HEROES OF FAITH – (9)
RAHAB
IN Hebrews 11:30-34, we read of the faith of nine people, or groups of people, all of whom illustrated;
a) The faithfulness of God;
b) The reward for obedience to God’s commands, and…
c) The absolute necessity to BELIEVE GOD!
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
In our previous issue, we studied the first of these, in the person of Joshua, and the Walls of Jericho. The second of this group, with whom we will now deal, is Rahab, and her faith. The first mention of Rahab is found in Joshua 2:1, so let us start at the beginning.
“And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.”
Rahab is mentioned by name seven times throughout the Bible, and an additional three times as a poetic word for Egypt. Her name means, “proud, fierceness, broad”, which leaves us with the impression that she was a lady not to be trifled with. In five of the references to her name, she is referred to as a “harlot”. They are Joshua 2:1; 6:17; 6:25, Hebrews 11:21; and James 2:25. The meaning of this word, in every instance, means “whore, or prostitute”.
In his excellent book, All the Men and Women of the Bible, Herbert Lockyer comments, page 131;
“Both Jewish and Christian writers have tried to prove that Rahab was a different woman from the one whom the Bible always speaks of as a ‘harlot’. To them, it was abhorrent that such a disreputable person should be included in our Lord’s genealogy, and by Paul, as a woman of faith, and so her story has been distorted in order to further a scheme of salvation based upon human goodness. Although man’s sense of refinement may be shocked, the fact remains that Rahab, Tamar and Bathsheba were sinful women who were purged by God, and had their share in the royal line from which Jesus sprang.
It has been suggested that the word ‘harlot’ can be translated ‘innkeeper’, thus making Rahab the landlady of a wayside tavern… .The Bible, however, makes no attempt to smooth over the unpleasant fact that Rahab had been a harlot.”
In a previous passage, Lockyer quotes Jerome’s comment
“the inclusion of the four foreign women in Matthew’s genealogy is suggestive – ‘In it none of the holy women are included, only those whom the Scriptures blame, in order that He who came in behalf of sinners, Himself being born of sinners, might destroy the sins of all”.
Of Tamar we read in Genesis 38:24-26;
“And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.”
The result of this liaison between the Patriarch Judah and Tamar was the birth of the twins, Pharez and Zarah, and from thence, the royal line of David.
Bathsheba, on the other hand was the woman with whom King David committed adultery, at the same time giving the order which resulted in the death in battle of Bathsheba’s husband. So in the light of these facts, I find it difficult to understand why people should attempt to “sanitise” Rahab’s character, when the incidence of whoredom and adultery were so evident in two major genealogies of our Lord.
A similar incident was recorded in Hosea 1:2-3, where the Lord instructed Hosea to marry;
“And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.”
It is believed by some teachers that Hosea was instructed to marry a harlot. But where does the Word of God actually say that? He was to “take a wife of whoredoms”, NOT a whore. We read of the identity of the actual whore in Hosea chapter 2, and verses 2 and 4-5;
“Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms. For thei rmother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.”
To my mind, the reason for God using these circumstances is very obvious, and they were not coincidences. These women, by their life-styles and actions, were living prophecies of the nation and throne of which they were the ancestors. God most certainly works in mysterious ways, but that does not give us the right to try to explain His actions in a manner that does not offend our sensibilities. It might humble each of us to realise that we are all, as Israelites, “the children of whoredoms.”
Matthew 21:31-32 gives us ample proof that even fallen women can repent and gain forgiveness;
“Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”
At this juncture, I would like to digress. Another lady who has been given the reputation of being a harlot was one of our Lord’s closest friends, in the person of Mary Magdalene. I mention this for no other reason but to clear her name. There is not one word in the Bible to say, or even suggest, that this Mary was a harlot. The only thing said of her was that she was possessed of seven demons, which the Lord cast out of her. Her name Mary Magdalene separates her from the other Marys mentioned by identifying her as having come from Magdalene, the place of her birth, Magdala. I quote again from Lockyer’s The Men and Women of the Bible, pages 99-100;
“We deem it necessary to disassociate ourselves from those who connect her with the unnamed woman ‘which was a sinner’ Luke, who knew her, wrote about this woman. (Luke 7:37).
The Jewish Talmud affirms that Magdala had an unsavory reputation, and because of the harlotry practiced there, was destroyed. Doubtless it was from this tradition, and from the fact that Luke’s first reference to her follows the story of the sinful woman, that the idea developed that Mary was a prostitute, but there is not an iota of genuine evidence to suggest such a bad reputation. Those theologians who describe her as a profligate do her an injustice, just as calling institutes for the care of fallen women ‘Magdalen Homes’ does. One writer defines Magdalen as ‘the inmate of a female penitentiary,’ but the Bible depicts Mary as a pure, though deeply afflicted woman before she met Jesus. To suggest that she was dissolute because she was possessed by seven devils, is to affirm that every insane person is depraved. There is no word whatsoever in the writings of the Christian Fathers, whose authority stands next to the apostles, as to Mary having a foul reputation.
The Roman Catholic Church was guilty of fastening this slander upon Mary Magdalene when at Naples, in 1324, it established its first ‘Magdalen House’ for the rescue and maintenance of fallen women.”
Returning to the subject of Rahab, she is referred to elsewhere as “Rachab”. She is referred to as the wife of Salmon, and mother of Boaz, the husband of Ruth, through whom came David. We read in Matthew 1:5-6;
“And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;”
Some authorities, such as Lockyer, suggest that Salmon, the husband of Rahab, was one of the two spies whom she sheltered. Rahab was, in fact, an Israelite dwelling in Canaan, and thus referred to as “A Canaanite”. She fell into the very same category as her daughter-in-law, Ruth, who was an Israelite living in the land of Moab, and thus called a Moabitess. We should take special notice of the words Rahab used in referring to God, as recorded in Joshua 2:9-10.
“And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.”
She uses the phrase “the Lord” not “the Lord your God” as could be expected from a non-Israelite, as recorded in the above text of Joshua 2:9-10. This entire situation, including the episodes regarding Tamar and Bathsheba, pre-figures the future condition of Israel, both as a “harlot and adulterous nation”, and ultimately a forgiven nation.
It also becomes obvious that Rahab knew of the power of God to deliver His people. We read in Joshua 2:8-11;
“And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”
Because of this knowledge, and in order to save her family, she risked her own life. We read in Joshua 2:2- 6, and 12-13;
“And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country. And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country. And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were: And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof”
“ Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have showed you kindness, that ye will also show kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.”
Thus the deal was settled, as recorded in Joshua 2:14-16;
“And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee. Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall. And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.”
We especially note that she hid the men for “Three Days”. One cannot help but to remember that the Lord was in the tomb for Three Days, hidden, as it were, from His enemies. We also find a very interesting statement regarding the topic of “Three Days” in Hosea 6:2-3;
“After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”
The terms of the agreement are set forth in Joshua 2:18 and 19;
“Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.”
The first thing we notice is the importance placed upon the use of the “Scarlet Thread”. This takes us back to Genesis 38:27-30;
“And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.”
This “Red Thread” has remained a symbol of the Israel people to this very day. We have the scarlet border around the Royal Standard. The British Navy has a strand of red woven into the ropes they use. In the early days, royal mail was tied with a red cord, until now, it is used by the legal profession to bind their legal documents. The used of the expression “red tape” is a very common term, as everyone will recognise.
But there was a second requirement. Every member of her household was to remain under the cover of her roof. Those who disobeyed this requirement lost any protection that was otherwise applicable. It was exactly the same principle that we encounter in regard to the Passover in Exodus 12:21-23;
“Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.”
So we come now to the details of the actual Deliverance. It is recorded in Joshua 6:17, 22, 23, and 25;
“And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.”
“But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her. And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.”
“And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”
Rahab hid and protected the servants of God, without a single thought of the things of Baal. And the Lord God of Israel proved His own faithfulness to His promise of deliverance.
So what was so important about Rahab’s actions as to include her amongst the Heroes of Faith.
Firstly, she manifested — by faith — her confidence in “things hoped for”, as we read in Hebrews 11:1-2;
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.”
Secondly, by her actions of faith, she pre-figured, or prophesied, the certainty of the ultimate deliverance and victory of God’s People Israel, the former “harlot and adulterous nation.”
How appropriate are the words of Romans 11:25-29;
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
