RAHAB

The woman who dared

In a recent address in London in early 2023, Pope Francis encouraged the youth to dare to be different and pointed to ideals that are not of this world. He urged young Catholics to grow strong in faith and love and courageously bear witness to the Gospel. He also urged them to follow the example of Mary, the Mother of God, and respond to the Lord’s call to follow Him. How very beautiful if all young people dare to be different and listen not to the world but listen and put into action their faith in God. The Old Testament describes one very such woman. She lived in the world among evil, she was a prostitute, yet she heard about God and believed in him and refused the king’s orders. A woman who has found herself as an ancestor of Jesus – Rahab.

I’m sure many of you are surprised at seeing Rahab as a heroine in the book. The Book of Joshua Chapter 2 describes Rahab as a harlot, a prostitute. These are women we consider outcasts, those that we whisper about but do not acknowledge and do not make friends with. These are women of the dark. In the tradition of the Israelites, Rahab should be dead, stoned to death. Deut 22:21 says, “Then they shall bring the young woman out to the entrance of her father’s house and the men of her town shall stone her to death because she committed a disgraceful act in Israel by prostituting herself in her father’s house. So, you shall purge the evil from your midst.” Yet death wasn’t the prize for Rahab. Rahab has a beautiful story of God’s redemption. 

After the death of Moses, Joshua was given the charge to lead the Israelites into the promised land. On course to conquer Canaan, Joshua sent spies to Jericho with the instruction to provide a report back so Joshua could prepare the army accordingly.  The spies must have surveyed the land and they came to rest in the house of Rahab. It is fair to assume that the spies went to Rahab’s house for the lodging and most likely for sex. The king of Jericho is made aware of spies in his land and he sends soldiers to Rahab to hand over the men. Rather than being faithful to the king, Rahab hides the spies and lies to the soldiers, sending them away. She then goes up to the spies and pleads with them. She acknowledges the wonders the Lord has done for the Israelites. She has heard how the Lord parted the Red Sea, and how he destroyed the Amorites. She tells them how the residents of Jericho are melted in fear because of the God of heaven and earth.  “And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no courage left in any man, because of you; for the Lord your God is he who is God in heaven above and on earth beneath,” (Joshua 2:11). She pleads with the spies that when they come to conquer the land, she and her family will be shown mercy. She lets them down by a rope through the window and asks them to hide for a few days till it is safe for them to return.  They promise to show her mercy as long as she does not betray them and ask her to tie a scarlet cord to the window. 

Rahab may have been a prostitute, but her faithfulness was not with the things and the people of this world. Having heard about God and his wonders, Rahab believed. The stories she heard about Israel’s conquests were the same ones that everyone else around her must have heard. These were the same stories the king and his soldiers must have heard. But while the king replied with pride and sought to destroy the spies, Rahab chose to demonstrate her faith in a God she had only heard about. She also dared to speak and acknowledge God. The message that Rahab gave to the spies is the message and information they took back to Joshua.  “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of us” (Joshua 2: 24). Rahab becomes the oracle and the prophet for Israel’s conquest of the land. 

Once Joshua receives the message from the spies, they start preparing for war. The preparations involve consecrating themselves to God, they worship him and circumcise themselves.  Jericho was in fear of God and shut themselves in with no one able to leave and none able to enter (cf, Joshua 6:1) That didn’t deter God or worry Joshua. He had clear instructions from the Lord to march around the city walls with trumpets and songs. On the seventh day, the walls of Jericho came crumbling down and Joshua and the Israelites marched into the city and completely took over and destroyed it.  Yet Joshua and the spies remembered their promise. They took Rahab and her family out into a safe place while they plundered the city. Rahab and her family now became one with Israel. Yes, those who believe in God will be saved – they and their family. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, you will be saved – you and your household,” (Acts 16: 31). Rahab and her household were saved due to her faith in the Lord and she and her family became part of Israel. Just like we who believe are the new Israel – the chosen one.

Rahab was rewarded for her faithfulness to God, not just with her life. But several years later, she has a special mention in the genealogy of Jesus as one of the Lord’s ancestors. She was the mother of Boaz. If you remember, Boaz is introduced in Ruth as a man of great wealth and influence in the community of Israel (cf. Ruth 2:1, Ruth 4: 1-2), which implies that Rahab married into wealth when she married Salmon. Many scholars believe that Salmon was one of the spies that was saved by Rahab. God had a plan for Rahab – the harlot. And because she dared to go against the king to believe in God and hold fast to his strength, she was redeemed. St Paul in a letter to the Hebrews 11:31says, “By faith, Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given friendly welcome to the spies.” Was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? (c.f. James 2:25)

Lessons from Rahab

• Our circumstances do not matter. Our faith in the Lord does, for God does not look at outward appearances, he looks at the heart. 
• God’s redeeming grace is more than enough, and he rewards our faithfulness.  And without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (c.f. Heb 11:6).

Proofread and edited by Fr Austin Fernandes SDB.