is evidence of a genuine faith.

Romans 12:9–10 (ESV)

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Galatians 5:13 ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Philippians 2:3 ESV

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

\Read Joshua 6:22-25

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RAHAB REWARDED FOR HER FAITH (Joshua 6:22-25)

The first part of Joshua chapter 6 describes the strategy used in this battle.

Strangely enough, it was some of the most unusual, unmilitary operations ever.

Joshua was not instructed to use battering rams to knock down the walls, nor was he told to storm the city gates or anything like that.

Rather, he was to simply march around the city once a day for six days and then on the seventh day, to march around seven times, then have the priests blow their trumpets, and to have the people shout!

We read in Joshua 6:20.

Once the battle was over, Joshua instructed the two spies to bring out Rahab and those in her house, as they had promised to do.

It is interesting to note that Rahab’s house was part of the wall (cf. Joshua 2:15).

This shows that Yahweh acted particularly to care for Rahab and her family, as she had requested.

Her story concludes here with a brief mention that she dwelt in Israel, even until the day the account was written.

Hebrews 11:31

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

BUT GOD…

God’s purpose for the visit of the spies to Jericho included more than securing military information.

A sinful woman was there whom God in His grace purposed to spare from the military defeat soon to fall on the city.

So the Lord, moving in a mysterious way, brought together two secret agents of the army of Israel and a prostitute of Canaan who became a proselyte to the God of Israel.

And despite her immoral life, God’s grace was poured out on her and delivered her and her family from the destruction of the city.

Rahab spent the rest of her days among the people of Israel…God’s chosen people…worshiping and serving Him with her life.

I wonder if we would be so willing to look beyond the questionable past of someone we know, and offer to them the hope and grace that lies in the gospel of Jesus?

And if they made a profession of faith, would we be ready to receive them to worship alongside of us?