Rahab
This morning, I believe God is leading me to a study of Rahab.
We most remember Rahab as the prostitute in the Book of Joshua. We read in Joshua that when Hebrew spies were sent to investigate Jericho, they encountered Rahab. Rahab knew it was God's will that the Hebrews conquer Jericho, so she hid the spies when they were in danger of being captured. In return, she asked that her life and the lives of her family be spared when this occurred. The spies agreed, telling her to hang a red rope outside of her window as a way to distinguish her home from the rest of Jericho. When God delivered Jericho into the hands of Joshua and his men, we are told that Joshua did make good on this promise. He spared the lives of Rahab and her family.
What we often do not think about, however, is the life of Rahab does not end there. What ever happened to this woman with a sinful past who had faith and courage enough to choose God's will over that of her own heritage?
Matthew, the first Gospel in our traditional Bibles, begins by giving the genealogy of Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Verses 4-6 list some interesting names from the Old Testament: "Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king" (NKJV). Did you catch that? Boaz was the son of Rahab.
Boaz, the kinsman redeemer of Ruth in the Book of Ruth, is often considered a Christ-like figure in the Old Testament. Ruth was not Jewish. According to the Book of Ruth, Ruth was the Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi's husband had taken his family to Moab to find food during a time of famine in Israel. This was during the time of the judges. One of Naomi's sons married Ruth while they were there. Of course, we have to remember that this type of inter-marriage was forbidden. The Moabites were idol-worshipers.
During their time in Moab, Naomi's husband and both of her sons died. She made the decision to return to Israel, telling both of her daughters-in-law to go back to their families and make a life for themselves. One daughter-in-law followed her advice. The other - Ruth - made a different decision. She told Naomi that she would stay with her. She would go with Naomi to Israel, and Naomi's people and God would also be her people and God. She left behind her own family to follow God's plan.
When in Israel, through a series of events, Ruth met Boaz. Boaz was a relative of Naomi's, and because of this, was able to redeem this family through marriage. He chose to marry Ruth, the Moabite.
I have to wonder if Boaz's own family ideals had anything at all to do with his decision. Remember Rahab was his mother. Rahab had some things in common with Ruth. As I said, both of them left their old lives and chose something new in following God. Perhaps he had been taught from a young age that it does not matter where we come from. It matters where we go. Perhaps this is why he originally took pity on Ruth as she gleaned in his fields. Perhaps that is why he had no objections to marrying her when she boldly took the first step by asking him. (Remember, there was a closer family member who had all rights to marry Ruth before Boaz, but this other man declined).
We know Rahab's past was not the best. She was a prostitute. We know little of Ruth's past. But we do know she was a Moabite. She was from an idol-worshiping country. Isn't it amazing that God chose both of them? Ruth was the grandmother of David - the David. Rahab was his great-grandmother.
Do you ever wonder what society thought when Salmon married Rahab - that prostitute from Jericho? How about when Boaz married the dirt-poor, Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi who had all but lost everyone's respect when she lost everything and returned to her homeland, having to beg for food? Think of what the gossip may have been. No one would have even suspected that these women would play a role history. No one would suspect that God would allow the second and third great, future kings of Israel to descend from such a line. No one would even fathom that these women would have a role to play in the coming of the Messiah. But they did.
I think society today is very similar. We have those that we feel are important. We have those that we feel are not-so-important, those that we feel are less-than. We may be surprised at how God chooses the less-than, the not-so-important to be instruments in His plan.
We most remember Rahab as the prostitute in the Book of Joshua. We read in Joshua that when Hebrew spies were sent to investigate Jericho, they encountered Rahab. Rahab knew it was God's will that the Hebrews conquer Jericho, so she hid the spies when they were in danger of being captured. In return, she asked that her life and the lives of her family be spared when this occurred. The spies agreed, telling her to hang a red rope outside of her window as a way to distinguish her home from the rest of Jericho. When God delivered Jericho into the hands of Joshua and his men, we are told that Joshua did make good on this promise. He spared the lives of Rahab and her family.
What we often do not think about, however, is the life of Rahab does not end there. What ever happened to this woman with a sinful past who had faith and courage enough to choose God's will over that of her own heritage?
Matthew, the first Gospel in our traditional Bibles, begins by giving the genealogy of Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Verses 4-6 list some interesting names from the Old Testament: "Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king" (NKJV). Did you catch that? Boaz was the son of Rahab.
Boaz, the kinsman redeemer of Ruth in the Book of Ruth, is often considered a Christ-like figure in the Old Testament. Ruth was not Jewish. According to the Book of Ruth, Ruth was the Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi's husband had taken his family to Moab to find food during a time of famine in Israel. This was during the time of the judges. One of Naomi's sons married Ruth while they were there. Of course, we have to remember that this type of inter-marriage was forbidden. The Moabites were idol-worshipers.
During their time in Moab, Naomi's husband and both of her sons died. She made the decision to return to Israel, telling both of her daughters-in-law to go back to their families and make a life for themselves. One daughter-in-law followed her advice. The other - Ruth - made a different decision. She told Naomi that she would stay with her. She would go with Naomi to Israel, and Naomi's people and God would also be her people and God. She left behind her own family to follow God's plan.
When in Israel, through a series of events, Ruth met Boaz. Boaz was a relative of Naomi's, and because of this, was able to redeem this family through marriage. He chose to marry Ruth, the Moabite.
I have to wonder if Boaz's own family ideals had anything at all to do with his decision. Remember Rahab was his mother. Rahab had some things in common with Ruth. As I said, both of them left their old lives and chose something new in following God. Perhaps he had been taught from a young age that it does not matter where we come from. It matters where we go. Perhaps this is why he originally took pity on Ruth as she gleaned in his fields. Perhaps that is why he had no objections to marrying her when she boldly took the first step by asking him. (Remember, there was a closer family member who had all rights to marry Ruth before Boaz, but this other man declined).
We know Rahab's past was not the best. She was a prostitute. We know little of Ruth's past. But we do know she was a Moabite. She was from an idol-worshiping country. Isn't it amazing that God chose both of them? Ruth was the grandmother of David - the David. Rahab was his great-grandmother.
Do you ever wonder what society thought when Salmon married Rahab - that prostitute from Jericho? How about when Boaz married the dirt-poor, Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi who had all but lost everyone's respect when she lost everything and returned to her homeland, having to beg for food? Think of what the gossip may have been. No one would have even suspected that these women would play a role history. No one would suspect that God would allow the second and third great, future kings of Israel to descend from such a line. No one would even fathom that these women would have a role to play in the coming of the Messiah. But they did.
I think society today is very similar. We have those that we feel are important. We have those that we feel are not-so-important, those that we feel are less-than. We may be surprised at how God chooses the less-than, the not-so-important to be instruments in His plan.
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