Rahab - Unlikely Hero (OT)

Rahab

Unlikely Hero (OT)

Our woman in this study is from the Old Testament. She was a Canaanite living with her family in the city of Jericho. This was a part of the land that God had promised to give the Israelites. At the moment when we meet her, she is a business woman who has heard of the Israelites and their God. When Joshua sent two spies into the city to scope it out, they ended up at her place. She was a prostitute, and also would have had rooms for rent so is sometimes referred to as an inn-keeper. Rahab is presented with an interesting decision to make that will impact not only her life, the lives of her family, and the future coming of the Messiah.

Let’s Read, Scene 1: Rahab aids the Spies. Joshua 2:1-21

1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

2 The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”

4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” 6 (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) 7 So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea[a] for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.[b] 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

12 “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”

14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”

15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. 16 She said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.”

17 Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. As for those who are in the house with you, their blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on them. 20 But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.”

21 “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.”

So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

Let’s Discuss - Scene 1

Remember these events occur after the Israelites had failed to believe God could give them the promised land forty years prior. When they first reached the promised land, Joshua was one of twelve spies sent to scope out both the condition of the land and the strength of the enemy. Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve came back with reports of the land, bountiful and wonderful. The people? Formidable for sure, but Joshua and Caleb were confident in God's promise to give them this land. The other ten spies came back and spoke terror and fear into the hearts of the Israelites who wailed that God had brought them here to perish. Basically, in the face of the ‘giants’ in the land, they couldn’t believe God was big enough to ensure their victory. God essentially gave them what they asked for, they didn’t take the promised land and instead God sent them back to wandering for another 40 years.

Now forty years later, Joshua is the leader of the people, Moses has passed away. The other adults who reacted in fear, have also passed away. And now it was time! God brought his people back to the land he had promised to Abraham. In our study of Rahab, Joshua sends two spies to check things out.

Point of Interest: Originally Moses sent twelve spies, only two came back with reports of the prosperity that lay ahead and deep faith and trust that God would keep his promise and give them success in taking the land. This time, Joshua (who was one of those two spies) sends only two to spy out the land. Do you think there is any significance to this? Was Joshua sending spies to represent the only two from the original twelve who had such faith?

This passage is chock full of references to the Messiah and his church! Let’s look at these together.

Who was Rahab? What do we know about her?

Rahab was a woman, a Canaanite (enemy of the people of Israel that in our study of the Canaanite woman we learned the Jews in Jesus time referred to them as “dogs”. She was also a prostitute and an innkeeper. Rahab represents us, we are sinners, enemies of Christ in our natural sin state.

We also know that Rahab knew the stories of the Israelite people and their God. She had heard of how they defeated Egypt and God had saved them with miracles at the red sea. This was a God who she knew in her heart was real - maybe she also compared the stories of actual things their God, OUR GOD, had done and knew that the gods her people worshiped paled in comparison.

Meaning of Hebrew Names: Rahab

Sometimes our studies of the women in the Bible have very Rahab’s name in Hebrew is translated as “Broad”or “Wide” as in Spacious.

There were other uses of the word “Rahab” in the Old Testament, it is a reference to a mythical sea creature, the Leviathan. In the Hebrew Bible it is often a reference to pride or arrogance. Often a poetic name for Egypt and the chaos of the sea. For more information see the links in the reference section at the end of this study.

What does Rahab remind you of? Does her story inspire you? Why or why not?

__________________________________________________________________________

Rahab represents the church, the gentiles who were grafted into Christ’s people. Notice the symbolism in this scene, and what those things remind you of in regards to Christ and his bride/the Church.

Rahab is the first recorded gentile convert. How is she representing the church, us?

She lived in a pagan city that worshiped false gods and we live in a world that also worships false gods/things/people.
She was a harlot, a prostitute, a sinner and enemy of God by her nature/her profession. Before we came to a saving faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for us, we too served ourselves and chased after the wrong things. Even after coming to God, we are tempted away and can struggle with absolute loyalty to Him. God used the imagery of the harlot to describe the unfaithfulness of the Israelites. Are we much different?
By her faith, she became a daughter of God. And like Rahab, we can be known by our faith. We can be known by our faith in action, by what we do and not by where we have been and the things we have done in our past!

Symbolic references to God’s story - and the future Messiah:

Red/Scarlet cord in the window, what does this remind you of?

__________________________________________________________________________

The first passover, God instructed his people to take the blood of the lamb and smear/paint it on the doorposts and above the door. It was a sign, and a protection for his people. The scarlet cord in the window was a sign for protection of Rahab’s family.

The vow of the spies, “Our lives, for your lives.” How do you think hearing this reassured Rahab?

__________________________________________________________________________

This was some vow! The spies were surely more valuable to Israel than the lives of this Canaanite woman and her family. This brings two things to mind: One that it is through an exchange of life, the blood of Christ that we are saved. Two, that our salvation is a promise from God - when we have accepted his sacrifice in faith, we are hidden and secured in him. He cannot be untrue to himself.

Rahab told the spies to hide themselves and take sanctuary for three days, before coming back to cross the Jordan in return to the Israelite encampment. How long was Jesus in the tomb?

__________________________________________________________________________

Note: Even if this were not a reference to the time Jesus was in the tomb. Three is often a number used in scripture that is symbolic of perfection or completion.

Note in the last verse of this passage, Rahab secures the cord in the window. What does this mean to you? Do you think there is an analogy of our securing our salvation with Christ?

__________________________________________________________________________

Let’s Read, Scene 2: Joshua keeps the promise. Joshua 6:22-25

22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.”

23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.

24 Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the Lord’s house.

25 But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

Joshua/Messiah references. Remember in our study of Mary, Mother of Jesus, we talked about the fact that Jesus’ name is from the Greek translation of Joshua? In this story Joshua is the savior of Rahab’s family. Sure, the spies made a promise to her, but it was under Joshua’s direction and protection that the promise was kept. Do you see any other similarities between Joshua and Rahab compared to Jesus and us?

__________________________________________________________________________

God made a promise to provide us a Messiah, that there would be a way to be in relationship with Him. Through Jesus’ sacrifice and commitment to the father’s will is our relationship with God secured and the promise kept.

Let’s Read, Scene 3: New Testament References to Rahab in Matthew, Hebrews & James

The next time we see Rahab’s name is in the recording of the ancestry of Jesus Christ -

Matthew 1:5

Salmon became the father of Boaz by Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed by Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse.

We know later that Jesse was the father of David, who became the King of Israel. The man after God’s own heart and the one from which the Messiah would come.

Note: This is a disputed fact. The name in the lineage of Matthew was transliterated from Rahab to Rachab, some believe that her name was changed potentially representing her conversion to the Jewish people. Others believe that this is actually a reference to someone else and not this particular Rahab. I personally think it makes more sense that it is Rahab. Just know that we may need to hold this one loosely. We can be mindful that this is not an issue of our salvation - while it makes a beautiful ending to the story.

Remember, Rahab’s saving of the spies over loyalty to the king of Jericho, was an act of bravery. In her day, disloyalty to the king was punished severely as a traitor. She would have likely had her eyes put out, her tongue cut out, and her hands cut off before being dragged through the streets and finally, mercifully perhaps, stoned. We cannot view her act lightly - she took a great risk.

Let’s Discuss:

How does Rahab’s story inspire you? Can you think of areas in your life where you could be more brave?
Did Rahab place faith in the Israelite’s God as the true God? Where have you placed your faith? Are you tempted to trust in things aside from God?
Rahab was dishonest, she lied to the king’s men. Is lying ok?

The Biblical record is faithful to not only record the loyal love of God, it also records the moral failings of his people. We all have moments of moral failures in our lives. Isn't it wonderful that God uses our mistakes as well as our acts of faith to accomplish his purposes? He will never be thwarted and his Will is always accomplished! God's good news means that we have forgiveness and that God can change hearts as immovable as mountains. Because God CAN move mountains!

We also see Rahab’s name appearing in the “Hall of Faith” chapter of Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:31 By faith, Rahab the prostitute, didn't perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace.

Note; This cannot be a transliteration of her name as discussed for the Matthew passage above. We are provided with too many details - assuring us that the writer of Hebrews was indeed referring to our Rahab. He notes she was a prostitute, and her act of sheltering and protecting the spies, which resulted in the salvation of her and her family..

Let’s Discuss:

What does it mean to you that Rahab is listed in this Chapter of Faith heroes? Note: Sarah and Rahab are the only women listed in the entire chapter.

Rahab was an intelligent and perceptive woman. Her occupation of both inn-keeper and prostitute meant that she was exposed to many travelers and the stories of events. She was likely well-informed, and acting upon information she had heard. When the spies appeared, she correctly identified them and sheltered them. Likely, others identified the spies as well - which is how the king would have been notified of the Israelite presence in his city. Do you find her example an encouragement? Do you think she was acting according to her nature? Or in faith? Or perhaps both?

Lastly, we see Rahab mentioned in the book of James. James is writing about faith and works and he uses only two people in reference to their works in combination with their faith, Abraham and Rahab!

James 2:22-26 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Let’s Discuss:

Why does the author of James mention Rahab?

Isn’t it interesting that he uses the father of the Israelites/Abraham where no one would dispute he was a man of faith, after all God made a covenant with him and he is the father of nations. What a switch to turn to Rahab as the follow up example!

Additional Notes/Thoughts:

Whether she was acting in her nature - and to some extent she was, right? She lied to the king’s men and had a manufactured story ready to deceive them.
She must have anticipated the king’s men might search the inn because the Bible tells us that she hid the men under stalks of flax on her roof. But they didn’t search her place, they believed her story because it sounded believable.

Did you notice that the fear and hearts melting with fear that Rahab describes to the spies was from the stories of God leading the Israelites out of Egypt. These same stories were likely known 40 years ago when the original 12 spies were sent into the Promised Land. It’s possible that the inhabitants of Jericho were just as fearful then, but the Israelites didn’t or couldn’t know that then.

We discussed the fact that if Rahab is in the lineage of Christ, it wasn’t genetic because the genealogy is that of Joseph, Jesus’ earthly but not genetic father. However, the genealogy was communicating the lineage of legal inheritance, showing the succession of Jesus to the royal line of David.
- Note that four women are included - all representative of Gentile.
- It may be that the author of Matthew was preparing the Jewish people for the inclusion of the Gentiles into Christ’s chosen people.

God Sees Rahab: How do you think God see’s Rahab?

__________________________________________________________________________

God Sees You: How does God see you?

__________________________________________________________________________

Resources on Rahab study:

Rahab Name Meaning: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Rahab.html

Red Rope of Rahab: https://www.amazingfacts.org/news-and-features/inside-report/magazine/id/10731/t/red-rope-of-rahab#:~:text=Rahab%2C%20God's%20Church,a%20symbol%20of%20God's%20church.

Rahab in James - a model of faith with works:

https://neoprimitive.wordpress.com/2021/05/18/rahab-the-righteous-harlot-james-225-26/#:~:text=We'll%20be%20in%20James,so%20proud%20of%20their%20faith!

If you want to download this lesson - Click Here

Page updated

Report abuse