Rahab’s Story of Prostitution and Redemption

Rahab’s story is found in the book of Joshua. Her blessing is mentioned in Hebrews 11:31 and in the lineage of Christ in Matthew 1:5. In Joshua we discover she was the prostitute who hid two spies on her roof, in Hebrews we discover that her faith saved her, in Matthew we discover her placement in the lineage of Christ.

In ninth grade, I attended a private school and my Bible teacher shared with us that because lying is a sin Rahab should have only spoken truth. He held tight to his claim that Rahab erred in lying. God in His providence would have protected the spies despite what she had told the guards. So often we need things pretty, nice and neat, wrapped up tight in black and white.

I wish the world were in black and white. It would be so simple. But it’s not. We live in the in-between, in shades of grey. While I do not doubt that God’s providence for Israel would have been fulfilled whether Rahab had protected them with a lie or not, I do believe that Rahab would not have been included in that blessing had she given the spies over to the authorities.

Of all the Bible classes I attended in ninth grade, this one has stuck out most clearly in my mind. It’s the idea that there is no grey area. The Bible is full of war, human error, flawed people, and political agenda. The most beautiful message I find there is that despite all of our shades of grey we are welcomed into the family of God, we are given an abundance of grace that includes us in this story of blessing.

*I received a copy of The Crimson Cord: Rahab's Story by Jil Eileen Smith from Family Christian to provide them with an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Jill Eileen Smith does a beautiful job weaving history with creative fiction. We are not given many details to Rahab’s life. We are told she is a prostitute who helped the spies and in doing so saved her whole family and became part of the Christ lineage. In essence she turned on her people and saved her skin. And was reworded greatly for it. She was the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth, who fathered Obed who fathered Jesse who was the father of King David. Rahab was the Great-Great-Grandmother to the first King of Israel.

One part of the story troubled me. In the midst of a historical Jericho was a character whose thoughts were not far from my own. She held to her independence, sounded highly educated, and relied on no man for her survival. She sounded like a 21st day woman trapped in ancient Jericho. I related to well to her struggles. It was not until I read the notes from the author where this began to make sense. Smith writes, “I tried to imagine myself in her place. What resentments might she have carried against men? What trust issues?” Of course in doing this I was able to relate to Rahab on a personal level, I was able to easily place myself in her shoes.

Rahab however was not the character I fell in love with. Salmon, one of the spies, and his inner turmoil of grace and humility won my heart. He was an enigma of post New Testament ideologies trapped in the world of the Old Testament. He struggled with the brutality of war, showed a little bit of PTSD, and desired above all else to protect the ones he loved.

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