Joshua 2:1-11
Our passage today starts with the account of the two spies who came into the city of Jericho. These men just so happened to come to the house of Rahab, a known prostitute. One might wonder what they were thinking. Did they think this unlikely place might be a safe place to stay incognito? Have you ever wondered about some of the Old Testament stories? For instance the story of Ruth gleaning grain in the field of Boaz (Ruth 2:3)? Did she realize the significance of her actions? Who puts these things together? It is the work of our sovereign God. The most notable thing about this story is the faith of Rahab. She is mentioned once in the ancestry of Joseph in Matthew 1:5. This would mean she is part of the ancestry of Jesus too! We also find her name mentioned in Hebrews 11:31 in the honor roll of faithful people.
Another thing that I find interesting is how much she and the other people knew about Israel. The drying up of the Red Sea, and the victories of Israel against the kings of the Amorites. They didn’t have the news media like we do today, yet they obviously had heard the stories from somewhere. What Rahab believed about the news would bring a benefit to her own soul, but what she asked for would bring benefit to all of mankind. Her story is woven into the history of the ancestry of our Lord Jesus Christ! We who believe in Jesus can thank God for this person of faith. God shows us that He can take a person with a past like hers, (and mine as well) and make something good come from it. What about you?
