In the book of Hebrews chapter 11, we see people of the Bible commended by their ‘faith in God’, and in verse 31 we read of Rahab,-“31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace”. The story of Rahab begins in the book of Joshua. We read of Rahab, a prostitute of Jericho, receiving the spies of Israel who had come to spy out the land. We read of her knowing and fear of Almighty God and of her ‘negotiations’ with the spies that no harm would come to her and her household, in exchange for hiding them. Rahab was given a ‘word – a promise by the spies and in the meantime between the promise and the time of the battle she held onto that word by ‘faith.’ She would have learnt what it was to ‘walk out her salvation with fear and trembling!” (Psalm 2:11, Philippians 2:12)
In verse 18 in Joshua 2, the spies gave instructions to Rahab, to hang a ‘scarlet chord’ from outside her window. That upon entering Jericho on the day of the judgement, the soldiers were given instructions not to touch the home of Rahab, where the ‘scarlet chord’ hung. But only to ‘pull out’ the occupants of the house to safety! The scarlet chord is a parallel of the ‘crimson’ blood of Jesus! We are trusting in His Word of salvation, His promise to us that He would return as His Word and that we are covered by His blood! Rahab and her household were pulled out before the final judgement on Jericho. Rahab, a Canaanite woman became the wife of Salmon in the tribe of Judah. The rescue of Rahab is a picture of the Bride of Christ, His Church. A Gentile Bride, saved by a Word, a promise and trusting in the ‘scarlet’ blood over our household, to be ‘pulled’ to safety and ‘removed’ (Revelation 3:10) before ‘that great and terrible day’ of the Lord.
Rahab’s faith played a major part of history. By becoming a ‘bride’, she was to become the great grandmother of King David! Matthew 1:5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. In studying further this lineage we see it finally leads to Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of the Saviour, our Jesus!!
Faith in Him plays a part in History! With faith in Jesus, we are assured we are on the right side of History!
