Rahab, The Harlot
Heart Prep
Take this time to pray and ask God to open your heart to Him and all that
He is capable of doing. Ask Him for the strength to change the things that have plagued you and your life, and to become new in Him.
Joshua 2:1 “Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying,
‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went and came into the house of a harlot
whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.”
Rahab was known for how she lived and what she did. The Bible doesn’t give many details about her life except that she was a harlot, a prostitute; that was her label. You might have your own label. It could be from something you did in your past, something you’re currently involved in, something about how you look, or something someone made up to be mean.
Rahab had her label because of what she did. She was a prostitute. In the first chapter of Matthew, there’s a genealogy of Jesus, His family tree. Several generations down the list we find, “Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse” (Matthew 1:5). Rahab had a son, Boaz, and If you remember, Boaz was the amazing man of God who redeemed (bought back) the land and inheritance of Ruth and her mother-in-law. Rahab, the harlot, raised Boaz to be a godly, wonderful servant of God. You might be wondering how in the world she was able to do that. You see, God intervened in her life. And by faith, she became a new woman.
Joshua sent two men from the Children of Israel to spy out the land they were entering, and especially the city of Jericho, where Rahab lived. She knew they were men of God, so she helped them. She welcomed them into her house and hid them from the men of the city who wanted to kill them. God gave her a chance to be different, to change the life she was leading, and she took it. By faith, she chose to follow God, and she is now known as the mother of Boaz, a wonderful man of God. With God’s help, your story can also change.
Life Application
Read Joshua chapter 2 to learn the whole story of Rahab and the spies.
What is God saying to me today?
What label have I acquired that needs to be thrown away if I choose to start over?
Will I have the courage to start new again through Christ?