Day 5: A Prostitute Saves the Day
Read: Joshua 2:1-24; Joshua 6:20-23; Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31
The story of Rahab is such a beautiful display of full redemption.
Rahab, the prostitute, was someone who lived on the edge of society. Her profession caused a dichotomy to her existence—she was despised and rejected while simultaneously wanted and beloved. Her house was perfectly situated on the exterior wall by the gate, easily accessible to visitors as well as those who wished to use her services but not be seen by the mainstream community.
When the spies entered Jericho and encountered Rahab, they discovered fear and terror had gripped the inhabitants who had heard about what the Israelites had done while coming out of Egypt and how they destroyed the Amorites. Rahab’s statement in Joshua 2:11 indicates she knew who God was and how powerful he was. No doubt she had encountered God, but there was more to come.
Before the spies departed Rahab’s house, they provided clear instructions on what she had to do in order for them to keep their oath. Reflect for a few minutes on Joshua 2:18. Don’t miss the fact that she was to tie a scarlet cord in the window. Scarlet—blood red. Just as the blood above the doorposts in Egypt saved lives, so did the scarlet cord in Jericho. Both served as symbols and foreshadowed the shedding of the blood of Jesus on the cross which continues to redeem those seeking salvation.
As Israel descended on Jericho in chapter six, Rahab followed the instructions she was given and her act of courage and bravery saved her, and her entire family, from destruction. Rahab’s story doesn’t end there. At the time of the writing of Joshua, she continued to live among the Israelites. She never went back, or even looked back, to her former life.
She was no longer Rahab the prostitute. She was Rahab the redeemed.
We get a few glimpses of her in the New Testament, too. If you were to read the entire first chapter of Matthew, you would discover it is the lineage of Jesus. Tucked into verse five is our courageous Rahab. She is one of five women listed in the lineage of Jesus. She is also one of two women listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11.
Rahab represents the kind of person most of us are inclined to overlook or maybe even reject. Yet God looks for those he knows will step out in faith, trust him and take a risk. People just like Rahab. I think the greatest lesson we can learn from her is that she didn’t allow the fear that paralyzed the people of Jericho to paralyze her. She didn’t let it rob her of great faith in God’s deliverance. She had made bad choices and mistakes, but that did not stop her.
The mistakes you have made in your life do not have to stop or define you. God can use you in spite of your mistakes and most frequently because of them. Turning from sin and confessing our mistakes gives us the opportunity to speak into the lives of others experientially.
If God can take a prostitute in a pagan land and weave her into the lineage of Jesus, is there anyone he can’t, or won’t, use?
Prayer: God, like Rahab, I have made mistakes. I ask you to use them in the lives of those around me and give me an opportunity to share them as part of my testimony. I ask you to redeem my past failures and mistakes for your glory.