8). And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof; 9). 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. 10). 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. 11). 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. 12). Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: 13). 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. 14). And the men answered her, Our life for your's, 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.
JOSHUA 2:8-14
Rahab, a prostitute in the enemy nation of Jericho, had faith that the Lord would rescue her family from the Israelites’ impending attack. We aren’t told why she chose to protect the men of Israel and trust God—perhaps Rahab herself didn’t even know why she risked defying the king on behalf of two strangers.
What we do know is this: On trusting in God’s protection, Rahab became grafted into the story of His people. The Lord didn’t count Rahab’s sin against her, but instead spared the woman’s entire family—and redeemed her history.
Ultimately, Rahab chose God’s way over her own culture and livelihood, at the risk of her own life. When her city and its walls fell to the ground, she joined the family of Israel and was given a new home. Faith changed the trajectory of her life, and she’s listed as one of the women in Jesus’ lineage.
Similarly, faith in God invites renewal and change in our own life. It’s not our sin that the Lord ultimately considers, but our faith. Rahab’s story reminds us that we don’t have to be perfect for God to use us.
No matter what we have done, He can reweave our broken past into a future filled with grace.
-IBC
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