Courage

Courage

“We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise when the Lord gives us the land.”

Joshua 2:14

I remember seeing flannel-graph pictures of Rahab when I heard the Bible story told as a young child. At the time, I didn’t understand that she was a harlot, but I was fascinated by the scarlet rope hanging from her window. Joshua sent two spies to Jericho, and Rahab secretly housed them and then hid them on her roof under stalks of flax. Later Rahab lowered the two spies down the outside wall through the window of her house. She was a woman of courage, as she took great risk in hiding the spies. As a result of her help, she and her family were later spared death when the Israelites conquered Jericho.

It’s interesting that Rahab, who lived in a pagan culture, called God “the Lord” in her conversation with the spies: “ ‘I know the Lord has given you this land,’ she told them. ‘We are all afraid of you. Everyone is living in terror’ ” (Joshua 2:9).

Rahab was not saved from physical or spiritual destruction because of her character or her works. Rather, she was saved through her faith. Any woman who has had major struggles with character or behavior can find great hope and encouragement from the life of Rahab. She was a sinner who was saved through her faith, and she proved her faith by courageously risking her life to protect God’s people, eventually bringing her family to belief in God. She even became part of the ancestry of Jesus (Matthew 1:5)!

Father,

To trace Rahab back in Christ’s ancestry is encouraging to us, because it demonstrates that people with a sinful past can be transformed. Thank you for her example of courage, which was born through faith in you. Amen.