Rahab, an Unlikely Ancestor

 

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. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out. Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “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, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the LORD gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.” (Joshua 2:1-14 ESV).

 

The genealogy of Jesus contains a very interesting figure, Rahab (Matthew 1:5). Rahab was a prostitute, a traitor to her own people, and an outsider. Even with those three strikes against her, God did not say, “You’re out!” Rather, she received a place among God’s people and is held up as an example of faith (cf. Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). Rahab had grown to recognize that the God of Israel was the Lord of heaven and earth. She trusted God and was willing to take risks to help his people. So, her life was spared, and she was incorporated into God’s people (cf. Joshua 6:25). This story serves as a lesson to God’s people that his love for them is not because they are so great or good; rather, God loves us because he is gracious and good. Rahab became an ancestor of David (cf. Matthew 1:5). So she too is in the family line of Jesus.

 

Today you might think you cannot qualify to be a child of God; but, the Bible has good news: all who receive Jesus have been declared children of God (cf. John 1:12). Christmas invites us to believe in Jesus and to look forward with hope to the day when he will come again to reign as the Lord of lords and King of kings forever. Jesus is the greatest gift of all!