who was the biblical character rehab

Rehab became a central strategic figure of incomparable courage as she helped Israel to enter the promised land and subdue her own people. Whenever the Army of Israel entered Canaan, Rahab acted according to a prearranged plan and hung out a scarlet cord from the window of her establishment. Thus, she and her family were saved.

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Who was Rahab in the Bible?

Apr 01, 2019 · She is almost always mentioned in the Bible as “Rahab the harlot." But her story goes far beyond simply being a harlot, or "loose woman". Rahab was also a Canaanite, who were the hated enemies of Israel. The most remarkable deed of Rahab was actually telling a lie, to protect two spies of Joshua. Hence, it is strange that a Harlot, a ...

What can you learn from the Rahab story?

Rahab,a prostitute with in a house on the outer wall of the city, was an unlikely protagonist in the Israelites' epic defeat of Jericho. A humble and intelligent woman, she believed in the power of the Israelites' God. She told the spies, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the ...

How did Rahab hide the spies in the Bible?

Jan 04, 2022 · Many Bible commentators, eager to remove the stigma of the designation “harlot” from one included in the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:5), have described Rahab as a hostess or tavern keeper. But scriptural usage of the Hebrew word zanah (Leviticus 21:7-14; Deuteronomy 23:18; Judges 11:1; 1 Kings 3:16) and the authority of the apostles ...

Why do the men come to Rahab’s house?

Jan 22, 2020 · The Scarlet Cord: Rahab's Bible Story & Our Story. Her name was Rahab. You might think from her profession that she was destined to die an early death, to fade away into shame, the disgraced woman ...

Who is Rahab and what did she do?

Rahab (/ˈreɪhæb/; Hebrew: רָחָב‎, Modern: Raẖav, Tiberian: Rāḥāḇ, "broad", "large", Arabic: رحاب, a vast space of a land) was, according to the Book of Joshua, a woman who lived in Jericho in the Promised Land and assisted the Israelites in capturing the city by hiding two men who had been sent to scout the city prior ...

Who recovered in the Bible?

[18] And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. [19] And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.

What did Deborah do in the Bible?

In answering the call, Deborah became a singular biblical figure: a female military leader. She recruited a man, the general Barak, to stand by her side, telling him God wanted the armies of Israel to attack the Canaanites who were persecuting the highland tribes.Jan 25, 2008

What God says about recovery?

Jesus looked at them and said, “With men, it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” – Mark 10:27. Many times in recovery, the goal of long-term sobriety may seem out of reach or even impossible to achieve. This verse is a reminder that with God's help, recovery is indeed possible.Feb 8, 2021

What does the Bible say about response and recovery?

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Within this Bible verse for recovery, David speaks of the strength, safety, and deliverance he receives from God in his time of sorrow and fear.Aug 10, 2020

What was Deborah known for?

Deborah, also spelled Debbora, prophet and heroine in the Old Testament (Judg. 4 and 5), who inspired the Israelites to a mighty victory over their Canaanite oppressors (the people who lived in the Promised Land, later Palestine, that Moses spoke of before its conquest by the Israelites); the “Song of Deborah” (Judg.

What did Deborah accomplish?

Accomplishments of Deborah Deborah served as a wise judge, obeying God's commands. In a time of crisis, she trusted Jehovah and took steps to defeat King Jabin, Israel's oppressor.Feb 13, 2019

Why did God choose Deborah?

They were too tired and discouraged to fight. They needed someone to inspire them, and the Lord chose Deborah. If she had not been obedient to act on what the Lord told her to do, nothing would have changed. She used the place of trust and authority she had been given as a judge to inspire Barak to raise up an army.

What is Rahab's faith?

It was her belief in the sovereignty of the God of Israel that motivated her to help the spies and to leave behind the world she knew. James talks about Rahab's faith being proven by her actions ( James 2:25 ).

Who did Rahab marry?

She shows that with forgiveness there is no need to live in guilt and stay in our sinful ways. Once she joined the Israelites, Rahab married Salmon from the tribe of Judah, their son Boaz married Ruth, and their descendant was Jesus' earthly father Joseph ( Matthew 1:5 ).

What does James talk about in the Bible?

James talks about Rahab's faith being proven by her actions ( James 2:25 ). Rahab is the first Gentile recorded in the Bible as having converted to Judaism. In addition, she is a great example of the power of God to transform us from our sinful state into the person He wants us to be.

Who was the leader of the Israelites in the Promised Land?

However, the Promised Land was under the control of other nations. The Israelite leader, Joshua, sent two spies to survey the land, especially the city of Jericho, before they sought to overtake it. The spies lodged at the home of a prostitute named Rahab. However, the Israelites' reputation from defeating the Egyptians and ...

What does the Bible say about Rahab?

Many Bible commentators, eager to remove the stigma of the designation “harlot” from one included in the genealogy of Christ ( Matthew 1:5 ), have described Rahab as a hostess or tavern keeper.

Who was Rahab's husband?

Only Rahab and her family were spared. Ultimately, Rahab married Salmon, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. Her son was Boaz, the husband of Ruth. Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, is her direct descendant. Rahab was a young Canaanite prostitute and as such not a very likely candidate for a heroine of the faith.

Why was Rahab saved?

Second, Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was saved because of her faith in "God in heaven above and on the earth below" ( Hebrews 11:31 ). Likewise, Christians are saved through faith in Jesus Christ.

Was Rahab intelligent?

It is clear that Rahab was perceptive, intelligent and well informed. Rahab identified the spies for what they were, hid them, and had a plausible story ready with which to deceive the king’s agents. Rahab didn’t deny that she had entertained the men.

Was Rahab a pagan?

She was a citizen of a wicked city that was under God’s condemnation. Rahab was part of a corrupt, depraved, pagan culture. She had not benefited from the godly leadership of Moses or Joshua. However, Rahab had one asset—she had heard from the many men she came into contact with that the Israelites were to be feared.

What does the Bible say about salvation?

But the Bible tells us, concerning Jesus Christ, that "salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" ( Acts 4:12 ).

Was Rahab a prostitute?

Rahab was a young Canaanite prostitute and as such not a very likely candidate for a heroin e of the faith . Jericho was one of the principal seats of idol worship, being especially devoted to Ashtaroth, the goddess of the moon. Here was centered all that was the vilest and most degrading in the religion of the Canaanites.

Who was the harlot in the Bible?

The woman who had been called a harlot became a godly wife and mother in Israel . She and her husband became the parents of a boy named Boaz. And that boy would one day marry a widow woman by the name of Ruth ( Ruth 4:5, 10). Thus, as God worked all things together for the good, using the humble and the most unlikely, God raised up a harlot to become the great-great-grandmother of King David. From the line of Rahab came the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world, our God and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no more touching story of God's glorious grace than the genealogical introduction to the birth of Jesus by faith through the line of Joseph in Matthew chapter 1. Among the many stories that are interwoven in that wonderful section of the Bible, the woman of the scarlet cord takes her honored place.

Who recognized the God of Israel?

Rahab recognized the God of Israel. She trusted in him for the righteousness she could not produce in her own life: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

What does the Book of Joshua say about the first movement of the Conquest?

The Book of Joshua marks the moment and describes the first movements of the Conquest: “ And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, ‘Go, view the land , especially Jericho.’ And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there ” ( Joshua 2:1 ).

What is the scarlet cord of the covenant of God's grace?

How very beautiful to think that it is a scarlet cord of the covenant of God's grace that binds all of the Word of God together. And in Christ Jesus, the blood-stained crimson cross of shame became the gleaming symbol of salvation. Rahab’s faith in God engrafted her into a new family. Even more, Rahab was, soon, ...

Did Rahab believe in God?

She not only believed in God but she also acted. For Rahab trusted in God who fulfilled the covenantal promise to Abraham that he would be given land from which would bring a nation, and a descendant, who would bless the earth.

Was Rahab a prostitute?

Of course, the Canaanites were infamous for cultic prostitution related to idolatrous worship. It may very well have been that Rahab was "a religious prostitute” in pagan practices. We only know what the Bible reveals.

Who is Rahab in the Bible?

Place in history: Matthew 1:5. Rahab is one of only four women listed in Jesus’ genealogy. Bathsheba and Tamar both were similar in that their sinful and impure lives were recorded in the Bible. Ruth was a Moabite.

What does the Bible say about Rahab?

1. Prostitute – Rahab is identified in the Bible five times as a prostitute. Here are a few verses on this issue. Deuteronomy 23:17-18, Proverbs 6:20-7, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. Harlots were social and moral outcasts in Israel. They were the lowest parts of society. This is someone who routinely on a day to day basis sold herself for money to gratify others’ sexual lusts. As 1 Corinthians 6 shows, this life is incompatible with a life following after God. This lifestyle is never necessary either. God will always provide for His followers if they seek Him first. No believer has to turn to this life or any sin in order to provide for himself/herself. Unless we think we are better than her, see Matthew 5:27-28. Yes, Rahab was a sinner. But so are we all. We can’t reach God’s standard anymore than she could.

What does the name Rahab mean?

Name: Rahab. Meaning of name: Broad, spacious, vast. The first part “Ra” might come from the Egyptian god Ra. Ancestry and family life: Joshua 3:12-13. Rahab lived in Jericho. From these verses it is evident that many of Rahab’s family were alive at this time including her parents. Yet she appears to have her own house (2:1).

Who was Boaz's mother?

In addition, Rahab was the mother of Boaz by Salmon (Matthew 1:5). Jewish tradition says that Salmon was one of the two spies. The spies were likely leaders of households, so Salmon would have been a very respected leader in the community.

Who is Rahab in the Bible?

Who Was Rahab in the Bible? Rahab is one of five women listed in the genealogy of Jesus (Tamar, Bathsheba, Ruth, and Mary are the other three). This surprises a lot of people because Rahab’s life wasn’t a pretty one, but it certainly belongs.

How did Rahab put her life at risk?

Rahab put her life at risk several times while helping the spies. The first time is mentioned in Joshua 2:4-7 when soldiers came to her door demanding she brings the spies to them. Rahab leads the soldiers to believe the spies had come and gone.

What does "toxic" mean in a sentence?

It describes a toxic one, or more relate-ably a toxic person. It portrays a lack of commitment or diligence; sometimes to a task and other times towards a person or relationship. It’s deemed irresponsible. In Rahab’s case, it wasn’t any of those things. It was beautiful.

What did God promise the Canaanites?

While the Canaanites were living large and partying doing all the things that grotesquely sinful things (child sacrifices, idol worship, pagan rituals including but not limited to sexual perversions), God was faithfully bringing the Israelites to the land He had promised them in Genesis 15:18-21 and Exodus 33:1-3. (from here on out we’ll refer to it as the Promised Land). It had been 40 years since Joshua, Israel’s leader at the time, had set eyes on the promised land. They had the chance to occupy it once before under the leadership of Moses, but despite God’s promise fear got the best of them. Instead of occupying the land as instructed, they convinced themselves they weren’t strong enough and opted to return to Egypt; the land God had just freed them from (see Numbers chapters 13 & 14).

Who was the leader of Israel in the Promised Land?

Moses had passed and appointed Joshua as the new leader of Israel and with God’s blessing and instruction the Israelites were again preparing to enter Canaan (the Promised Land), starting with Jericho. This time around, instead of sending a group of spies to scout out the land, Joshua sent only two.

Was Rahab a prostitute?

The more common introduction (the reason people are shocked that she’d have the honor of being in the lineage of Jesus): Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute. A fairly popular one at that.

Who was Rahab's wife?

Some of the ancient Jewish fathers who held her in high reputation reckoned that she was the wife of Joshua himself, but in the royal genealogy of Jesus, Rahab is referred to as being the wife of Salmon, one of the two spies she sheltered.

What did Rahab learn from the Exodus?

It was from some of the travelers Rahab entertained and sinned with, that she came to learn the facts of the Exodus of Israel, the miracle of the Red Sea, and the overthrow of Sihon and Og. So, when the two spies from Joshua sought cover in her house, she knew that sooner or later the king of Jericho would get to know of the accommodation she gave them. Here were two men, different from other men who came seeking her favors. These were men of God, not idolaters, bent on one mission, namely, the overthrow of the enemies of His people, and brilliantly she planned their protection and escape. The flax that she spread on her roof and the scarlet cord she used as a sign indicated that Rahab manufactured linen and also dyed it. If only, like Lydia, she had kept to such an honorable occupation, what a different story would have been hers.

What does the name Rahab mean?

As an Amorite, Rahab belonged to an idolatrous people, and had a name meaning “insolence,” “fierceness,” or “broad,” “spaciousness.”

What is the harlot in the Bible?

Three times over Rahab is referred to as “the harlot,” and the Hebrew term zoonah and the Greek word porne have at no time meant anything else but “harlot”—a woman who yields herself indiscriminately to every man approaching her. Rahab indulged in venal wantonness as traveling merchants came her way and were housed in her illfamed abode. Evidently Rahab had her own house and lived apart from her parents and family. Although she never lost her concern for her dear ones, perhaps she was treated as a moral leper. We are told that prostitution was not regarded with the same horror then, as now, but the Bible with one voice speaks of harlotry with moral revulsion and social ostracism.

Did Rahab's scheme succeed?

Rahab’s skillful scheme succeeded. The two Jewish spies were in desperate straits, seeing the Amorite pursuers were hot on their trail, but Rahab, although her safety and patriotism as an Amorite would be assured if she informed against the spies, decided to hide and preserve them.

What did Rahab promise the spies?

As Rahab offered to shelter the spies and aid them in their escape, she received from them the promise that when they returned to her country, along with Joshua and his army, that she and her family would be spared alive. While her sin had possibly estranged her from her loved ones, she was concerned about their safety as well as her own. Rahab wanted the kindness she was showing the spies to be reciprocated, and they assured her that she would be dealt with “kindly and truly.” The spies said, “Our life for yours if ye utter not this our business.” Then the sign of the scarlet rope—their means of escape—was arranged. “According unto thy words, so be it,” said Rahab as she let the spies down, and making fast the scarlet rope, she awaited her own deliverance. That red token at the window was likewise a signal to the outside world that Rahab believed in the ultimate triumph of Jehovah.

Was Rahab a harlot?

The Bible, however, makes no attempt to smooth over the unpleasant fact that Rahab had been a harlot.

What does Rahab say about faith?

Rahab’s faith led not only to a strong statement about Israel’s God: “Your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”. It also led to a strong action for the people of God. Someone has said that “faith is a step, not just a statement.”.

Who were the twelve tribes of Israel?

God’s people, the twelve tribes of Israel, were held as slaves in Egypt. Under the leadership of a remarkable family trio—Moses, Aaron, and Miriam—God delivered His people. When through unbelief these people refused to enter the Promised Land, they wandered for forty years in the Sinai Peninsula.

Who secretly sent two spies from Shittim?

Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.”. So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. That’s the setting: Israelite preparations for war, spies, and questions of loyalty and patriotism.

What was Joshua's plan for the battle?

And with that God gave Joshua one of the strangest battle plans ever recorded. He was to organize a parade. At the head were some armed soldiers followed by seven priests carrying instruments made of rams’ horns. Then came more priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant, followed by more armed soldiers.

Who said "Look some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land"?

The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”. So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”. But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them.

What was the first city the Israelites would have to take?

THE CITY OF JERICHO. The first city the Israelites would have to take was Jericho, the City of Palms. It controlled a lush green valley. God had promised His people a land flowing with milk and honey, and the first city in their path was one that filled that description perfectly.