We are looking at the faith of Rahab the harlot. Remember
only two women have their name listed in Hebrews 11, God’s Hall of Faith Heroes.
One is Sarah, Abraham’s wife whose faith gives her the miraculous privilege of
giving birth to Isaac, the son of promise, at the age of 90. The other was
Rahab the harlot whose faith saved her and her family and gave her courage to
risk her life to hide the spies Joshua sent into the city of Jericho. “By
faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she
had received the spies with peace.” (Hebrews 11:31)
Rahab’s faith was not only courageous, but it was also a
confident faith! Her faith was not in the spies but in their Jehovah God. In verse
9 she said, “I know that the LORD has given you the land…”. In verse 11,
she went on to say, “…for the LORD your God, He is the God in heaven above
and on the earth beneath”. Today, we need to exhibit this kind of faith that
is willing to risk our lives for the sake of the Gospel. In Mark 8:35, Jesus
said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.”
Now in verses 12-14, we find that Rahab’s faith was also a
concerned and contagious faith! Rahab wasn't concerned only about her own
welfare, for once she had personally experienced the grace and mercy of God,
she was burdened to rescue her family. After Andrew met the Lord Jesus, he
shared the good news with his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. “He
first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the
Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus…”
The cleansed leper went home and told everybody he met what
Jesus had done for him (Mark 1:40-45).
Rahab wanted assurance from the two spies that when the
city was taken, they would guarantee her family's safety. The men gave her that
guarantee in two ways: They pledged their word, and they pledged their lives
that they would not break their word. In other words, they became surety for
Rahab's family, the way Judah became surety for Benjamin (Gen. 43:8-9).
We are saved because Jesus Christ, who owed no debts, was
willing to become surety for us (Hebrews 7:22). The next time you sing
"Jesus Paid It All," remember that Jesus has pledged Himself as "the
guarantee of a better covenant" (Heb. 7:22). He died for us; and as
long as He lives, our salvation is secure. Because of the promise of His Word
and the guarantee of His eternal suretyship, we have confidence that "He
is able to save completely [forever] those who come to God through Him, because
He always lives to intercede for them" (Hebrews 7:25). Peter said it
this way in 1 Peter 1:5, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith for
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
The spies warned Rahab that she must not divulge any of
this information to anybody in the city other than the members of her family.
If she did, their agreement was canceled. What a contrast to the believer's
relationship to Jesus Christ, for He wants everybody to know that He has paid
the price of redemption and that they can be saved by trusting Him. If Rahab
talked too much, her life was in danger; but if we don't talk enough, the lives
of lost people around us are in danger.
One of the best proofs that we have met Jesus is that we
can’t wait to share Him with our family and friends. Our faith should be
contagious like Rahab’s! I love these following verses: "The fruit of
the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise"
(Prov. 11:30). “Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the
firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and
And finally, we should never forget James 5:20: “Let him
know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from
death and cover a multitude of sins.”
