Faith in Action

“By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” Hebrews 11:31

Under cover of darkness, two men sneaked into the city of Jericho, hiding in the shadows until they saw an open door and quickly slipped inside. The woman who greeted them realized who they were and guessed that they were there to spy out the country. She gave them lodging knowing that they had been seen by someone else in the city. She had stalks of flax laid out to dry on her roof and so she hid them there. Before long, a messenger from the king was at her door, demanding that she turn the men in. She told the messenger that the men had left her house and the city before the gates closed for the night.

Then she talked to the two men, acknowledging that the whole country was in terror because of news of all that God had done for the Israelites. He was going to give this land into their hands, and that Jericho would fall. In return for her helping them, she asked that they protect her and her family. Her house was on the wall, and she put a cord in her window and let them down so that they could escape.

They told her that when the Israelite army attacked Jericho, she was to put the scarlet cord in her window and bring all her family into her house. That was the only way she could be safe. I can imagine when the day came that the Israelites were marching around the city of Jericho, she checked to make sure that the cord was secure, and that all her family stayed inside her house.

Joshua 6:17  “And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.”

Rahab proved her faith by her confidence in the scarlet cord, and by reaching out to make sure her family was safe as well. James mentioned her in his epistle:

James 2:24-25 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?”

God had chosen Rahab for a special purpose, and she is one of two women whose names appear in the genealogy of Jesus.

Matthew 1:5 “And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;”

Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice on Calvary that purchased our redemption. Just as Rahab proved her faith by her actions, help me to show Your love to others by my daily conduct and behaviour.

Devotion by Anne Johnston