- Why would Rahab be considered an unlikely hero? (Her sinful background...To explain prostitution, I told the class that she was a woman that had many husbands; She was not a Jew, yet she still helped the spies; She came from a city that worshiped false gods and idols)
- What did Rahab have that set her apart from other people in Jericho? (She had faith; She had heard about the God of Israel and the Exodus accounts, and believed in the God of Israel.)
- Ultimately, whose family did Rahab end up being a part of? (Jesus' family)
Read Joshua 2; Matthew 1:1-16; emphasis on verse 5; Hebrews 11:31; and Acts 4:13–21.
The Israelites under Joshua’s leadership were again on the move. God had promised Abraham, then Isaac, then Jacob that He would deliver the Promised Land to them. The generation of Moses’s day—because of their lack of faith, disobedience, and idolatry—was denied entry into this Promised Land. Moses and the entire generation (except for Joshua and Caleb) then died. Joshua was now the leader of the younger generation, and God had demanded his complete obedience to Him and His Word in order to be a part of the fulfillment of His purpose (Joshua 1:6–9). As already demonstrated, the way to success would be far from easy. There were many nations to conquer, yet God would provide the means—the strength and courage needed for success—provided the Israelites remained obedient.
Now Joshua, as the new leader of the people, was sending two of his men on a spying mission too view the land, especially Jericho (Joshua 2:1). The two spies entered Jericho and found lodging with Rahab, the prostitute. Although this may seem odd at first glance, upon further consideration, Rahab’s home on the wall could offer a safer and inconspicuous haven for the men. However, in God’s divine providence, the men were found out. When Rahab realized who they were, she was introduced firsthand to the God of Israel she had heard of and feared (Joshua 2:10–11). In the face of this providential visit by two of God’s people, Rahab demonstrated her faith and offered protection to the spies (Joshua 2:3–6, 2:15–16). Her faith saved her family from destruction (Joshua 6:17). And her faith, by God’s amazing grace, put her in the Messianic line (Matthew 1:5).
The question we might ask is how would this woman, this harlot, know about the God of Israel? She was well aware—as apparently all in Jericho were— that Israel was a nation whose God had delivered His people in a dramatic, miraculous fashion from Egypt. This God had also provided victory for His people over the most notorious kings on the other side of the Jordan, including King Og of Bashan (Deuteronomy 3:4). This was no small feat, and Rahab had come to worship this God of Israel.
Rahab was willing to stake her life and her family members’ lives on the ability of God to defeat her own people and yet deliver her! She misled the pursuers who were sent by the King of Jericho to apprehend the spies, and she concealed the spies until she helped them escape back to Israel (Joshua 2:2–6, 2:15–16). Rahab acted upon her belief that the God of Israel would carry out His promises to give the land to His people, and by doing so, she showed an utter depen- dence upon Him. This faith was remarkable enough to be held up to all future believers as an example of faith (Hebrews 11:31)!
The fact that God would bring to saving faith and use a Gentile woman to fulfill His purpose foreshadowed His intention to break “down the middle wall of separation” (Ephesians 2:14) between Jew and Gentile in Christ, and to make Gentiles “fellow heirs, of the same body” with Jews in Christ (Ephesians 3:6). This grand scheme of Christ’s salvation of sinners from every nation was in the background when God used Rahab to help deliver Israel’s spies in return for the protection of her and her family from the ultimate fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:25).
Historical/Apologetics Background
Many raise the question as to whether God blessed Rahab’s lie to the king’s men when they came for the Israelite spies. If so, when is it OK to lie? Or, is it ever right to lie? No. Lying is sin against a holy, perfect God (Proverbs 12:22). However, God frequently uses the sinful acts of both the righteous and unrighteous to execute His purposes. God wanted to show His amazing grace and sovereignty in this situation. Rahab was a deliberate sinner, and in likelihood an idolater, given that she lived an immoral life in a city of an idolatrous nation. Her knowledge of the true God was no doubt incomplete, being based upon what was discussed among her people, not upon a principled or careful instruction from Scripture. It was from this incomplete knowledge of God that she chose to lie on behalf of the spies. And in God’s mercy, He overlooked the sin, acknowledged her faith, and redeemed the situation.
To focus on the lie instead of the reward that our holy, sovereign, merciful God granted her does not give God the glory due His name. One lesson to be learned from Rahab is not about Rahab at all but about God— how He did not judge her nor reward her according to her sin but saved her by grace through the faith He gave to her as a precious gift (Ephesians 2:8), just as He does for all of His people.
Rahab’s imperfect actions of faith and courage resulted not only in her salvation from destruction but also in a place in history as an ancestor of Jesus, a place in God’s providential plan that resulted in Jesus’s birth and saving mission (Matthew 1:5). If we wonder why God would use a woman like Rahab to fulfill His purposes, perhaps we have not fully faced the effect our own sin has against a holy God. Only then can we recognize the greatness of God’s mercy in offering forgiveness to us through Jesus’s death and Resurrection.
Before The Throne
Dear Heavenly Father, you dwell enthroned in heaven above and on earth beneath. How marvelous is your Word, Lord. You have revealed your sovereignty and your mercy in the passages we are studying this week. Please help me understand your truths and at the same time present them in a way my students will understand. May the beauty of this account of Rahab—a harlot who believed—give hope, courage, and strength to my students. Holy Spirit, move among us in such a way that we all become excited about the ways an almighty God can use us to accomplish His perfect plan.
Wow Brian this is really awesome! Thank you for setting this up! Thank you to you and Thomas for teaching our kids! I think it's great for them to have godly male role models.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words. It our blessing to be able to teach the Word to your kids!
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