RAHAB THE PROSTITUTE Rahab was a prostitute. That stark fact so alarmed some Bible commentators in the past that they claimed that she was merely an innkeeper. The Bible, though, is quite clear and does not whitewash the facts. (Joshua 2:1; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25) In Canaanite society, **Rahab’s **profession was probably respectable enough. However, culture cannot always eradicate conscience, that inner sense of right and wrong that God has given us all. (Romans 2:14, 15) Rahab may have keenly sensed that her way of life was degrading. Perhaps, like many today in such walks of life, she felt that she was trapped, with no other choice if she wanted to care for her family. No doubt Rahab longed for a better life. Her homeland was full of violence and depravity, including incest and bestiality. (Leviticus 18:3, 6, 21-24) The prevalence of such evils in the land had much to do with religion. The temples promoted ritual prostitution, and the worship of such demonic gods as Baal and Molech included the burning of children alive in sacrificial fire God was not blind to what was going on in Canaan. In fact, because of the many wicked practices of the Canaanites, God said: “The land is unclean, and I shall bring punishment for its error upon it, and the land will vomit its inhabitants out.” (Leviticus 18:25) What did “punishment for its error” involve? In general, Israel was given this divine promise: “ your God will certainly push these nations away from before you little by little.” (Deuteronomy 7:22) Centuries earlier, God had promised the land to the family of Abraham, and “God . . . cannot lie.”—Titus 1:2; Genesis 12:7. However, God also decreed that certain groups in the land were to be completely wiped out. (Deuteronomy 7:1, 2) As the righteous “Judge of all the earth,” he had read every heart and knew well how deeply entrenched their wickedness and depravity were. (Genesis 18:25; 1 Chronicles 28:9) What was it like for Rahab to live in such a condemned city? We can only imagine how she felt as reports about Israel reached her ears. She learned that the God of Israel had led his people—a downtrodden nation of slaves—to complete victory over the army of Egypt, the mightiest fighting force in the world of that time. And now Israel was about to attack Jericho! Yet, the people of that city persisted in their wickedness. We can see why the Bible speaks of **Rahab’s **fellow Canaanites as “those who acted disobediently.”—Hebrews 11:31. **Rahab ** was different. Over the years, she could have contemplated the reports she heard about Israel and its. How completely unlike the Canaanite gods he was! Here was a God who fought for his people instead of victimizing them, who elevated the morals of his worshippers instead of debasing them. This God treated women as precious, not as mere sexual objects to be bought, sold, and degraded in vile worship. When Rahab learned that Israel was camped across the Jordan, poised to invade, she must have been dismayed over what that could mean for her people. Did God notice Rahab and value the good in her? Today, there are many people like Rahab. They feel trapped, stuck in a way of life that robs them of dignity and joy; they feel invisible and worthless. Rahab’s case is a comforting reminder that none of us are invisible to God. No matter how low we feel, “he is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27) He is close by, ready and eager to offer hope to all those who put faith in him. Did Rahab do that? SHE RECEIVED THE SPIES One day, sometime before Israel marched around Jericho, two strangers appeared at Rahab’s door. The two men were hoping to pass unnoticed, but in that tense city, many were on the alert to detect any potential spies from Israel. Sharp-eyed Rahab may have been quick to draw her own conclusions. Not that it was unusual for strange men to come to her door, but these two wanted only lodging—not the services of a prostitute. The two men were, in fact, spies from the camp of Israel. Their commander, Joshua, had sent them to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of Jericho. This was the first city of Canaan that Israel was to invade and perhaps the strongest of them all. Joshua wanted to know just what he and his men would be facing. The spies no doubt chose Rahab’s house deliberately. Here of all places, at the home of a prostitute, strangers might pass unnoticed. Perhaps the spies also hoped to pick up useful information from any careless talk they might overhear. The Bible says that Rahab “received the messengers hospitably.” (James 2:25) She took them into her home, and even if she had suspicions about who they were and why they were there, she let the men stay. Perhaps she hoped to learn more about their. Suddenly, though, messengers from the king of Jericho arrived! Word had spread that spies from Israel had come to the house of Rahab. What would **Rahab ** do? If she protected those two strangers, might she not put herself and her entire household at risk? Would not the people of Jericho slaughter them all if she sheltered such enemies? On the other hand, Rahab could now have no doubt about the identity of the men. If she already knew that God of Israel was a far better God than her own, might this be her opportunity to take a stand on God's side? **Rahab ** had little time to think, yet she was resourceful and acted quickly. She had the spies hide among stalks of flax that were laid out to dry on the flat roof of her house. Then she spoke to the king’s messengers, saying: “Yes, the men did come to me, and I did not know from where they were. And it came about at the closing of the gate by dark that the men went out. I just do not know where the men have gone. Chase after them quickly, for you will overtake them.” (Joshua 2:4, 5) Imagine Rahab watching the faces of the king’s emissaries. Did she wonder if they could tell that her heart was racing? We can learn an essential truth about faith from Rahab. As the Bible puts it, “faith follows the thing heard.” (Romans 10:17) She heard reliable reports about the power and the just God, so she put her faith and trust in him. Today, we have far more knowledge about God available to us. Will we seek to get to know him and put faith in him based on what we learn in his Word, the Bible?
