Bawdy innkeeper, canny businesswoman, Canaanite idolater, called out of Jericho, and into Bethlehem
This series of Bible studies seeks to retell the stories of women who were divinely called and empowered to do great things. Many of them rose to the occasion, and a few very famously did not. Often, the tragedies and triumphs in their lives are missed, and their stories are told from perspectives other than with the honor and dignity they deserve.
After excavating their narratives from millennia of obfuscation, now meet the freshly restored, valiant, vivid (and sometimes villainous) women of the Bible.
Called Out of Jericho: Rahab
Rahab is most often described as a prostitute in English translations of the Bible. But who she really was is far more complex.
Her account touches another Canaanite woman who lived five hundred years before her, and a Moabite woman who lived at least a hundred years after her. With a narrative that covers a thousand years of history, and a crimson cord that symbolized her redemption, Rahab portrays God’s great plan of salvation.
This thirty-page book includes the retelling of Rahab’s story, a fifteen-question Bible study, and link to a twenty-minute multi-media presentation of Rahab’s tumultuous story, from entering into the dangerous world of espionage to escaping her famously ruined city, Jericho.
Bawdy Innkeeper, Canny Businesswoman, Canaanite Idolater
Herem (Hebrew: חֵרֶם) is a biblical concept referring to a total ban, separation, or devotion of an object, person, or city to God, often involving complete destruction or expulsion. It signifies a, “proscribed,” “devoted,” or “accursed” status, derived from roots meaning to prohibit or destroy. The book of Joshua refers to the mandate to completely destroy an enemy, including people and property, as a sacrifice to God. Today, knowing God’s grace and mercy, it is difficult to understand how such a mandate could be delivered from the Lord.
And then we come to the story of Rahab, early in Joshua’s campaigns. Her narrative tells us God sees and spares all who turn to the Lord.
Rahab’s account has often been reduced to her supposed profession in Jericho and her seemingly divided loyalties in entertaining foreign spies. Yet, we admire her pluck, we approve of her seeking to save her family, and of course, we see her faith.
But there is much more to Rahab, and to her story. Typically, the telling of Rahab’s account leads with remembering her as a “harlot” or a “prostitute” and marveling at how reformed she became. But this misses entirely what the ancient writer was saying about her remarkable faith, her spiritual sensitivity, and her canny grasp of the future. In fact, the Hebrew word for Harlot is polyvalent—it means more than one thing.
So instead of following the typical story line, let us lead with remembering her unshakeable faith in a God she had only heard of, and her lion-hearted courage in standing her ground when her entire city—and her life—tumbled into ruin around her. For those of us who have experienced similar life-shattering calamity, Rahab is indeed our mentor and our friend.
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