She quickly hid the spies on her roof, burying them in stalks of flax as the king’s men pounded at her door. When the spies were concealed, she answered the door, and the men demanded to know where the two foreigners were. She came up with a lie. The foreigners left, she claimed, but the king’s men could probably catch them if they hurried. The men rushed out of the city gate, pursuing the Israelite spies in the night. But the two spies were safe on the prostitute’s roof. When the coast was clear, they quietly escaped through her window.
The story of Rahab and the spies is one of heroics and risk. It shows how God used a Gentile to protect His people and how news of His wondrous works caught the attention of the nations.
Forty years after The Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, word of how God parted the Red Sea had reached Jericho. The Canaanites trembled upon hearing of this sea-splitting God, but Rahab’s fear had turned into reverence. She told the Israelite spies, “‘I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. … Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you (Joshua 2:9, 12).’”
The Israelites were meant to remember how God parted the Red Sea to save them and destroy the Egyptian army, but the supernatural wonder’s impact reached much further. It allowed other nations to know that the God of the Israelites is the God of the whole world, the “‘God in heaven above and on the earth below (Joshua 2:11).’” A miracle blesses the recipient—as well as those who hear of it, recognize God’s supremacy, and worship Him.
Rahab’s story displays God’s loving pursuit of the nations. She was a prostitute, a Canaanite, and, at times, a liar (though her lies protected others). Yet God showed her favor not because of her ethnicity but because of her allegiance to the Lord. Not only were Rahab and her family spared but she is also listed among the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11. She lived among God’s people, married an Israelite, and then became a part of the Messiah’s lineage (Matthew 1:5).
So far, Jesus’ genealogy has included a woman who deceived her father-in-law and a prostitute who deceived the king’s men. Both were Canaanites and once enemies of God. Now, both have been added to the family of God. It is messy, but it shows how the Lord’s invitation is open to anyone.
Rahab’s marriage resulted in a son, and that son will show up in the next thread of God’s grace to the nations.
All Nations Shall Be Blessed
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