The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ … and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab … and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born… Matthew 1:1a, 5a & 16 ESV1
Read Joshua 2:1-24, 6:17 & 22-25
Rahab, Jesus’ 29th Great Grandmother, was a successful businesswoman in the pagan town of Jericho. Unfortunately, the best business opportunity for a woman in her town at her time was the business of selling one’s body. Rahab was a prostitute with an international clientele. From her house in the city’s wall, she could easily advertise her business to travelers and merchants of all kinds.
Rahab saw and heard a great deal about what was going on outside Jericho’s wall. She heard about the traveling hoard of Israelites whose God, the LORD, powerfully provided for and protected His worshippers. Rahab had known a lot of different men who had worshipped a lot of different gods. She could see that the LORD was different. She was intrigued by Him and began to secretly follow Him. So, when a couple of Israelite spies showed up in Jericho, she lured them to her room, not for their business, but to help them and, in return, to ask for a favor.
The account is recorded in Joshua 2:2-15. The Israelite spies “came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. And it was told to the king of Jericho … [who] sent to Rahab, saying, ‘Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.’ But [Rahab] had taken the two men and hidden them … She said [to the King’s men], ‘True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went …’ But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them … [Then Rahab] said to the [Israelite spies], ‘I know that the LORD has given you the land and that the fear of you has fallen upon us … For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.’ And the men said to her, ‘Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the LORD gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.’ Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall.”
Rahab risked her life when she lied to protect the Israelites. The spies kept their promise. Rahab and her entire family were saved (see Joshua 6:17 & 22-23). Rahab’s family began to live with the Israelites. Rahab eventually married a man named Salmon.
Salmon lived among many young, virgin, beautiful, Israelite women. None of the women among his people were over 59 years old. (All of those who had been 20 years of age or over 40 years ago had died during their wanderings in the wilderness). Every one of these women was related to Sarah who was so beautiful, even as she pushed the age of 90, a king wanted her in his harem. What did Salmon see in Rahab that made him choose her as his wife? I believe it was her faith. Her faith overshadowed her entire past and complimented her physical beauty and her positive personality traits so much so that Salmon desired her as a lifelong partner.
Rahab is mentioned seven times in the Bible, six times with the title, prostitute, attached to her name. Even after she was an honest, married woman, an ancestor to the Savior, and a woman honored for her faith in action, her name is connected to her former profession (see Hebrews 11:31 & James 2:25). Only here, in the genealogy of Jesus, is she referred to by her name alone. Salmon looked beyond Rahab’s past and made her his wife. God looked beyond Rahab’s past and made her an ancestor to Jesus. Can we look beyond the sinful past of others and see their value in the Kingdom of God? Can we look beyond our own past and see ourselves as the beloved Bride of Christ?
To be continued…
Check out the next articles in this series: The Colorful Past of Jesus’ Female Ancestor, Ruth and The Colorful Past of Jesus’ Female Ancestor, Bathsheba.
Check out the previous article in this series: The Colorful Past of Jesus’ Female Ancestor, Tamar
1Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise stated. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.