Rahab: Inclusion in God's People
Scripture
Joshua 2 and 6:22-25
Literary
Genre
Joshua is a literary historical narrative. It has mostly military and conquest narratives along with a cataloging of people and places through stories. It focuses on an interpretation of events that will be for future generations of Israelites to remember and practices to follow.
Author
The date of the book is unknown, but seems certainly later than the time of the original events. It is likely compiled by a group scholars call “the Deuteronomists” whose point of view focuses on God’s benevolence and the obedience of God’s people. However, it also is likely that it has had editors involved later.
Audience
The audience is the people of Israel as a reminder of their history, God’s connection to them, and what is required for the covenant of their land and blessing to be upheld.
Main Characters
Rahab: a woman known in Jericho, a prostitute, who acts on behalf of the Hebrew spies
The two spies: sent by Joshua to look at Jericho
King and King’s men: those who are threatened by the Hebrews, know they’re in town, and looking to eradicate them
Joshua: sends the spies, he is the leader of the Hebrews as they walk toward their promised land of Canaan, he is Moses’ successor
Themes
Expansion
Jericho is one of the places that Israel conquers on its way to the “promised land.” This episode shows not only an expansion of their power and reputation, but with Rahab, we see the potential for the expansion of its people outside of its ethnic group.
Insiders and Outsiders
Rahab is an insider in Jericho who welcomes and protects outsiders, the Hebrew spies. In return, she is welcomed into the people of God — though in some ways remains an outsider.
Unexpected Righteousness
It is unusual to think of a prostitute — a profession we think poorly of — to be the one to recognize God’s power and align with God’s priorities. Rahab protects God’s people and advocates for her own inclusion, demonstrating that heroes come in many forms.
Agency and Initiative
Strangely enough, most of this story shows the Hebrew people as passive participants. Rahab is the driving force of action. She protects, she lies, she proclaims, and she asks. The agency of a woman would be surprising here, and it is not seen as a bad thing.
Language
Rahab: “expand,” “enlarge,” or “broad” … some have suggested it even means “God has a wide expanse” — in this way her name captures/hints at the expansive theme of the story
Lifetime
Brothels
Presumably, the “house of Rahab” is a brothel, given her vocation. The reason two Hebrew men might enter such an establishment when spying is that brothels tended to be centers of military personnel and gossip. If you were looking for the weakness of the enemy, this was the place to be. You could also hide in plain sight in a brothel because there would be a variety of people in there.
Treason
Rahab does more than lie to the king’s men. She actually commits treason because she actively hides his enemies and makes it possible for them to conquer. This was no small risk. If she was found out, she could be put to death.
Polytheism
Rahab makes a stunning confession to the spies: she has heard of their God and their God is feared. The stories they tell throughout Jericho (and beyond) show a God who does what multiple gods typically handle. Baal, for example, would control seas and rivers, but the Hebrew God is over land and sea -- making that God more powerful. It is unlikely she believes their God to be the only one, because polytheism is the presumed paradigm in the region at the time. It’s even possible Hebrews believed other gods existed, but theirs was most powerful. Regardless, Rahab chooses to take the side of the Hebrew God.
Prostitution and Idolatry
Foreign prostitutes are often used as negative images throughout Scripture, and idolatry is often associated with harlotry. So when we meet Rahab, it would be typical to assume the worst. She ought to be a caricature of everything bad, and yet, she is the one who has courage and conviction. She makes it possible for the people of God to continue their path to the promised land through her protection and her own proclamation of faith in their God.
Lenses
A few different takes from scholars of varying viewpoints:
Rahab is an example of civil disobedience.
She is an example of how God was for everyone and not just for Israel.
She shows the Hebrew spies how they would be victorious when they were blind to their own victory.
Her story calls back to passover (with the scarlet cord in for the blood of the lamb) and a call forward to Jesus’ blood.
Rahab is a symbol of the church because she secured the safety of her family through her faith and kindness.
Woven Together
Rahab's story powerfully illustrates God's inclusive love and the transformative power of faith. Despite her status as a Canaanite prostitute - an outsider in every sense - Rahab recognizes the power Israel's God and acts decisively on that belief. Her courage in harboring the spies and her bold request for inclusion demonstrate how faith can transcend societal boundaries and personal circumstances.
Rahab's voice, raised in self-advocacy, becomes a testament to God's expansive grace. By negotiating for her family's safety, she not only secures their physical survival but also their spiritual inclusion in God's people. Her actions challenge our preconceptions about who God can use and who belongs in the community of faith.
In a narrative often focused on conquest, Rahab's story is as an example of inclusion rather than destruction. She reminds us that God's plan of redemption often works through unexpected individuals, inviting us to look beyond outward appearances and societal labels to recognize faith wherever it manifests. Rahab's legacy encourages us to be both receptive to God's surprising choices and bold in our own faith journeys.
Conversation Starters
Why do you think Rahab took the chance to hide the spies?
What do you think motivated her confession – faith, fear, both?
What are some times you’ve felt you’ve had to take your life into your own hands? What was it like to balance that and your trust in divine action?
When is a time that you have seen divine action work on your behalf? Or is there a time, looking back, when you were a means of divine action for someone else?
What is one small way you can use your initiative for the good of others this week?