{day 10} When the Prostitute Becomes Legacy

Rahab.

What can be said about her? A foreigner, a prostitute grafted into the lineage of Christ.

Rahab hid the spies, but before darkness fell and they lay under stalks of flax on the roof, she spoke to them,

I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you… (Joshua 2:9-11)

She makes a strong statement of faith,

for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath (Joshua 2:11).

and then requests that her family be spared the impending destruction of Jericho (Joshua 2:12-13).

Rahab had not spent 40 years wandering the desert with her every meal a miracle, nor had she been protected by the pillar of fire at night and the cloud by day, and she had not seen the destruction of the Lord’s enemies.

But she heard and she believed.

She had something that even some of God’s own people did not—faith. And we know without faith it is impossible to please God,

for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

Rahab believed. She trusted in this unseen God, even though she was outside the camp. By her own countryman’s standards she was a nobody, to an Israelite she would’ve been completely unapproachable, yet she had the audacity to believe in God.

She drew near, believed that He existed, and was rewarded greatly.

In a culture where women’s names were not recorded in genealogy, Rahab was one of five women to be included,

…and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king (Matthew 1:1-16).

In Hebrews 11, Rahab is listed by name as a woman of faith,

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies (Hebrews 11:31).

This is what significance does to a person. It draws us from looking inward to our own capabilities to see a God who is more than worthy and able. Rahab looked beyond who she was, who her world said she was, and saw a God who was great and powerful and Living.

She believed.

That is significance. Faith that comes not from ourselves, but from God.

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Tomorrow we move on from looking at the lives of men and women in the Bible who walked in and struggled with significance to the identity Christ has in store for us.

I can’t believe it’s day 10 already and 21 days to go! Join in with 31 days of Significance, I’d love to hear your story and thoughts.

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