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It was by faith! Those are four powerful words. Apart from those four words, Noah would have perished with everyone else when the flood waters came.(1) Abram would have been a wealthy landowner who none of us would have ever heard of, living in an obscure village none of us would have ever known.(2) Moses would have lived out his life as the spoiled adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, surrounded by Israelite slaves.(3)And a woman named Rahab would have lived out her days as a prostitute until her days were abruptly cut short.(4) As a matter of fact, without faith, she would have died in obscurity just like all the rest of the people who were living in Jericho when the walls “came crashing down.”(5)

It is important for us to understand that the Lord God Jehovah had made quite a name for Himself long before the Israelites ever arrived at Jericho. Word of how He had defeated the mightiest army of that era by leading them into the Red Sea to drown had become legend. The Canaanites had feared the Egyptian army … until it was no more. But then they began to fear the God of the Israelites even more.

They had heard how He had destroyed the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. Their spies had watched Him make a way for His people to cross the Jordan River while it was at flood stage just days before they arrived at the walls of Jericho. It had become well known that the God of the Israelites had promised to give His people the land on which Jericho and all the surrounding cities were built.

As we consider why God chose to destroy the city and every inhabitant within it – except Rahab and her family – we must understand that each one (other than Rahab) had chosen to reject Him. Every resident of Jericho was faced with a choice. It didn’t matter whether they were farmers, merchants, soldiers, prostitutes … or the king. They could choose to hide behind their walls in fear as they worshiped their false gods, or they could choose to trust and worship the One who had become infamous among them.

Whether they were blinded by the evil that pervaded the city, by their worship of the false gods that pandered to the lusts of their flesh, or by their pride in the defenses their hands had built, all but Rahab chose to reject God.

Rahab exercised her faith by sheltering and protecting the spies, and trusting Him to live up to His promise. She demonstrated a sure faith by “receiving the spies” – not based upon her sureness of herself, or her sureness of the two spies – she demonstrated a sure faith because of the sureness of the Supreme God! Listen to her declaration, “The LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.”(6)

Flesh and blood did not reveal that to her. By God’s grace – and His alone – He revealed Himself to Rahab and she acknowledged Him as the One True God and acted by faith – despite the peril she was risking from her neighbors and the officials of the city. James writes, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”(7)

It was the truths expressed in this post that prompted me to write the book, A Heroine Called Rahab. In the book, i explore the story behind the story. What was life like in Jericho, and why was the city beyond redemption on that fateful day? How was God at work in Rahab’s life to bring her to that moment of faith when He transformed her from a prostitute to a heroine – elevating her to a place on the roster of faith in Hebrews. Apart from faith, she was on a trajectory of becoming another one of the unknown residents of Jericho who perished. But by faith, she became one of the notables on the earthly ancestral line that led to the advent of Jesus.

It was by faith – unwavering and fully committed to the One in whom that faith was placed – based upon Who He is and what He had promised. We would do well to follow her lead as we take the next step in our life journey. Take that step – and each one that follows – with a faith that is sure.

i invite you to read A Heroine Called Rahab, the eighth book in my series, The Called. Consider her story – the part you may already know – and the portion that could have been. The book releases this week through Amazon in paperback, large print and for Kindle or Kindle app. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy.

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Portions of this post are taken from Possessing The Promise, chapter 4, entitled “A Sure Faith.” This third book in the Lessons Learned In The Wilderness series is also available through Amazon in print or for your Kindle or Kindle app. Click HERE for more information on this book.

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(1)  Hebrews 11:7

(2)  Hebrews 11:8

(3)  Hebrews 11:24-25

(4)  Hebrews 11:31

(5)  Hebrews 11:30

(6)  Joshua 2:11 (NLT)

(7)  James 2:24-26 (NLT)

Copyright © 2023 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Cover image of “The Fall of Jericho” by Sky Light Pictures on Lightstock