A blessed morning to everyone. Our woman of discussion for today is Rahab. Also known as Rahab the harlot.
The story of Rahab can be found in Joshua 2-6. When Joshua, who was then the leader of Israel, sent two spies to scout the city. In the course of event, these spies happened to come to the place of Rahab, a harlot living in Jericho, and the King of Jericho ordered for these men to be captured. Rahab kept them safe and helped the spies to escape.There are few lessons we can learn from the story of Rehab.
1. There is no sin greater than God’s mercy. There is no doubt that Rahab lived a sinful life. Nevertheless, she had the faith to believe that God is able to forgive her of the many sins she committed. There is no sin so great that God cannot forgive, but we must also recognize the part we must play in repentance. Rahab did not just ask for forgiveness, but she showed her repentant attitude by turning away from the society, culture, and way of life she knew all her life. Through the mercy of God, she was given an opportunity to repent of her sins and turn her life the other way round for good.
2. Strong Faith: Instead of trusting the walls of Jericho, Rahab trusted in God’s wall of protection.Though Rahab only heard the stories on how the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and defeated mighty kings, she comes to the point to believe this report to be true. She didn’t just believed that God does really exist, but she also developed the faith that God is the most powerful being who would be able to protect her and her family from the sure destruction that would fall on the city of Jericho. She is one of the only two women named in Hebrews 11,the faith chapter of the bible.
3. God protects many for the sake of oneIt could have been very easy for Rahab to think about her own safety but she was better than that. Before letting the two spies escape through her window, she begged them to show mercy to all her household. In this situation, it is worth noting that God is willing as well to save other people for the sake of His people. Because Of her Faith and trust in God her entire family was saved. As Christians we must always remember that God’s mercy extends to all people and through our faith many can be saved.
4. We should worship God according to His own term:After helping the two spies from the nation of Israel, Rahab would be saved on two conditions. She should bind a line of scarlet cord in the same window where the two spies escaped from and they should all be inside that house during the attack of the Israelites (Joshua 2:18).Rahab could have easily dismissed the condition set by the two spies and follow other conditions she deemed to be more convenient and rational. But by doing so, the Israelites would not know which house to save. This should teach us that worshiping and following God must be according to His will and not our own will.
In conclusion, Rahab’s story illustrates that God’s purpose is not limited to our past., her amazing story portrays how God accepts a person no matter what his or her background is.We should always trust that The plan of God is greater than our failures. The story of Rahab did not end in saving the two spies. Rahab eventually learned more about God. She grew extensively in the knowledge of God and developed the character that attracted a prominent tribal leader of Judah, Salmon. The marriage of Salmon and Rahab gave birth to Boaz that eventually lead to the birth of King David and ultimately, Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind. Rahab’s life should inspire us to Trust and obey God.
Written by Nike Aderibigbe