Rahab
She hid the spies
A woman of Jericho who hid Israel's messengers and was spared by the scarlet cord; she is part of Jesus' family tree.
The woman history almost erased
Rahab is introduced harshly: a prostitute, living in Jericho, a city marked for destruction. Nothing about her suggested a future. And that is exactly where grace tends to work: not where everything is clean, but where everything seems lost.
A thread of faith in the middle of fear
When Israel’s spies arrive, Rahab has already heard what God did at the Red Sea. Instead of turning the men in, she hides them and confesses: “the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11). The scarlet cord in the window, the sign of rescue, recalls the blood of the lamb at Passover.
From the margins to the center of the story
Rahab isn’t just spared: she marries into Israel, becomes the mother of Boaz and enters the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 cite her as an example of living faith. Her story announces the gospel: no one is beyond the reach of grace.
Where to read in the Bible
- Joshua 2
- Joshua 6:22–25
- Matthew 1:5
- Hebrews 11:31
Connections
- hid spies in Jericho · stated in the text · Joshua 2:1
- mother Boaz · cross-reference · Matthew 1:5
- ancestor of Jesus of Nazareth · cross-reference · Matthew 1:5
Topics: faith, grace