Rahab's House

And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. (Joshua 2:1-4 ESV).

 

The painting attached here by Rehzi Topkiram, gives a rendering of what the artist believes Rahab might have looked like. We aren’t given any details about her physical appearance. However, that her “house” was located on the outer wall of Jericho gives us some idea of her position in the community. She was well known, though undoubtedly her reputation was regarded differently depending on who you may have consulted. Rahab’s house was the kind of place the Bible warns young men to stay away from. The Scripture puts it this way when speaking of the prostitute: “Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death” (Proverbs 7:27).  Nevertheless, after swearing to go wherever Joshua sent them (cf. 1:16), the Israelite spies entered the house of a wayward woman. We aren’t told why, but we do learn later that she had become a believer in God (cf. 2:9-11); and, her story is one that inspires and encourages people today.

 

The gods of Canaanite Jericho had been getting credit for the rains on the land that fed Rahab and her fellow citizens. But the Canaanites mistook the source of the fields’ fertility because they lived in a land that did not honor the true God. As Rahab the prostitute had wasted her body, so the people of Canaan failed to honor the true God when they worked the land. Their whole culture had become corrupt. But still there was hope. It’s good to know that Rahab gave up the false beliefs and empty idols of Canaan and surrendered everything to God.

 

Today we have the benefit of more of the Bible’s story than Israel had in Joshua’s day. We know that Jesus came to save us from sin and has given us the Holy Spirit. But we also still sin. So it’s good to be reminded, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Rahab turned to the Lord and it changed her life. Have you made such a turn in your life?