Rahab’s Gift
Rahab’s gift was so profound that it saved her, her family and put her in the royal lineage of the King of Kings. Her gift is incredibly multifaceted and I expect to be thinking about it for a long time. How did this prostitute become a predecessor to the Savior of the world?
She was faithful.
As I read the story of Rahab in the Scripture, I see that she not only had faith, but she was diligent. She obviously passed her faith and diligence on to her son, Boaz. Boaz is a representation of Christ in the book of Ruth. He was wealthy and wise, full of justice and compassion. Ruth’s story is that of an outsider, a moabite girl, who married into the chosen nation. Her husband died before they had children. She and her mother-in-law traveled back to the old country, hoping for a better life.
Boaz noticed her and protected her. He provided for her with compassion, the way God notices us in our distress and He has compassion on us, protecting us and providing for us, as long as we receive it.
She was diligent.
Rahab’s house was on the wall of Jericho. She was the harlot who protected the two spies, sent by Joshua to check out the land. They lodged there during their mission. The story reads that she hid the two spies on the roof, among the flax that was set out “in order”. We don’t know how she came to be a harlot or a prostitute, but we do know that she was industrious and diligent.
Her house was known to the king, it was located in a strategic area, near the gate to the city, and it was large enough to have multiple business ventures. She had rooms for lodging, likely a good size dining area, flax processing, and her whole family was brought in to stay while the city was under siege, so they could be saved.
She was brave.
Rahab was forthright in asking the spies to reciprocate. She had saved them from certain death, risking her own life in the process. So, she asked for protection in return. She asked for a “true token”, in other words, she asked them to swear to her. The bravado! Here she was, in a city targeted for destruction and she had the audacity to demand they spare her, her whole family and promise they wouldn’t be forgotten on the side of a mountain someplace.
Her strategic thinking and faithfulness not only saved her family, but she then became Salmon’s wife and had Boaz. She became a direct ancestor to Jesus the Christ. You can find the list in Matthew Chapter 1.
She was admirable.
Rahab’s Gift has been a gentle revelation for me. For a couple of months, I have been creating a course for pregnancy centers, to help them respond to human trafficking from their centers. I’m calling it Rahab’s Gift, in honor of this brave, thoughtful, resilient woman.
The course is about human trafficking generally, not just sex trafficking, but because of my own experience, I identify with Rahab more than say, Onesimus or other slaves in the Bible.
Rahab is a woman, found in an utmost ungodly status. Then, she turned it around to the uttermost godly status available to humans. She is mentioned again as a representation of Israel in Psalms and she is one of the few women in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews chapter 11.
She was redeemed.
Rahab is a picture of us all. She gave everything to survive in this world until the hope of a better life manifested. When she recognized the opportunity before her, she grabbed it. We can learn from her example. No matter how low we feel, no matter what loneliness we face, no matter what is going on around. -The whole city could be slated for destruction.
We should keep our eyes open and our hearts ready for the opportunity to be great.
The whole world is under the sway of the evil one. But God so loved the world that He does not want any to perish. His plan is for everyone to come to repentance, to turn from wickedness to seek His ways.
She was real.
This world can be super confusing. The bottom line for me, is that God created the world and he loves the people he made and wants them to live with him forever.