By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient (Hebrews 11: 31 NIV).

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Are you defined by your failure or your victory, by your sin or your faith?

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As you probably know, we’re almost done with the summer series, “The Drift,” as we go through the book of Hebrews. This is the 11^th week, so we’re in Hebrews Chapter 11. We could have spent the whole summer on Chapter 11, known as the “Hall of Faith” chapter, because it lists giants of the faith from the Old Testament, men and women who had faith in things not seen, whom God used to accomplish incredible things. Most are well known, with a history of walking with God.

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And then there’s Rahab. A prostitute. A woman. A traitor to her city. A nobody. A believer.

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Rahab is usually referred to in the Bible as “the prostitute Rahab;” she is defined by her sin. It strikes me as odd – none of the other 16 people mentioned by name in Hebrews 11 are connected with their profession or their sin. It doesn’t refer to cowardly Gideon, or lustful Samson, or deceitful Jacob, or King David, or the prophet Samuel. When Rahab is mentioned in the Bible, she’s called a prostitute, but she is also known for her faith.

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When God commanded the Israelites to invade the Promised Land, Jericho was the first city in their way. In Joshua chapter 2, when Israelite spies entered Jericho to scout it, they found Rahab, who is identified as a prostitute. It’s possible that the translations got mixed up and that she was an innkeeper, or even a widow, but I prefer the straight translation that says she was a prostitute, someone who sold her body for a living. Someone that was lowly. Someone who couldn’t be trusted.  

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But God used her. Somehow, she had come to believe in the God of the Israelites, and not the gods of Jericho and the Canaanites (she may not have even been a Canaanite). When God led the spies to her, she hid them and lied to the guards who came to search for them. In exchange, the spies promised to save Rahab and her family when Jericho fell. Rahab risked everything in faith – her life, the lives of the rest of her family, their property, and livelihood.

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Thanks to Rahab’s faithful risk taking, the spies escaped, and the Israelites conquered Jericho. Rahab and her family were the only ones who survived. Eventually, Rahab married an Israelite named Salmon (a great name for an Alaskan!). They had a son named Boaz, who married Ruth, who had a son named Jesse who had a son named David. Rahab the prostitute, a sinner, an outcast, was King David’s great-great grandmother, all because of her faith. Not only was she in David’s lineage, but Matthew chapter 1 includes her in Jesus’ genealogy.

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And her story didn’t end there. The author of Hebrews includes her as an example of faith in Hebrews 11. As does the Apostle James in James 2:25, saying she was righteous for how she risked everything to save the spies.  

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I find it fascinating that the Bible praises Rahab her actions but doesn’t condemn her for her sin.

What can we learn from Rahab?

First, are you defined by your sin or by your faith? Rahab is known for both. The biblical writers never condemn her for her sin but rather praise her for her faith. What about you?

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Second, God can use anyone; we just need to trust Him. God will use people of all backgrounds and all histories, even those with checkered pasts and complicated presents.

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Third, Rahab’s faith led her to trust in God and to take financial and physical risks to serve His purpose.

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How strong is your faith?