Faith’s Hall of Fame: Rahab

Faith’s Hall of Fame: Rahab

Hebrews 11:31

“By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.”

Today, the subject of our conversation about faith centers on one of the most unlikely people you could imagine. Rahab was a pagan prostitute—yet she is mentioned by name in the Bible’s Hall of Fame of Faith. What are we to make of that?

Let’s start here: if you’ve been following this page for a while, you should be able to answer this question—what is the purpose of the Bible? Once we ask that question, every storyline or narrative in Scripture begins to make sense and reveals something new about God.

The purpose of the Bible is to tell the story of redemption from God’s point of view. So, if that is our starting point, how does the story of Rahab fit into God’s redemptive plan?

Let’s remember what was happening at this point in the Bible. Moses had led the people of God out of slavery. Along the way, they were tested and tried, witnessed the power and glory of God, were forged into a great nation, and were given both a promise and a task. The promise was a land they could call their own. The task was to remove the rampant sin that infested it.

You might already see the message beginning to form: God hates sin. He hates it. I mean He really, really hates it. Sin corrupted His creation, separated His people from Him, darkened the world, and ultimately cost the life of His Son.

That’s why redemption became necessary. The whole story of redemption is based on the restoration of man by the removal of sin.

More on Rahab’s story on Monday.