part0034

Sometimes, a person must make a decision that can cause that person a lot of trouble. In Joshua 2:1, for example, a harlot named Rahab had been put into that very position. To her credit, though, she had made the correct decision. That verse says, "And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there." The children of Israel under Joshua's leadership had already entered into the Promised Land. They were preparing to take possession of the land that God had promised to their fathers. So Joshua had sent two spies into the region to evaluate the area before they had committed themselves to the battle. In Joshua 2:2-3, the king of Jericho had learned that the spies were in the land. He had also learned that they were at Rahab's house. So he had told her to put them out of her house so that they could be apprehended. Those verses say, "And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country."

But it was at that time that she had made her most important decision for the Lord. Instead of betraying them to her own people, which would have made perfect sense she had decided to help the spies by hiding them. If she had been caught doing such a thing, though, she would have almost certainly been put to death. But she had trusted the Lord to protect her and in the end He did not let her down. She was a Canaanite woman. But she had put her trust in the Lord and had found His grace. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

So the two spies had been able to obtain the information that they had sought. They had been able to report back to Joshua and to the children of Israel. They had also been able to tell him in Joshua 2:23-24 about the special help that they had received and about how Rahab had hidden them on her roof when the guards had come to search for them. Her faithfulness had not only helped the children of Israel conquer Jericho, but it had also guaranteed the deliverance of her family when the attack finally came. Joshua 6:17 says, "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." So the Lord's will was done in conquering Jericho. But He had also delivered a Gentile woman that had trusted in Him.

Interestingly one should note that being listed among the heroes of the Faith had been quite unique for Rahab. She is the only Gentile to have been specifically named in Hebrews, chapter eleven. Her testimony with the children of Israel also shows that God will save ANY person, Jewish or Gentile, that seeks Him with a pure heart. On the day when those spies had come to town, she could have made a variety of different choices. But she had chosen instead to seek refuge with the Lord . Jeremiah 29:12-13 and John 3:16, which were both quoted in chapter one of this text, had not even been written at that time. But the eternality of Bible truth had still applied. That simply means that those two verses have ALWAYS been true. They were true even before they were spoken or written. In Joshua 2:11-12, Rahab had said in her own words, "And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath . Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token."

So in her own way Rahab had been seeking God by faith with her whole heart. She had been committing herself to Him and trusting in Him. The result is that she was SAVED . She had even made it into the list of the heroes of the Faith in the book of Hebrews, chapter eleven. Hebrews 11:31 says, "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace." But she had NOT earned her salvation by hiding the spies. She had gained it when she had sought the Lord with ALL of her heart, when she had committed herself to Him, and when she had put her trust in Him. The evidence of her conversion is that she had known in Joshua 2:11-12 that the Lord is the God of heaven above and of the earth below. It was also seen in that she had been willing to hide the Jewish spies even though doing so had put her own life at risk. Thus, if she had NOT come to the Lord by faith when she had, then she would have probably perished along with the rest of her people. But she had CHOSEN to come to Him to be SAVED and she was SAVED .

As a final observation to her biblical account, the genealogy in Matthew 1:1-16 shows that Rahab had been the mother of Boaz. Boaz had married Ruth and had been the great-grandfather of King David. Then, all of them had been direct ancestors of Jesus. Matthew 1:1-16 says, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren…And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias…And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ."