Did you ever look at someone and think, “Yikes! That person is a mess. Not much hope for them.” Maybe after reading this story, you’ll have a different reaction to messy people.

She was a young person who had managed to make a way for herself. It wasn’t the life she had envisioned as a girl, but necessity can push you into things you wouldn’t choose otherwise. She made a decent income from an indecent profession. Her contemporaries didn’t give her a second thought. No one was lily white. Who had time to concern themselves with moral issues? Her society was degraded, violent, and pursuing all kinds of pleasures that didn’t serve them well. Nobody condemned her prostitution.

But then, shocking news came to her city. Traders and travelers were all talking about the horde that had erupted out of the desert, millions strong, and had laid waste the two powerful neighbors on the other side of the river. Not only had they completely destroyed the two city-states, but they had a history of being favored by a mighty God who ruled Heaven and earth. Their God had performed the miraculous sign of bringing his favored people across a sea on dry ground many years previously. And they were headed toward her city! What could be done? She was doomed.

God saw her heart, not the vile way she made a living. He saw a person who believed the God of heaven and earth was mightier than everything she had known- her grotesque gods who required baby sacrifices, her self-indulging culture, her selfish patrons. Her heart was with the people who actually knew the true God.

That was why when the commander of God’s people sent two young spies to ascertain information about the next city on their list to conquer, God directed the two young men to her house. They hadn’t been successful in disguising themselves. They were quickly noticed on the city street, and their hostess recognized them immediately. It was just a matter of time till the authorities would come to seize them. That is, unless the young woman could conceal them better than they had concealed themselves. Being adept at shady dealings, she immediately took matters into her own hands and escorted them to a clever hiding place. She was taking their side against her own people, government, and lifestyle. At risk of her life, she lied to the government agents who came to collect the spies. Then she helped the young men escape and even gave them a wise strategy for evading their pursuers.  What did she have to gain from all this risk? Once again, she had a plan. “If I help you, will you spare me? I know God will help you destroy us. Please promise to save my life when you are victorious.”

“We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.  Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.”
“Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.” Joshua 2:10-14

From her window on the city wall, she must have watched with fear, awe, and hope as the army of God silently, grimly walked around her city once each day, escorting the symbol of God.  The only sound was the clear announcement of the trumpets going before the Ark of the Covenant, something she would learn more about later.  The tramping feet, the blare of the trumpets, the determined look of each soldier.  Was that her two friends, the spies she saved, in that row?  Six days of this demonstration.  No one in her city made a move.  Then the seventh day dawned to the now familiar sound.  But this time the suspense was heavy.  Round two, round three, round four, round five, round six.  She touched the red cord hanging from her window and searched the faces for her two friends.  Round seven.  Then they stopped, and each soldier faced the city wall.  On cue, the trumpets blasted a long sound, and every man shouted a blood-chilling battle cry.  A deafening roar hit her as the walls on both sides of her collapsed.  But her part of the wall stood!

“Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.” So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.. .Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.” Joshua 6:22-23, 25

You probably already knew all of this story. But do you know the rest of the story? The surprising love story, the historical impact?

One of the young spies, Salmon, married the reformed prostitute, Rahab. They had a son named Boaz. Starting to sound familiar? Boaz was the kind older man who rescued Ruth, the Moabitess, by marrying her. Boaz was half Gentile (Canaanite) and married a Gentile (Moabite). Their son was Obed, the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David. The Messiah came from the line of David. This genealogy is found in Ruth 4:20-22 and Matthew 1:1-6.  God wants the whole world to believe in him, and the inclusion of Gentiles into the people of Israel shows that all are welcome into his family.

And it should be noted that Rahab is commended in the New Testament. Although she was a woman of ill repute, her faith rescued her from a bad life and brought her into the loving family of God.
Hebrews 11 is known as the Faith Hall of Fame. The greats of our faith are listed there: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses’ parents, and Moses are extolled and held up as examples for us of faith in God. And who should be found there among the greats? Rahab!
“ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were unbelieving.” Hebrews 11:31

Rahab, the young, immoral Gentile woman is also held up as an unlikely example of faith in action right along with venerable Abraham in James 2.
“Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. . . In the same way, [as Abraham] was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?”  James 2:21-23,25

So let’s not write anyone off as hopeless because their behavior up to this point is reprehensible. All it takes is faith to change the trajectory of their lives. And just maybe, like the spies, we’re the ones to facilitate that step of faith!