Rahab

FIRST BAD GIRL GONE GOOD
JOSHUA 2, 6

IMAGINE: You have your own lucrative business, even though it is a bit shady. Then out of nowhere two men of foreign descent show up on your doorstep and your life is forever changed.

Joshua son of Nun secretly
sent two men as spies from
Acacia Grove, saying, “Go and scout
out the land, especially Jericho.”
So they left, and they came to the
house of a woman, a prostitute
named Rahab and stayed there.
Joshua 2:1, 2

 Jericho was a spring-fed, beautiful Oasis called “city of palms.” It had high, thick walls, that by all appearances, were insurmountable they were so immense. It must have looked to be an impossible stronghold to the two spies who had just swam from the east side to the west bank of the Jordan River.
Years earlier possibly as many as two million people, counting men, women, and children, had left Egypt. Out of that generation only two would be setting foot in the promised land, Joshua and Caleb. These two men had been part of the spy team of twelve sent by Moses to check out the land. They had brought back a good report whereas, the other ten gave a negative review. All the adults, who had left Egypt, died in the wilderness, never seeing the land promised to them because they refused to listen to the voice of the Lord.
Their forty years of wandering in the desert was to build their faith in the God of Israel as they witnessed His many miracles concerning and caring for them. They wanted none of it thus, the second generation out of Egypt would be the ones to enter the land promised. For this to be accomplished, they would need to conquer Jericho as this was the most important, fortified city west of the Jordan. Jericho was located in the Jordan Valley, just north of the Dead Sea and west of the Jordan river and east of Jerusalem.
A Canaanite harlot, named Rahab, was a citizen of Jericho and that wicked city was under God’s radar for destruction. This city was part of a corrupt, depraved, pagan culture and it appears she was a product of the circumstances surrounding the city.
It appears Rahab was a single, childless, young woman. She was not living under her father’s roof, which would have been the cultural thing to do in that day. Yet, later it seems she is quite concerned about her father, mother, brothers, sisters and all who belong to them. (Josh. 2:13).
Did she rebelliously live as a harlot? Was her father’s household too poor to support her once she was of age? Was it necessary for her to help support her father’s household?
Rahab was a businesswoman of sorts, it seems. She has a thriving business, owns her own home, and is strategically located inside the city’s impenetrable walls located near the city gate. Located where she is, she misses nothing, and no one gets by her as they enter and leave the city.
There were not many ways for a woman to support herself in that day, age and culture. Women had few choices of livelihood which some comprised of being married, begging, or prostitution. According to Rabbinic tradition, Rahab was one of the most beautiful women ever to have been born. Possibly, because of her beauty, this was the most profitable way to make a living. It appears though, she was looking and was ready for a way out of this lifestyle.
Joshua secretly sent two men as spies from Acacia Grove east of the Jordan where the Israelites were staying. They were told to go and scout out the land. They were to especially check all conditions concerning Jericho.
As they entered the city they came to the house of Rahab. By faith Rahab, the prostitute, received the spies in peace. (Heb. 11:31). Why visit the house of a prostitute? This would be a good place to find out information about the city. It would be easy to blend in with other travelers and foreigners. Their thinking was probably along the lines of this woman not being too inquisitive as to who they were or where they came from.
Rahab took the men into her home and up to her roof top where she hid them. If Rahab had truly enjoyed her lifestyle, she could have turned the spies over to the king when his men came looking for them. She probably would have received a handsome sum for handing them over. Instead, she hid them. Because of Rahab’s profession she probably did not have many friends, if any. Her surroundings were decadent, vile, vulgar and she must have loathed her life since she was willing to risk putting it into the hands of these two foreigners.

“I know the Lord has given
you this land and that dread
of you has fallen upon us,
and everyone who lives
in the land is panicking
because of you.”
Joshua 2:8, 9

To be able to conduct this kind of business, Rahab would have been perceptive, intelligent, and well informed. She recognized the spies for who they were. She knew to hide and protect them. What the two strangers may not have immediately realized, before coming to this particular woman’s house was, God had been working in her heart. What Rahab may not have immediately realized herself was, God had been preparing her for this moment.
Rahab seemed to know that Jericho was going to be destroyed by Israel’s God through His people. She knew in her heart their God would give Jericho to His people and she desperately wanted to be one of His peoples.
She believed the rumors she had heard about the large amount of people who were camped at Acacia Grove, just ten miles east of Jericho, on the other side of the Jordan River. The entire population of Jericho was trembling with fear. Rahab may have had some fear, but appears to hold a certain curiosity concerning these people and their God.

For we have heard how the Lord
dried up the waters of the Red Sea
before you when you came
out of Egypt, and what you
did to Sihon and Og, the two
Amorite kings you completely
destroyed across the Jordan.
When we heard this, we lost heart, and
everyone’s courage failed because
of you, for the Lord your God is God in
heaven above and on earth below.
Joshua 2:10, 11

Travelers passing through the region would have been told about Rahab by those who had gone before them, so many travelers would have stopped at Rahab’s place. When travelers came to Rahab’s establishment they would have brought with them news of the outside world. Stories about the Israelites had been told for forty years by the different merchants coming and going throughout the city. Rahab would have heard many of these stories as a small child. As a savvy businesswoman she was now able to obtain these stories first hand from all who came through her door.
Rahab lived in a culture that worshiped many gods, yet she had been informed the Israelites worshiped only One God. Rumor was, they were able to have a relationship with their God and He spoke to them from a pillar of cloud by day and a column of fire by night.
Rahab hadn’t had good Godly teaching. But, she did have the place where the traveling merchants would come and spend time and tell tales. Their tales always seemed to have the same theme – the Israelites were to be feared.
 She had heard the stories of their exodus from Egypt. The story of them crossing the Red Sea on dry ground and the waters covering over Pharaoh’s army. She would have been told about their wanderings in the desert and their recent victory over the Amorites. These happenings showed that more than fear of the Israelites was needed, one needed a healthy fear of the Israelite’s God. 
It was clear to all in Jericho that the Israelites were on their doorstep and they were terrified. The people of Jericho had more going on than fear though. They had pride as tall as the walls surrounding their city. The king of Jericho was just arrogant enough to think himself smarter than the Amorite kings and ignorant enough to think the high walls would never be penetrated. They believed those walls would protect them, where as, Rahab considered a God who could part the Red sea could and would tear down walls no matter how tall or thick they were.
Rahab’s newfound faith led her to believe the Israelites were coming and the God of the Israelites was coming with them. She believed crossing the Jordan River would be nothing hard for their God as He led them through the waters and the walls of Jericho would not hamper a God who moves mountains.
God was coming no matter what and Rahab was working at getting her and her family ready for the event. From all the stories she had heard, she had now come to believe the Israelite’s God was God in heaven above and on the earth below.

Now please swear to me by the Lord
you will also show kindness to my
family, because I showed kindness
to you. Give me a sure sign.
Joshua 2:12

The city of Jericho was part of the Amorite Kingdom, a violent, depraved, pagan culture. Rahab was a product of her past and culture. She was also ignorant of the ways of this “new” God. She had heard the stories of the Israelites God, but she had never encountered an Israelite. Consequently, she had not been privy to the moral standards set forth in God’s law. She had grown up in the vile and degrading ways of the Canaanite’s idolatry.
The climate in which she was raised and was now living in, lying would not have been anything but normal and was an acceptable part of their culture. Rahab also worked as a cloth merchant which required the use of flax, so men would hide out on her roof where the flax was laid out to dry when need be and use long ropes to escape. There would have been many times lying was required and she appears well prepared for any circumstance that might arise concerning a client.
She had absolutely no way of knowing that a lie was an unacceptable practice in the God of Israel’s rule book. For all she knew these two men might very well not be telling the truth thus, she needs a sure sign that they will spare her and her loved ones. Trust, it appears, was not a great commodity in the land of Canaan.  

Then she let them down by a rope
through the window, since she
lived in a house that was built
into the wall of the city.
Joshua 2:15

Jericho was surrounded by a great embankment, with a stone retaining wall at its base. The retaining wall was between twelve and fifteen feet high. On top of that was a mud-brick wall, six feet thick and approximately twenty to twenty-six feet high. At the crest of the embankment was a similar mud-brick wall, the base of which was roughly forty-six feet above the ground which was outside the retaining wall.
Rahab lived on top of the surrounding wall. The wall was wide enough on the top for buildings, homes, road or walkways. The back wall of her house would have been the outer mud-brick wall.

The men said to her, “We will be free
from this oath you made us swear,
unless, when we enter the land,
you tie this scarlet cord to the
window through which you let us
down. Bring your father, mother,
brothers, and all you father’s
family into your house.”
Joshua 2:17, 18

Rahab chose to set her face toward God and her back against Jericho. By agreeing to hang the cord, Rahab was declaring her faith in the One True Living God, the God of Israel. The scarlet cord she would hang in her window would be in accord with the blood the Israelites had put on their door posts forty years earlier at the first Passover.
As the death angel came through the land, the homes where the blood was, were spared God’s wrath. If Rahab and her family members would remain inside the confines of her home and hang the scarlet cord from the window they also would be spared when death came calling.
The back wall of Rahab’s house would have been the outside wall of the city, thus making the scarlet cord visible to the Israelites as they entered Jericho. The cord was a braided rope strong enough to hold a man and long enough to reach the bottom of the wall. This same cord Rahab would use to save the spies would serve to save her and her family when the time came.

“And if you report our mission,
we are free from the oath
you made us swear.”
Joshua 2:20

The spies gave Rahab conditions to abide by which included not to tell anyone about their agreement. She was to hang the scarlet cord in the window where she had given them access for their escape and she was to place her family under her roof for their safety.
The spies had to be sure she told no one of God’s plan for the Israelites entrance into the promised land. They would have faced war if this were revealed to the Amorite king and his men.
They knew lying was an acceptable practice in this culture and a needed asset in Rahab’s business. They had to have assurance she would not tell anyone. As they would be approaching Jericho they would be able to see the scarlet cord and know she was waiting for them to rescue her and her family and thus had told no one.
Once Rahab moved her family in under her roof her prostitution business would have ended. Living on the wall of the city, the town’s folk may have noticed some changes taking place in the neighborhood concerning Rahab’s establishment. But, as in the days of Noah, people in Jericho were apparently too busy with their own daily doings to pay any mind to a woman of ill repute.
Just as it had never rained in the days of Noah, the walls of Jericho had never crumbled. Rahab’s changed life must have made an impression on her family, unlike Lot’s sons-in-law who laughed at the mention of ruin. Her family was willing to stay under her roof and do as she directed.
During the waiting period for the Israelites to take siege of Jericho and the two spies to rescue her and her family, Rahab had time to encourage them to believe in the God of Israel, not the king of Jericho. Because of her profession, it appears Rahab knew the king quite well. She also knew him to be nothing more than a mere man. Rahab did not, as of yet, have Israel’s law under her belt but she definitely had Israel’s God in her heart.

Now the Jordan overflows its
banks throughout the harvest
season. But as soon as the priests
carrying the ark reached the
Jordan, their feet touched the water
at its edge and the water flowing
downstream stood still,
rising up in a mass…
Joshua 3:15, 16

Unknown to Rahab was the possible apprehension of those on the other side of the river. Granted, some as small boys had seen God part the Red Sea. Some had been born, however, during the desert wanderings and had only heard the stories. Now as grown men, were they once again going to experience God’s great power in parting the Jordan River? It was spring time when the river runs fast and high. All but Joshua and Caleb were second generation Israelites coming out of Egypt. With great excitement all were about to finally come to the end of desert wanderings and enter the anticipated promised land.

The priests carrying the ark of the
Lord’s covenant stood firmly on dry
ground in the middle of the Jordan,
while all Israel crossed on dry
ground until the entire nation
had finished crossing the Jordan.
Joshua 3:17

As the priests put their feet in the water carrying the Ark of the Covenant, which is God’s presence with them, the water stopped flowing and the ground started drying up, as it had when they were small children walking through the Red Sea.
They are now five miles from Jericho. The word is out! The Israelites have now crossed the Jordan River. Fear has turned to panic within the walled “city of palms.” Anxiety had to have been running rampant for the Israelites, Rahab and her family, and for the people of Jericho.

March around the city with all the
men of war, circling the city one
time. Do this for six days.
So, the ark of the Lord was carried
around the city, circling it once.
They returned to the camp and
spent the night there.
Joshua 6:3, 11

Rahab and family, along with the inhabitants of the city, were not prepared for what just happened. Instead of rushing the city, the Israelites only marched around it carrying a box with two angels on top. In front of the box are seven priests who are blowing ram’s horns.
It appears no one is speaking as they work out their marching orders. After they had stomped around the eight to nine acres Jericho was built on, for approximately thirty minutes, they returned to their camp by the Jordan River.
Rahab possibly thought she had misunderstood Jericho was to be captured. Nothing had immediately happened after the spies had left her place, run out of the city gate and into the hills beyond.  Now that some activity had begun it was only the Israelites doing nothing but marching around the city and off they would go back to their camp site. How would that bring about capture of such a fortified city as Jericho?
Rahab was probably not the only one confused by the circumstances starting to unfold. The citizens of Jericho did not know what to make of the parade around their city. To make matters more confusing, the Israelites repeated this march around the city for a completion of six days. By now the citizens of Jericho are confused, terrified, and way short on nerves as they listen to the trampling of feet and the blowing of horns.

Early on the seventh day, they started
at dawn and marched around the city
seven times in the same way. That
was the only day they marched around
the city seven times. After the seventh
time, the priests blew the trumpets
and Joshua said to the people,
“Shout! For the Lord has given you
the city.” So the people shouted,
and the trumpets sounded. When
they heard the blast of the trumpet,
the people gave a great shout,
and the wall collapsed.
The people advanced into the city
each man straight ahead, and
they captured the city.
Joshua 6:15, 16, 20

On the seventh day matters only became worse. The parade of Israelites did not stop and return to their camp as they had done each day previously. They encircled the city again, and again.
The Israelites, on this seventh day, circled the city seven times. This marching band consisted of armed guards, the seven trumpet-blowing priests, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant, and the rear guard. This excursion around the city seven times would have taken approximately three hours.
Were the occupants of the city starting to question their own sanity? They had been fearful of the Israelite’s God because of the stories they had heard and what He had done for His people.
Were they now having discussions among themselves about busting through the gate of the city and overtaking this marching band of foreigners. Maybe they plotted a plan to stand on the city wall and throw boulders down on their heads. Or did they start to question why they were so afraid of a bunch of men carrying a box on sticks and blowing horns? When suddenly a great and fearful shout comes from the Israelites to such an extent the encircling walls of Jericho come tumbling down. All but Rahab’s house.
As mentioned before, the window to her house where she hung the scarlet cord, was the back side of the surrounding wall. This made for a safer exit for her and her family because of the annihilation and destruction going on from inside the walls. The Israelites entered the city and destroyed every man, woman, child, ox, sheep, and donkey. But, as promised by the two spies, Rahab and her family were spared as the city is attacked and burned to the ground.
Everything and everybody Rahab had ever known was being demolished as the two spies she had hidden were taking her and her family out of the city. Rahab and her family were settled outside the camp of Israel. As Gentiles they would have had to be ceremonially cleansed first before being able to live in the Israeli camp plus, the men would have had to have been circumcised.
In spite of her past, God’s amazing grace was offered to Rahab’s family and given to her freely. She now had to leave her culture, her people, her gods and turn to the God of Israel. God had truly transformed a life. Rahab, the harlot, appears to have lived out her days in and among the Israelites. They became her people and their God became her God.
These people were the second generation that came out of Egypt, as mentioned before. They had lived in the wilderness for all their life. Jericho, the city of palms, would have looked very strange to them compared to their desert wanderings.  
They had now entered the land of “milk and honey.” Also, the land of lentils, leeks, onions, garlic, beans, etc. Some, that were now entering the promised land, had never eaten anything but manna. Manna served with an occasional quail was all they had known for forty years.
Rahab would have had the privilege of introducing these wanderers to delicious foods such as dates, almonds, honey, raisin cakes, bread and wine. They in turn had the privilege of teaching and introducing her to their God.
The Canaanite religion worshiped and practiced religious prostitution and infant sacrifice. As the Israelites entered the promised land pure faith and worship would have been compromised had there been anything less than complete elimination of the inhabitants of Jericho.
The conquering of Jericho was indeed a military effort. But, more importantly, it was a spiritual victory as the God of heaven and earth eradicated the Canaanite gods, the only gods Rahab and her family had ever known.
Rahab’s family members believed in the pagan gods and idols they could see and touch. Not in the invisible God of these strange foreigners continually stomping around the city each day blowing horns. This was not the way a military group would normally take a city. They possibly thought their relative had lost her mind as she continued to try and convince her family members to stay in place. For her family to remain with her, even though the outcome looked bleak, gives reason to believe she was the caretaker for all her relatives.
Rahab, through faith, went from sinner to saint, harlot to heroine. She, along with her family, were like Noah and his family. In Noah’s day they saw the boat. Jericho’s inhabitants had heard the stories of Israel’s God from all the merchants passing through. Noah had believed and responded. Rahab had believed and proved her faith real by her actions.
Being the first bad girl gone good, Rahab’s name appears in the New Testament, on the first page, in the first paragraph of the first gospel. (Matt. 1:5). Not only is it highly unusual for a woman to be mentioned in genealogies, but this is the genealogy of Jesus Christ. A harlot? A Gentile? In the genealogy of our Lord and Savior?
Turning to the God of Israel wiped the slate clean. Her past no longer was an issue. Not only was she no longer viewed as an unclean prostitute but, by grace, she was now privileged to have a part in the lineage of Christ.
Rahab is the first person Scripture mentions by name as being in the promised land. She is the first person the children of Israel and the two spies are introduced to. She is the first recorded Gentile convert.
In God’s economy, Rahab is remembered for her faith, not her profession. When Rahab is mentioned as “Rahab the harlot” it is a reminder of what God did in and through her by His Amazing Grace, not who she used to be. She is a perfect picture of God’s precious gift of grace in the worst of conditions and how ALL LIVES matter to God.
Leaving everything behind, she could not have known at that time King David and Jesus Christ would be among her descendants. God will accomplish great things through people with true faith no matter where they have been or what they have done. God works in the present, not yesterday, not tomorrow, but today, for today is the day of Salvation. (2 Cor. 6:2).
Rahab did not allow her past to keep her from the new life God so willingly was giving her. God, took into account her faith, not her life circumstances. She did not allow the past to stop the future, as we must all do.            

Something to consider:
We can’t make a new beginning,
but we can make a new ending.

Thought for the day:
“Do not judge.
You don’t know what storm
I have asked her to walk through.”
–God.
Anonymous