Rahab: The Harlot of Jericho
I am sometimes amused at the Bible’s ability to shock people. Although it’s often perceived as a religious book chock-full of pious, holy people, it actually reveals to us a holy God who meets us in our filth and rebellion (Rom. 5:8).
Few accounts make this point as saliently as Rahab’s. Introduced in Joshua 2, when the Israelites were preparing to take Jericho on their way to the Promised Land, Rahab seemed an unlikely candidate for honor due to her occupation. Yet her place in history is a profound testament to God’s redemptive power—a reminder that even the worst elements of our personal stories will glorify God when we turn to Him.
The biblical text refuses to hide Rahab’s profession. It bluntly calls her “a harlot named Rahab” (Josh. 2:1). She was a prostitute. In ancient Jericho, her home was built into the city wall, which was a place of commerce. When two Israelite spies came seeking refuge, Rahab made a decision that changed her life. She hid the spies and lied to protect them.
This is not to say that God commended her lie. Rather, despite it, God honored what He promised to Abraham about His people: “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3, LSB). Rahab confessed a truth that revealed the motivation of her heart: “I know that the LORD has given you the land . . . for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (Josh. 2:9, 11).
This confession is shocking. Rahab, a Canaanite woman steeped in a pagan culture, recognized the sovereignty of Israel’s God. Her faith was not the result of some mystical tradition. She had heard of the Israelites’ miraculous Red Sea crossing and their military victories; and, consequently, she believed in Israel’s God. Rahab chose allegiance not to her city or her gods, but to Yahweh—a name I love to use in reverence.
Her decision was risky. Treason against Jericho could have cost her life and that of her family. Yet, Rahab’s faith led her to protect the spies, plead for her family’s safety, and hang a scarlet cord from her window to identify her home for Israelite protection (vv. 12–18). The cord echoes the Passover lamb’s blood smeared on the doorposts of Israelite homes to protect them from God’s plague of death of all firstborn males prior to the Jewish people’s Exodus from Egypt (Ex. 12:21–23). It also foreshadows the Messiah’s blood that protects us from bearing the penalty of our sin (Jn. 19:28–37).
When Jericho fell, Rahab and her family were spared. However, her story doesn’t end there. Rahab married an Israelite named Salmon, and this union begot Boaz. Boaz married Ruth, who birthed Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David.
Generations later, Jesus (Yeshua), the Messiah of Israel, was born through this line. So, a pagan harlot became a matriarch in the lineage of our Savior. What a beautiful picture of God’s grace. God did not merely forgive Rahab; He blessed and exalted her. Her past did not disqualify her. In fact, she is a heroine of faith: “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe” (Heb. 11:31). James 2:25 affirms her works as righteous and uses her to illustrate that “faith without works is dead” (v. 26).
Rahab’s life should invite us to reconsider how we view ourselves and others. How often do we let shame hinder our own walks with the Lord? How often do we let it affect how we perceive our brothers and sisters in Christ?
We are mistaken if we assume that God uses only the polished, the pure, or the squeaky clean. Those people do not exist (Isa. 64:6). Rahab reminds us that God sees beyond human labels. Her inclusion in Jesus’ genealogy declares to the world the same truth God imparted to the apostle Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
Rahab should challenge us to be bold and take risks as believers. Her faith was not passive. It even risked death. Her example should encourage us to walk in bold obedience to God that we may someday hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Mt. 25:23).
