Faith Amongst Grasshopper HeartsSample

 A new beginning for Rahab

In the account of the fall of Jericho there are three mentions of Rahab: First Joshua instructs that she should be spared while the city is destroyed. Then we hear that the two spies go and fetch Rahab and her family. Finally we're told that Rahab was spared and lives among the Israelites "to this day."

Twice in the this passage she is called a prostitute and yet she is treated with dignity and respect. The thrice mentioning of her in this short passage demonstrates Joshua's integrity and affirms her worth as a person who helped Israel.

The next nice surprise is that she pops up in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus as one of only 3 women mentioned. (Genealogies usually only mentioned men.) Rahab, along with Ruth, and Tamar are mentioned by Matthew and what makes them stand out is that they are all Gentiles. So while Matthew doesn't clearly specify that this is Rahab the prostitute from the city of Jericho, it is fairly obvious that this is her.

So this is a beautiful story of redemption: Rahab not only becomes part of Israel, but it seems she embraced Israel's faith, found love, married into Israel and became a mother to Boaz and mother-in-law to Ruth and great great grandmother to David and was part of the line of Jesus.

God doesn't see who we were. He sees what we can be.