THE FAITH OF RAHAB

“By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” Heb.11:31

     As the saying goes, “Your reputation precedes you!” This saying could not carry more weight than in the great Bible story of the fall of Jericho. The news of the Hebrew exodus from Egypt had spread far and wide. All of the surrounding nations heard of the plagues that befell Egypt when pharaoh refused to let the slaves “go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD” (Ex.3:18; 5:3; 8:27) and how not one plague entered a single home of the Hebrew slaves, but only the homes of their Egyptian masters.

     They heard that when the slaves left Egypt, pharaoh chased after them with his chariots and horsemen. And continued after them into the Red Sea crossing that GOD had miraculously opened for His children Israel to escape from pharaoh, crossing over on dry land as it is written, “But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left” (Ex.14:29). But the blind rage of pharaoh against the GOD of heaven and His chosen people, “his peculiar treasure” (Ps.135:4) led pharaoh to exploit GOD’S miracle of parting the Red Sea to chase after them with the full intent of killing them all. As a result, pharaoh and all his men perished as it is written: “Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.” Ex.15:4.

     The once downtrodden slaves were now free from every threat; and, openly led of the LORD, were on their way to "the land of Canaan," the land GOD promised to give to Abraham forever (Gen.13:15). That promise was repeated to Moses: “And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.” Ex.3:8. Twenty-one verses in the Bible repeat that promise of the land flowing with milk and honey whose supreme fulfillment will be met in “the new earth” where GOD gave His promise: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” “And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.” Isa.11:9; Eze.34:28.

     Seven times has the Bible promised to take away every fear of men. But 400 years of exposure to the idolatrous religion of the Egyptians had made the Hebrews essentially illiterate to the great calling of GOD to separate from the sins of the Eyptians. And so, of the original generation that left Egypt, only the families of Joshua and Caleb entered ‘the promised land.’

     Now was the time for the next generation to receive the promise. After forty years in the wilderness, Israel set his sights on the “land flowing with milk and honey.” The LORD made a way for them. Under the command of Joshua the LORD parted the Jordan River and the Hebrews crossed over on dry ground. This was harvest time and the river was at its height, even overflowing its banks. But this only made "the glory of the LORD" more evident when the water parted before the eyes of the children of Israel. Men from Jericho were also there to witness the parting of the Jordan River. They stood with astonishment at what the GOD of heaven was doing for the blessing and protection of His chosen people. Immediately they rushed to the king with the news of GOD'S great power and Israel's imminent presence at Jericho. But what should have drawn from the men of Jericho a desire to worship and serve a GOD Who delivers the oppressed with unmatched displays of miraculous power was used instead to conspire to do what Pharaoh attempted to do forty years earlier: to destroy the Hebrew people and thus, serve Satan’s purpose to halt the family through which the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, was to come.

     In each of the heathen nations of that region, the decision of the king was final. And through the evil carried out in the king’s judgment in both civil and religious affairs the king determined the fate of his nation’s destruction just as pharaoh determined the fate of Egypt. And so, because of the evils of insatiably wicked men the fate of Jericho was certain.

     All throughout the history of sinful man GOD has reached a turning point where He cannot allow the free exercise of sin to continue. Man's cup of iniquity became full in Noah's day, in Abraham's day, in Moses' day, and Joshua's day. And each time this point of 'no return' is reached the LORD'S judgment is invoked: "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Gen.6:5.

     In the early days of the nation of Israel every surrounding nation determined to wipe the Hebrew family from the face of the Earth. Their gods demanded it! So it was a simple situation of kill or be killed. Today’s critics of the judgments of Moses in the harsh realities of those days do not consider that those surrounding nations had closed their probation when they sacrificed their own children by fire on their godless altars. Nor do they consider how serious it was for Israel to stem the tide of sin’s influence in their new land. The depravity of human nature along with temptations of devils was working to destroy Israel.

     But there was one who didn’t perish with the people of Jericho. A woman whose livelihood was prostitution not only survived but thrived among the children of Israel. Rahab recognized the character of the GOD of the Hebrews as being the exact opposite to the heartless gods of her upbringing. (There is a great need today to reveal the true character of GOD vs. what men in the church have declared Him to be). The gods in which she was raised to serve only demanded worship from fear and not of love. Always placating the wrath of GOD, and never basking in His promise of salvation. The GOD of the Hebrews, on the other hand, not only freed the Hebrew slaves from the brutality of their Egyptian masters but personally escorted them, providing water for their thirst, and “manna” [“angels’ food” (Ps.78:25)] for their hunger until finally reaching the land of Canaan. And Rahab, being led of the Holy Spirit, preserved the Hebrew scouts from being arrested by the king of Jericho, even to giving them wise advice to insure their safe return to their people.

     Rahab saw the loveliness of the GOD of the Hebrews: a GOD Who delivers the oppressed and sets free from the shackles of tyrants. Yes, Rahab was a prostitute. But it was not by her freewill but by the necessity for survival in a thoroughly corrupt kingdom. And when she had heard the stories of the slaves of Egypt being set free her heart was drawn to cry out in prayer for her own deliverance—that she too might taste the joy of liberty. The LORD answered her prayer through His marvelous providence. GOD coordinated the timing of bringing the two Hebrew scouts into her presence. And when they were spotted sneaking around Jericho the soldiers came to Rahab inquiring of their location. She purposely sent them in the wrong direction. She would not dare let the men of Jericho threaten her opportunity to be set free to follow the GOD of liberty. After delivering the Hebrew scouts and counseling them to go a certain route for their safe return to their people she made a covenant with them for her and her family. Not only did Rahab desire the GOD Who brings liberty but she also did not want to perish with the brutal people of Jericho.

She said unto them:

“I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 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 Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And 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. Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. And the men answered her, Our life for yours.” Joshua 2:9-14. And so they returned and reported all they had seen and heard.

     When GOD gave instructions concerning the conquering of Jericho, it was to be seen that only GOD could display the power needed to take the city. His instructions were to be followed to the letter. They were simple but of great significance, even for us living today:

“And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel. And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho… So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.” Josh.6:15-25,27.

     It is interesting to note that when the wall of Jericho “fell down flat” it was pushed outward, away from the city. There were two walls: the outer having six-foot thickness, and the inner wall having twelve-foot thickness. The story of Jericho was to let every surrounding nation know that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the one true GOD, and only Deliverer from the bondage of sin.

     So, Rahab and her family were adopted into the family of Abraham. They were admonished in the counsel of the LORD as it is written: “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” Deut.14:2. Over time, Rahab learned the history of GOD’S creation, the fall of man into sin, the story of Noah and the righteous seed that would follow in his footsteps, and GOD’S blessing “every one whom his spirit made willing” (Ex.35:21). And she also learned how those who lie, cheat, murder, commit adultery, dishonor parents, and covet what does not belong to them “shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal.5:21), and how all people are to check their evil tempers and reform their intemperate lives into virtuous living through daily communion with GOD via humble prayer for the forgiveness of sin and to ask Him for the Presence of His Spirit to dwell in their hearts; to the end that every humble suppliant receive “the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.” II Tim.1:1.