A Trustworthy God
Rahab’s line of work would have made anyone look down on her or reject her. In the book of Joshua, we read that she lived in Jericho and engaged in prostitution. This profession would have forced her to live on the margins of society, facing criticism, hate, and perhaps even violence. However, in the Bible, she is not remembered for her life of sin, but for her wise decision to act in faith. Hebrews 11:31 says, “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with the disobedient, having received the spies in peace.” When Joshua, Moses’ successor, decided to send spies to Jericho, they used the strategic position of Rahab’s house, built within the city walls, to hide and impersonate one of her clients. There, she took the opportunity to tell the spies about the terror that overwhelmed the inhabitants of Jericho. Those living in the city had heard about God’s mighty deeds on the other side of the Jordan and were terrified of the Israelites—not because of their ability or skills of war but because of the God who was with them. The Jerichoans recognized that the God of the Israelites was real, great, powerful, and capable of supernatural and amazing works. Rahab, in an act of faith, recognizes something that even many Israelites could not see: that the God of Heaven is not just any God. He is Almighty! A God who has the power to act in ALL circumstances and is, without a doubt, a trustworthy God. Rahab—a pagan, Canaanite, and prostitute—teaches us that it is never too late to put our hope in God; that in life you must take risks full of faith; that our life circumstances are not an impediment to drawing near to the Father; and that God does not look at those circumstances of life in which we find ourselves. He does not see what man sees. He looks at our heart. He wants us to recognize Him, just as Rahab recognized that He was not just any god, but a God worthy of placing all our full trust in. In the end, God’s purpose was fulfilled in Rahab’s life, not only by saving her life but by making her the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth, who gave birth to Obed, father of Jesse, father of David, ancestor of our Savior Jesus Christ.
