Another bold, courageous faith-hero, Rahab. Not your typical Israelite because she wasn’t. But the author/Pastor uses her to convince the people of God not to return to Judaism but remain as followers of Jesus.
“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” (Hebrews 11 v 31)
She may have been a temple prostitute or perhaps worked independently. But she was certainly not someone we would have chosen as God’s chosen vessel.
Undesirable, yet God desired her. A broken story, yet God decided to build her into HIS-STORY. Of course what God begins He completes and we see that Rahab makes it onto the pages of the New Testament as not only here a woman of faith (Hebrews 11), but a woman of righteousness in James 2 and of course chosen to be part of the family tree of Jesus in Matthew 1.
There is nothing quite like the redemption of God. All the coaching, mentoring, counselling, healing therapies in the world combined do not compare to that of the transformation of an undesirable by Christ.
The scarlet cord in the window that she perhaps had used in her trade and today is still used to describe immoral thoughts, became her salvation. Since the days of the New Testament Church the connection between the scarlet cord and that of Jesus’ blood has been made. She also let the spies escape out of the window with this scarlet cord.
But the journey towards her transformation is wonderful to see:
1. She had heard of God’s work. “We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea[a] for you when you came out of Egypt” (Joshua 2 v 10)
2. She chose to believe in God. “When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2 v 11)
3. She was impacted by the presence of God’s people in her home. “So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.” (Joshua 2 v 1)
Rahab decided that day she was a woman of courage. She took hold of that scarlet cord and knowing it was her life-line began to be used of God not realising this simple but brave act would be told 3,000 years later. Today, no matter what you think you are or what others have called you, take hold of the ancient scarlet cord. The Easter story is for every day. Be brave and become part of HIS-STORY.
Missions Paul 