Much could be said about Rahab without mentioning her profession. She was a Canaanite. She provided cover for the spies of Joshua. She came to believe in the God of Abraham before she ever met the children of Abraham. She was spared in the destruction of her city. She married a contemporary of Joshua’s, bore a son named Boaz, had a great-grandson named Jesse, a great-great-grandson named David, and a descendant named Jesus. Yes, Rahab’s name appears on the family tree of the Son of God. Her CV needn’t mention her profession. Yet in five of the eight appearances in Scripture, she’s called a ‘harlot’. Five! It’s even attached to her name in the book of Hebrews’ Hall of Faith (chapter 11). The list includes Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses – and then, all of a sudden, ‘the harlot Rahab’. No asterisk, no footnote, no apology. Her history is part of her testimony. ‘By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish.’ Think about this carefully: her profession of faith mattered more than her profession as a harlot. Maybe your past is a chequered one. Maybe your peers don’t share your faith. Maybe your pedigree is one of violence and your ancestry one of rebellion. If so, then Rahab is your model. We don’t drop scarlet cords from our windows, but we trust in the crimson thread of Christ’s blood. We don’t prepare for the coming of a Hebrew army, but we live with an eye towards the second coming of our Joshua – Jesus Christ. And the God who redeemed and redirected Rahab will do the same for you if you surrender your life to Him.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.