Extreme Great-Grandmothers. {Rahab}

(Joshua 2. Go read it. Now.)

               

Also not a woman that most mommy’s teach their little girls to become, Rahab, gets a pretty bad rap along with Tamar. Prostitutes in general are not the typical role models that middle-America parades as the woman to be, although I would argue until I am blue in the face that most celebrity women we DO parade are far worse than prostitutes.

                In this great-grandmother’s defense though, I want to ask all of you the question: Why was Rahab a prostitute?

                You don’t know?

                Yeah, I don’t either. It doesn’t say. Like the last story, for the inquisitive woman I am, it leaves something to be desired. I would like details. Was she sold into prostitution? Was she widowed and this was her only option? Did she have medical bills and this was the only way she could pay? She mentions that she has father and mother, brothers and sisters, but no talk of a husband or children. Could her parents not afford her? Was she a burden? Was this her way to help support the family?

                Whatever the reason, apparently it was unimportant. What God needs us to know is that at the time we enter the story, when the Israelite spies are coming into the land to scout it out for a military take-over, we meet her and she is already a prostitute. Doing what they do.

                The real question we should probably ask is “Why in the world did the spies go to her house?” Other historical books also refer to her as an innkeeper, so I would like to think that she just offered some cheap lodging. I will give the boys the benefit of the doubt.  The text doesn’t give any information pertaining to that either, so what God apparently needs us to know is that Rahab was a prostitute, and spies went to her house to hide.

                They must not have been too discreet as almost immediately upon their entering the house, the king and all of his officials send word to her to give up the boys, to which she replied, “Yes, you are correct in saying they were here. You missed them, though. I would try going to look before the city gate closes. You might be able to catch them.” Against what I would imagine to be good judgment, they trusted her.

                A woman? A prostitute? In those days? They trusted her? Already you can see the hand of God, can you not? They shouldn’t have trusted her. She would have been of ill-rapport in that city AND she was, in fact, lying to them; she was hiding the spies on her rooftop.

                When the messengers leave she runs up the stairs, seizing her opportunity, and pours out her heart to these guys. “Listen. I know who your God is and I know who you are. The people in this city are melting with fear. We have heard the crazy things your God does. Our courage to stand against him is staggering because Yahweh your God is God in heaven and on earth. And I know that. Please extend to me the kindness of your God to myself and my family, because I have shown kindness to you. When your God overtakes this city, please take me with you.” They respond to her with rapt approval. “Your life for our life” they said. “Tie a cord around your curtains, so that we will know you still are on our side when we overtake the city.”

                A few chapters later when they come and when the “walls come tumbling down,” they rescue Rahab and her family and steal her away to become a part of the nation of Israel where “she lives among the Israelites to this day.” (Joshua 6:25)

               

                The story makes me stop and think: Is it the lying part? Is it the prostitute part? Is that why there are no flannel-board Rahab stories? It has to be, because everything else is spot on with this chick. I mean, I WANT HER HEART! We all should want her heart! She knew who she was, she knew where she stood with God, she knew she wasn’t in right standing with God, and she knew that a fate worse than death awaited her if she didn’t act NOW. Check it out. There the spies were, “Standing at the door and knocking,” and what did she do? She let them in. She even made a confession of faith! “I know that the LORD….your God is God.”

                She knew the power of God and was willing to abandon her homeland and its foreign gods for the One that was going to trample her idols.

                What heart! What willingness!

Rahab is a prime woman to be in the genealogy of Jesus. Can’t you just see her, a fiery old lady saying to some young chick, “Little girl, when Jesus comes knocking on your door, when the Holy Spirit comes and wants to change your life, you take it. No questions. No looking back. ABANDON IT ALL.”

Now THAT is Christianity at its core.

               

               

                I can’t read Rahab and not ask myself if there are things I won’t abandon yet? Are there walled cities I feel too comfortable living in, even though I will crumble with them if I stay? What fortifications do I find my security in?

The story goes on to say that not a single living thing in the whole city of Jericho survived when God gave the city over to the Israelites.

                Rahab wouldn’t have survived either. If she hadn’t switched camps and said, “Lord, you are God of heaven and earth,” she would have perished.

If I don’t say that---if YOU and I don’t say that---, about everything----about our eternal life, about how we live our life on this earth, about every aspect of our day to day business---we will perish. Just like she would have. God has got to have all of you or “having God” will do no good for you. He is not interested in half-hearted followers. He does not save you to not become LORD of you. Savior AND Lord. He has to be both. That’s what the gospel is! His Kingship. That’s what Christmas is! It’s the celebration of the inauguration of the kingdom of God in the lives of those who believe and are thus indwelt with his Holy Spirit. THAT is what we are celebrating. Baby Jesus didn’t stay a baby, do you get it?

Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

Knock, knock, knock. All the time, knocking.

This Christmas, be like Rahab.

Give it all up, and answer the door.