This is part of a year-long series. Find out more about this series here.

I don’t skip many sections of Scripture. Even though I have read it multiple times, I still read through the Law when reading the Books of Moses (Genesis – Deuteronomy), and I even read through the various genealogies and tribal records scattered throughout the Bible when I come to them. Why? In part, because I developed the habit of doing so during my time as a Biblical Studies major in undergrad. But, I continue the practice because I find myself observing something meaningful every so often that increases my wonder for God and how good He is. For me, reading difficult sections or seemingly insignificant details has brought invaluable insight into the majesty of God.

I have read Matthew’s Gospel many times, and, yet I noticed the significance of a single name that has never stood out in this way before. Rahab is only one name in Matthew’s genealogy, and she is certainly not the focus of the Old Testament narrative she is briefly part of. And, yet, her story helps reveal the goodness of God’s character to us.

The Story of Rahab

“Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered King David. 

Then David fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife,”

(Matthew 1:5–6 HCSB)

Rahab is mentioned briefly in Matthew’s genealogy, but we find her main story in the book of Joshua (chapters 2 and 6). We are actually told very little about her, and we have only one story of her life recorded. However, the little we do know sheds a lot of light into what made her a remarkable person and ultimately why God showed so much favor on her.

I definitely encourage you to read Rahab’s story in Joshua 2 and 6, but here is a quick recap for you:

• Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho.
• When Joshua sent out spies into the city and surrounding area of Jericho, Rahab welcomed them into her home.
• The king of Jericho learned that Rahab was hosting the spies and commanded her to release them into his custody.
• Rahab instead hid them in a pile of harvested crops on her roof. She then told the King’s men that the spies had already left the city.
• After the king’s men left her house, she let the spies escape the city back to the Israelite camp.
• The spies and Rahab made an agreement that no harm would come to Rahab or her family when the Israelites conquered the city because of the devotion she showed to them.

The Boldness of Rahab’s Faith

Why did Rahab do what she did? What caused her to lie to her King and aid the men who would conquer her home? Shortly after the King’s men leave her house, she has a brief conversation with the Israelite spies. In Joshua 2:8-11, she says the following:

“Before the men fell asleep, she went up on the roof and said to them, ‘I know that the Lord has given you this land and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and everyone who lives in the land is panicking because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings you completely destroyed across the Jordan.When we heard this, we lost heart, and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.’”

It could be easy to write Rahab off as someone who is only interested in self preservation. But I don’t think that was the case. Rahab gives us three good reasons why her actions were rooted in faith instead of self preservation or selfish gain. The first one comes in v.9 when she says “I know that the LORD has given you this land.” She starts off by admitting what she knows to be true. She knows that God is not only with the Israelites, but that He has sent them and is going before them. Her statement also seems to imply that she believes the LORD’s will of giving them the land will certainly come to pass.

Secondly, she reinforces her previous statement by declaring that it was indeed God who performed the mighty acts that preserved the Israelites over the last forty years. She attributes the parting of the Red Sea as well as the Israelites’ victories over Sihon and Og to God.

Thirdly, Rahab makes her most profound statement yet. She says “for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.” This is an astounding confession. It indicates that God is not simply a regional god or the god of a specific people group but that God is transcendent of such gods. She declares that the God of the Israelites holds absolute authority over earth and heaven. He rules over any of the regional gods that the people of Jericho might have worshiped. Her statement showed that she believed God is who He actually is, and she therefore wanted to be part of what He was doing instead of opposing Him.

Rahab’s Exemplary Faith

Rahab appears two more times in the New Testament, and both times lift her up as an example of great faith. The author of Hebrews puts her in the same company of many of the pivotal figures of the Old Testament, who are seen as great examples of faithful followers of God, such as Able, Enoch, Abraham, and Moses (Heb. 11:31). Similarly, James puts her faith alongside Abraham as he illustrates how a person’s faith is brought to fruition by good works.

Rahab showed a deep level of faith in God when she embraced the Israelite spies and aided them in their mission. She did what all of us should do; she recognized God for who He really is – the absolute ruler over earth and heaven – and she adjusted her desires and actions based on that realization. Because of this, she is not only held up as a great example of faithfulness, but she also had the honor of being part of Jesus’ ancestry. God is always faithful, and Rahab is a great example of what God’s faithfulness looks like when we are faithful to Him.

So, instead of skipping over the next genealogy you come across, find a name you don’t know much about and dig more into it to find out what made that person significant.