The Messiah From the Lineage of Rahab
Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute of Jericho, was a citizen of a very wicked city that was under God’s condemnation (Joshua 2-6). But her incredible faith in the God of Israelites granted her the honor of becoming a progenitor of Christ (Matthew 1:5). The story of her great faith goes as follows:
Jericho was a strong city blocking the way of the Israelites who had just crossed the Jordan River (Joshua 3:1-17). Joshua, the Israelite leader, sent two spies to look over the land. These stayed with Rahab, who offered them protection and hid them on her roof thus risking her own life.
Rahab had a pagan background. However, she had heard the stories of the Isralites’ escape from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, and their recent victory over the Amorites. And she declared her faith in God saying, “For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11).
When the king of Jericho asked Rahab for the spies’ whereabouts, she had to choose between her country and her conscience. And she made the dangerous and courageous decision to stand with God’s people and did not hand in the spies. As the light of the true God dawned upon Rahab’s heart, she repented fully and cast her lot with God’s people.
Rahab made a deal with the Israelite spies that if she helps them escape, they in return must save her and her family in the battle. The spies agreed instructing her that she should tie a scarlet rope out of her window to identify her house and keep her family inside the house during the battle. When Jericho fell and was destroyed, Rehab and her family were saved.
Rahab was grafted into the line of Christ, and became a partaker of His inheritance (Romans 11). Later, she married Salmon and the two of them had a boy named Boaz who was the father of Obed who was the father of Jesse who was the father of King David. She became one of the great great great great grandmothers of Jesus.
Rahab’s story gives hope to all sinners that they if they repent and join God, they can be saved by the grace of God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
