The Unlikely Woman Rahab
Text: Hebrew 11:30-35
Message: A Woman of True Faith
Further Reading: Joshua 2: 6:
The bible cannot be read without coming across the story of many godly and ungodly women circumstantially placed in historical position. It is not news that God used some to accomplish His determined purpose as judges, spies, warriors, prophetess, leaders, musicians and philanthropist. Through some of them we can learn the lessons of life knowing what to do and not to do at any given occasion. They can be found in both testaments. Today let me introduce to you Rahab, a real woman so intriguing that lived about 1450 years before Christ.
The name have several meaning as used in Psalms 87:4 and 89:10. She is a Canaanite, gentile, sinner and lived as a prostitute with many negatives that can shut any person out of a civil society. What an unlikely candidate by all worldly standard mentioned in the annals of the Bible.
A real and common person showing real courage and becoming a uncommon pillar of faith. She lived in the city of Jericho in the land of Canaan. Historically the Canaanites were idolaters that practice religious child sacrifices to appease their gods. The nation was filled with serious sexual perversion where sodomy and other vices were commonplace. They had temples built to their gods and goddesses with male and female prostitutes.
Rahab lived in such a place and time. She never led an army not went to battle at any given time but she is the heroine of the story. She was instrumental in helping the Israelites win the battle against the Amorites of Jericho. She had no merits to recommend her but was destined by God to appear at the right time of history. She was an outstanding woman of exemplary courage and faith.
Moreover she is mentioned twice alongside with Abraham the giant of our faith in two books of the New Testament. In addition, she is one of the two women mentioned by name (Sarah and Rahab) in the roll call of women of faith. Her name is mentioned alongside with Joshua as the only two names in the second chapter of the book of Joshua. That must be a mistake, how can it be you might think? But God is not a respecter of person Acts 10:34.
However in the eleventh chapter of Hebrew we can notice the absence of the name of Joshua the hero and commander of the army of Israel. Why did the author omit his name and mentioned the name of Rahab? That is the more reason the story is worthy to be told. It was to reveal that the battle was won by faith and not by the might of man. The Holy Spirit was showing the important contribution of women to the ministry. She is a perfect example of the riches of the grace of God. Her story shines out as a beacon of hope for the hopeless and strength in the midst of weakness. For God chooses the weak things, despised, foolish to bring to nothing the wisdom of this world 1 Corinthian 1:26-31.
God choose and position women in strategic places to fulfill certain purpose at the opportune time without hesitation. In the Old Testament period we had women like Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, Miriam, Deborah, Jael, Ruth, Esther, and Abigail. In the New Testament Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene, Lydia, Priscilla, Phebe, and more. Without them the Bible would have not have met its objective as reaching out to all irrespective of their genders.
I have chosen to speak on this woman as a way of celebrating our sisters and mothers in the Lord in this church. Many are the silent power house behind our smooth services. They contribute in several innovative ways to the good of the congregation. There are also many in our churches and in the society that are so active yet neglected, sidelined, and rejected.
Rahab is an example of those that have not seen but believed according to the word of the Lord in John 20:29. She had believed God divided the Red sea and drowned the Egyptian army. What a great faith. Joshua 2:9-12
Why did God Choose Rahab? This is the first question to be asked that deserve an answer.
• God choose Rahab as a witness against the twelve spies: Number 13: Remember that Moses sent the twelve spies that brought the evil report back helping to discourage the congregation from going to take over the promise Land. According to Rahab account the giants and all the inhabitants of the land trembled with fear after hearing what happened to the kings of Amorites across the river and the Egyptians. Rahab saw the giants as cowards and grasshoppers but the spies saw them as Great and mighty warriors and themselves as grasshoppers.
• Her testimony vindicated God: Joshua 2:9-11: The Living God used her testimony to vindicate His command to the Israelites to take the land. It was His saying this is what I expected the twelve to say.
• Her faith and trust in the salvation of God by refusing the protection of the giants, walls, and the armies of Jericho. Rahab refused to trust in the failed army and protection of the king of Jericho with his giants.
• Obedience in the midst of rebellion.
• It shows his longsuffering and unwillingness to allow sinners perish: Genesis15:16
Hebrew 11:31 says of Rahab:
• By faith
• Perished not
• Believed
• Received the messengers
• Peace
She is mentioned in several scriptures as
• Her courage and confession Joshua 2:
• The example justification by faith Hebrew 11:31: of saving faith.
• Justification by work James 2: 24-25: Example of living faith
• The great grandmother (Ancestress) of our Lord Jesus Matthew 1:5. In the genealogy of our Lord in the gospel of Matthew, five women are mentioned. Three of them were of gentile origin and two were Jewess. The astonishing thing about these women is the circumstances the found themselves. Starting from Tamar that pretended to be a prostitute, Ruth a Moabites that cannot enter the body of Israel until the tenth generation, Bathsheba that committed adultery with King David and Mary that was mysteriously impregnated and could be false accused of unfaithfulness. Five women with similar and rough beginnings that can rule them out of reckoning. But God looked at and rewarded their faith demonstrated by her confession and works.
•
Doctrines:
• The sovereignty of God
• Repentance.
• The grace of God
• The judgment of God
• The love and mercy of God
• Predestination and election
• Salvation of God is for all especially the family.
• The responsibility of man
Conclusion
In her account we can see that God can save any person willing to receive the salvation He had promised. There is no sin that can be greater than the grace of God. In fact where sin abounds grace did much more abounds. God came to call the sinners and not the righteous to repentance. The call is to every nations, people and tribe on the earth without any discrimination. The spotlight on Rahab is to show that faith in God could be found in the most unlikely place and people.
Rahab shows that faith is the active instrument that can take the hand of God. But that faith must be put on the person and works of the living God. With this let us demonstrate our faith actively by our work and show that we are really saved. Rahab teaches us to walk by faith and not by sight lest we see the giants instead of God. Souls can be saved when we are faithful to carry out the commandment of God faithfully.
This story shows that the ways God judges is not the way we do judge events. We are quick to pass judgment and condemn others that are different and maybe more sinful than us. Isaiah 55:8-9. Let us stop judging the book by its cover. Let us not be judgmental of others especially other churches and what they do. Let us learn to judge righteously and not by appearance. John 7:24.
But who would like to share the gospel with a prostitute on the street? Some of us would not dare give a tract to a prostitute on the street for fear of not been seen and maligned by others. Oh don’t go there she is a loose woman and everyone knows her and what she does. Yes it is true but God wants her saved.
