Even more, Rahab was, soon, engrafted into the physical family of Israel as she became the wife of Salmon, one of the leaders of Israel who supported Moses when they left Egypt. And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when ye came out of Egypt, and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. The spies came to her house, not to indulge in sin with Rahab, but to prepare the way for Joshua to take Jericho. While her sin had possibly estranged her from her loved ones, she was concerned about their safety as well as her own. The Bible clearly tells us that lying is not acceptable in the eyes of God (Proverbs 12:22; Leviticus 19:11; Proverbs 6:17). For Rahab trusted in God who fulfilled the covenantal promise to Abraham that he would be given land from which would bring a nation, and a descendant, who would bless the earth.
First of all, idolater though she had been, with a phase of immorality associated with her idolatrous life, she witnessed to a remarkable understanding of the sovereignty of the true God for she said to the spies—. Much has been said of Rahab’s deceit when confronted by the king of Jericho.
A similar tradition has Rahab declaring, "Pardon me by merit of the rope, the window, and the flaxen [the stalks of flax under which she concealed the spies]. Most of us know about her. I have sinned with three things [with my eye, my thigh, and my stomach]. Seeing their hunted and dreaded look, Rahab assuredly said, “Fear not, I will not betray you nor your leader. But the Hebrew word, zōnâ, is interpreted in the Septuagint as pórnē. The declaration of faith given by this Canaanite woman places her in a unique position among the women of the Bible. She exemplified her faith by her brave act, and so James quotes Rahab as exemplifying justification by works evidentially. We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. Rahab recognized the true God and took him for her own. The Lord, your God he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath (Joshua 2:9-11). Faith had wrought in her a change of heart and life, and it likewise enabled her to shield the spies as she did in the confidence God would triumph over His enemies. Scripture References—Joshua 2:1, 3; 6:17-25; Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25, Name Meaning—The first part of Rahab—“Ra,” was the name of an Egyptian god. [8] It was not uncommon for both an inn and a brothel to operate within the same building; thus entering Rahab's quarters was not necessarily a deviation from Joshua's orders. She is commended and mentioned in Hebrews 11 because of Rahab courageous faith and not her lying. Thus shall you do for six days. Those inside did not see the token of security. Frequently women like Rahab are more often sinned against than sinners. We only know what the Bible reveals. [12], According to the book of Joshua,[13] when the Hebrews were encamped at Shittim, in the "Arabah" or Jordan valley opposite Jericho, ready to cross the river, Joshua, as a final preparation, sent out two spies to investigate the military strength of Jericho. Most other English Bibles transcribe her name as Rahab. Who Are the Samaritans in the Bible? Brought out of an accursed city, and from her own sins which were as scarlet, Rahab is a fitting illustration of another miracle of divine grace, namely, the calling forth of His church out of a godless, Gentile world. Search the King James Version (KJV) for more references about Rahab... Bible Verses About God Rahab, (Heb. ; New York: Doubleday, 1993), 71. The spies stayed in Rahab's house, which was built into the city wall. She and her husband became the parents of a boy named Boaz.
She had been taken from the dunghill and placed among the saints in the genealogy of the Saviour (Matthew 1:5 where Rachab [kjv] and Rahab [asv], are to be identified as the same person). Rehab became a central strategic figure of incomparable courage as she helped Israel to enter the promised land and subdue her own people. In conclusion, what are the lessons to be gathered from the harlot whom God used to fulfill His purpose? There is no more touching story of God's glorious grace than the genealogical introduction to the birth of Jesus by faith through the line of Joseph in Matthew chapter 1. And in Christ Jesus, the blood-stained crimson cross of shame became the gleaming symbol of salvation. She and her family were adopted by the Jews and stayed with them. Rahab's life a great story with many lessons, but we mustn’t miss the point that Rahab was a harlot. [6] Raymond E. Brown, Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives of Matthew and Luke (updated ed. You may be surprised to learn that Rahab was an ancestor of Jesus.
Rahab: Harlot, Liar... Ancestor of Jesus? James 2:25 - Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent [them] out another way? When the city of Jericho fell, Rahab and her whole family were saved from the agreement of the spies and were included among the Jewish people.
In turn, she became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth from whose son, Obed, Jesse the father of David came, through whose line Jesus was born (Matthew 1:5, where the asv reads, “Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab”—not Rachab). Rahab was one of those unexpected characters in the Bible.
If 'Nothing Is Impossible with God,' Why Isn’t God Helping? Jericho was the worst of the cities of the Amorites, thus God commanded Joshua to destroy both the city and the inhabitants. Alphabetical Exposition of Named Bible Women, class="bibleref" data-bibleref="internal:Chapter 4. She married Salmon of the tribe of Judah and was the mother of Boaz. He equipped a new leader, Joshua, who had been trained under Moses’ leadership for 40 years for this job. Both Jewish and Christian writers have tried to prove that Rahab was a different woman from the one whom the Bible always speaks of as a “harlot.” To them it was abhorrent that such a disreputable person should be included in our Lord’s genealogy and by Paul, as a woman of faith, and so her story has been distorted in order to further a scheme of salvation based upon human goodness. Joshua knew t… On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. She still carried the evil, distinguishing name, thus declaring the peculiar grace of the transforming power of God. As soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. Michael A. Milton, Ph.D. (University of Wales; MPA, UNC Chapel Hill; MDiv, Knox Seminary) Dr. Milton is a retired seminary chancellor and currently serves as the James Ragsdale Chair of Missions at Erskine Theological Seminary. The story of Rahab would therefore provide an answer as to how a Canaanite group became part of Israel in spite of the Deuteronomistic injunction to kill all Canaanites and not to intermarry with them.[19][20][21]. By her act Rahab was actually betraying her own country, and for such treason certain death would have been hers had she been found out. "RAHAB" in the KJV Bible. Do we make Rahab’s prayer for the salvation of her family, the cry for our own homes? But there's more to the story of Rahab — so much more. Her most exemplary deed was telling a lie. In the miraculous battle of Jericho, the invincible city did fall.
Salmon was a prince of the house of Judah, and thus, Rahab, the one time heathen harlot, married into one of the leading families of Israel and became an ancestress of our Lord, the other foreign ancestresses being Tamar, Ruth and Bathsheba. [16], When the city of Jericho fell,[17] Rahab and her whole family were preserved according to the promise of the spies, and were incorporated among the Jewish people. Rahab would keep silent about their mission and the Israelites would spare everyone in her household when they invaded the city. [23] Rahab often is mentioned alongside Jethro (Yitro) and Na'aman as "positive examples" of the converts who joined Israel, and another midrash has Rahab acting as an advocate for all nations of the world. Rather, she covered them under bunches of flax on the roof, protecting them from being captured. "Thriving with Chronic Illness", This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright © 2020, Crosswalk.com. Bible Verses About Wives