what did rahab do in the bible

I think that this took a lot of faith on her part. Both were their brothers keepers. Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament explains, Their entering the house of such a person would not excite so much suspicion. There werent many safe places for travelers, and especially for spies. Thinking back on my long tenure in the church and having heard what must be thousands of sermons, I have never heard one preached on Rehab. The unknown became known to her, and because of her faith she was spared. 1450.) And through this line, the whole world was impacted. Rahab's example should stand out to us today that we, too, can have faith and act on itno matter who we are or where we come from.We dont know much about Salmon, except he probably swam against the current, pardon the pun, by marrying Rahab the harlot. With that being said I feel like if James were to construct our theology, we would have a deeper understanding of the spiritual side of things relying on our spirit man to lead us in the direction that the Lord wants us to go. After she has protected the spies, she says she has heard of Gods victory in Egypt and understood that Israels God is the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath (Josh 2:11). Very inspiring and Sound word. Jesus once said to the woman caught in adultery, Go and sin no more (John 8:11). She earned a mention in the Faith Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11:31). On the spectrum of biblical heroes, Abraham is clearly at the top. Joshua 2 NKJV - Rahab Hides the Spies - Bible Gateway Answer Most Bible readers know Rahab as the heroine of the battle of Jericho story ( Joshua 2; 6:2225 ). When scholars examine Pauls argument in Galatians 3 or Romans 4, they often ask why Paul used Abraham as an example of justification by faith. Salem Media Group. : IFL Publishing House, 2010). There are several applications: a) Thank God that He saved you in the midst of your sin. Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. (wide ), a celebrated woman of Jericho who received the spies sent by Joshua to spy out the land, hid them in her house from the pursuit of her countrymen, was saved with all her family when the Israelites sacked the city, and became the wife of Salmon and the ancestress of the Messiah. Read more about 19 Praying Women of the Bible who literally changed the world! Her faith helped her to change from being a woman of the night, to being a woman of the light. You may catch up with them. (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. 23So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. WebLockyer's All the Women of the Bible Rahab. In this way, Rahab could have been considered to have greater faith than even many Israelites. Open the gate ! Rahab ran to the room with the two strangers. Let it be as you say. Joshua 2:14-21 NIV. This was an incredible act of faith. Ruth was a Moabite. It's one of the best-known tales in the Hebrew Bible (known to Christians as the Old Testament) when Joshua and his Israelite army surrounded the great walled city of Jericho, sounded their mighty ram's-horn trumpets and "the walls came tumbling down.". Yet she appears to have her own house (2:1). Rahab in Hebrew is Rachab, which means broad, wide (Gesenius Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon). After five days they returned, having swum across the river, which at this season, the month Abib, overflowed its banks from the melting of the snow on Lebanon. It seems interesting that James mentions favoritism right before engaging the subject of righteousness. I believe that the reason Rehab is honored is because she had faith in God because of the spies, even though she may not have known who God was. Her reception of the spies, the artifice by which she concealed them from the king: their escape, and the saving of Rahab and her family at the capture of the city in accordance with their promise, are fold in the narrative of ( Joshua 2:1 ) As regards Rahab herself, she probably repented, and we learn from ( Matthew 1:5 ) that she became the wife of Salmon the son of Naasson, and the mother of Boaz, Jesses grandfather. Her showing her faith through what she did and not just saying she believes is what I think is one of the reason James uses her. I think that it stands in line with the rest of his book. The relationship between Paul and James writings can be viewed as contradictory, or complimentary. (1) (rachabh, "broad"; in Josephus, Ant, V, i, 2, 7, Rhachab; Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25, Rhaab): A zonah, that is either a "harlot," or, according to some, an "innkeeper" in Jericho; the Septuagint porne, "harlot"). The author writes: "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. All rights reserved. The blog post mentions this tendency of ours as Christians and Bible Students, and I completely agree. Her legacy lives on to this day through the lineage of Christ to impact the world. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ( 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). ", But perhaps the most striking mention of Rahab in the New Testament is her inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus recorded in the first chapter of Matthew. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate. James writes to Jews who have accepted Jesus as Messiah, fulfilling something they have been anticipating for generations, who have likely lived their whole lives in action-based worship/obedience to YHWH. It touched me, so I would recommend it to anyone. In Old Testament culture a prostitute opened her home to travelers and foreigners, offering food and lodging as well as sexual favors. From these verses it is evident that many of Rahabs family were alive at this time including her parents. WebLORD is in their midst. And He is God on the earth, meaning He sees everything we do. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. 11And as soon as we (N)heard these things, (O)our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for (P)the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. And when someone reminds you of your past, courageously stand and declare: "What I once was, I am not now. She saw that the conquering of the nation of Israel was great during this part of their conquest, and believed that this God was greater than all others due to their winnings. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. Her faith in the unknown was rewarded. What does He want us to learn from Rahabs life and example? Because of this womans faith, her entire family was saved. Paul went throughout all of the known world back then spreading the Word of God to them. One also had to look at the audience that is being addressed in each letter. 50+ reference books. heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 3. Rahab: A Past and a Future | Bible.org I am a new person, for the One who died once for me has given me a new namedaughter of the Messiah." James specifically talks about righteousness through works, whereas Paul is concerned with righteousness through faith. The warning to the reader is that even for the Gentiles, some real expression of faith is necessary in order to faith to be saving faith.. The first part Ra might come from the Egyptian god Ra. The story of Rahab in the Bible has long been one of my favorites, her story of redemption and salvation, along with her courage, wisdom, and faith are striking examples of what can do in the lives of ordinary people. Rahab would keep silent about their mission and the Israelites would spare everyone in her household when they invaded the city. It was probably general known that she came out of prostitution, yet Salmon married her anyway. The point you brought up about the tense of the word used and how it points to her compassion for the spies over her faith in God and how it shows the same righteousness that Abraham shows. I never thought of Paul and James as being in conflict. He uses the same aorist passive of as James 2:21 and Romans 4:2, both referring to Abraham being declared righteous. We can repent and change. 2Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men (B)from [a]Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, Go, view the land, especially Jericho., So they went, and (C)came to the house of a harlot named (D)Rahab, and [b]lodged there. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! The spies may have wished to find a quiet nights rest out of the publics eye in this shady area of town and rented a room at her house. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them. 6(But (G)she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) It is not that works save you or that they are necessary for faith, but that true faith will be reflected in our words, actions and lifestyle. Your browser does not support JavaScript. Rahab For James, these two ideas are what makes you a Christian, to the point where if one of them is absent, he believes that you are not a Christian. Usually scholars focus on the glaring clash between this verse and Pauls argument in Romans 4 that Abraham was justified by believing in God (Gen 15) before he was given the rite of circumcision (Gen 17). Why is a prostitute mentioned among giants of faith like Noah, Abraham and Moses? From these verses it is evident that many of Rahabs family were alive at this time including her parents. Joshua 2:8-14. Read about other examples of faith in our Women of Faith section. Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary - Rahab, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Rahab. Topics Covered: Christian Living, Bible Study, Life Lessons. Maybe because Abraham is talked about a lot in earlier portions of Scripture, the author wanted to use a different example this time. Why? All rights reserved. Indeed the Savior of the world was descended directly from Rahab. General Editor. How Is God Not a Respecter of People? Come with me. She pointed up to the roof. James uses this example of not just having faith but having faith along with works(Jobes, 174). This is a great lesson we can learn: like Rahab, we must act on our faith. She protected them by hiding them under piles of flax that were drying on her roof (verses 4, 6). By faith the prostitute Rahab The best value in digital Bible study. 11 When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyones courage failed because of you, for the Jesus pronounced a special blessing on people who do this: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29). First and foremost, I would like to share some thoughts in regards to the concluding questions of the blog post. Marriage and assimilation into the nation of Israel. Rahab believed that Yahweh was stronger, and demonstrated that by hiding the spies from Israel. Rahab not only saved the lives of the Israelite spies, but she professed her faith in their God, which went against everything that the Old Testament typically warned about the dangers of foreign women. Character Study E-book Study Guide Article URL: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/faith/women-of-faith/rahab-the-harlot/. "There was no settlement at Jericho at the time when the people we call the Israelites made their presence known," says Robert Ruby, a journalist and author of "Jericho: Dreams, Ruins, Phantoms." Since she has protected Joshuas two spies and is therefore exempt from the destruction of all the people of Jericho (Josh 6:17). Rahab: Demonstrating Courageous Faith - Insight for Living Rahab recognized the true God and took him for her own. God worked in Rahab to eventually bring her to repentance. Rahab the Prostitute - Spy for the Israelites - Learn Religions Many people are familiar with the story of the Israelites marching around the city of Jericho to bring down the walls. 220). While James is writing to a Jewish Christian population. Rahab was heard by El Shama, the God who hears me, God heard Rahab and kept His promise to Rahab. She also knew that if she didnt help the spies she would lose her life when Israel destroyed Jericho. Ezra Get the latest blog posts from Life, Hope & Truth straight to yourinbox. Who was Rahab? She then told the spies of the fear that the coming of the Israelites had caused in the minds of the Canaanites--"Our hearts did melt . for Yahweh your God, he is God in heaven above, and on earth beneath"--and asked that the men promise to spare her father, mother, brothers and sisters, and all that they had. Yes, Rahab was a sinner. Why did Rahab in particular strike the interest of James? It also shows that James had a deep understanding of the Old Testament and expected his readers to have the same. If any of them go outside your house into the street, their blood will be on their own heads; we will not be responsible. And whoever is with you in the house, (Z)his [g]blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. She lied to the king's soldiers concerning the whereabouts of the spiesand sent them off in the opposite direction. "Rahab the Prostitute." When the king of Jericho asked Rahab about the spies, she told him they had already left, but that the king's men could catch them outside the city if they hurried. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. Rahab didnt see the miracle, but believed by hearing of God and His power to part the sea. But the name Rahab is also associated in the Bible Sign up to receive e-mail from Insight for Living Ministries. We are first introduced to Rahab in the book of Joshua as the Israelites prepared to conquer Jericho (Joshua 2:1-23). Its a living testament of the power of our God, and how He can use even the messiest of histories for an incredible purpose. Hebrews 11:31 speaks of her as having been saved by faith; James, on the other hand, in demonstrating that a man is justified by works and not by faith only, curiously chooses the same example (James 2:25).

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