What does your past whisper to you?
Let me suggest a few from my own whispers: shame, regret, condemnation, disqualification.
Maybe these whispers haunt you from choices you made years ago. Maybe those choices were yesterday.
Today, we’re looking at Rahab, the second woman in Jesus’ family tree of Matthew 1. You can find the first two devotions in the series here.
Rahab — a woman, a Canaanite, a prostitute.
It’s absolutely eyebrow raising that Matthew names Rahab in Jesus’ family tree.
And yet, there are vital gospel lessons from Rahab in the lineage of Jesus.
Rahab’s story starts in Joshua 2. After wandering 40 years, Israel was poised to take the land of Canaan and the first city in its sights was Jericho. Joshua sent two spies into Jericho who went into the house of Rahab, a prostitute whose home was on Jericho’s walls.
Surely with all the unknown men going in and out of the prostitute’s house, the Hebrew men wouldn’t be noticed. But they were, and when Jericho’s king demanded Rahab turn over the spies, she bravely hid them in piles of flax on her roof, telling the king’s men they’d already fled.
That night, as the two spies were safely hidden on her roof, Rahab made a bold claim and request. We know the LORD has given you this land, she said, and Jericho is utterly helpless and hopeless.
But Rahab had one hope. One Who is Hope. “[T]he Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below,” she confessed and surrendered herself to God’s mercy.
She asked the spies to spare her life and her family’s lives when Israel attacked Jericho, just as she had spared the two spies. “Save us from death!” she pleaded. The spies promised to protect Rahab and gave her a scarlet cord to hang from her window. Safety would be guaranteed only those inside Rahab’s house.
As Jericho waited for attack, tension and fear were palpable. It grew worse as day after day the Israelite army marched silently around Jericho’s wall and then left.
Rahab kept the scarlet cord in the window of her house, where on the seventh day, the army advanced once more and marched seven times around Jericho’s thick walls. Suddenly, the Israelites let out a tremendous shout and the entire wall surrounding Jericho imploded on itself. Every bit of the city, its buildings, and its inhabitants were destroyed — except Rahab and her family.
“So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, and brothers—everyone connected with her. They got the whole family out and gave them a place outside the camp of Israel.” (Joshua 6:23)
But God didn’t leave Rahab outside the camp. He brought her smack dab to the center of Jesus’ family tree.
This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab.
Matthew 1:1-5
Okay, so Rahab was saved and brought into Israel. But why would God intentionally call Rahab out in Matthew’s lineage of Jesus?
3 Lessons from Rahab in Lineage of Jesus
1.God saves those with a past.
No matter what our past whispers to us, no matter what our past holds, our past is the reason Jesus was born.
Rahab can come across in scripture as a shrewd businesswoman who chose her profession to make a good living.
But maybe she was more like the women my dear friend ministers to in the adult entertainment world.
Perhaps Rahab came from a place of deep brokenness or childhood trauma. Maybe her past was one of pain or abuse that left her trapped by disrespect and shame.
Maybe Rahab had been rejected or abandoned and made a desperate choice to meet her growling stomach. Night after night, choice after desperate choice had become a life she never intended.
What whispers did Rahab hear? Condemnation? Fear? Shame? Worthlessness? Too many mistakes, too much regret and too late for change?
The good news is that no choice we ever make, no scars ever inflicted, no drink taken or words flung or body misused can keep us from the saving grace of Jesus.
Our past is never good enough to earn God’s salvation nor shocking enough to keep us from it.
2. God uses those with a past.
Maybe you can nod and amen that God can save anyone with a past but here’s where you get stuck: believing that God can use anyone with a past as well.
Let Rahab’s story convince you.
God used Rahab mightily despite her past. In the first battle to conquer the Promised Land, God used Rahab to not only save the spies, but save her family.
But God had even more for Rahab.
God used Rahab to shape the character, faith and godliness of a son named Boaz, who would one day rescue a young Moabite widow.
I wonder what whispers might be keeping you from letting God use you mightily? What is the enemy bringing up from years ago or even last week to taunt that you’re disqualified?
Do not give the enemy ground that Jesus has already taken. Jesus’ own lineage shows how God powerfully uses us despite our past.
3. God redefines those with a past.
When scripture mentions Rahab, she’s almost always called Rahab the harlot except in Matthew’s genealogy. Matthew calls her Rahab, mother of Boaz.
God redefined Rahab —
from a fallen woman to a chosen woman,
from a bad girl to a bride,
from a mess to a mother and
from prostitute to progenitor of the Messiah.
God redefines you and me as well.
Our shame? There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… (Romans 8:1)
Our sin? If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:19)
Our hopelessness? Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)
Our chains? Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34-36)
Our self-contempt? See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1)
Our fear? There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… (1 John 4:18)
Our rejection? But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)
Our disqualification? …and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (Col 1:12)
Our ostracization? Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household….” (Eph 2:19)
Rahab’s name in Jesus’ family tree shines the HOPE of Christmas:
God saves those of us with a past.
God uses those of us with a past.
God redefines those of us with a past.
READ Day 4 of the HOPE of Christmas. Ruth: the Greatest Love Story Ever Told.
Lisa, I love this series! For years I have marveled that the Holy Spirit would inspire Matthew to include these women in the lineage of Jesus. Thank you for taking the time and care to remind us that God loves us and has a plan for our good and His glory!
Thank you for this insight on Rahab; I never thought about how her life might have been as a child & young woman. I understand more so how God uses those that others may reject. I respect her knowledge of God & the works he had done for his people.
So powerful sermon indeed,may God help us recognise all this in his name Amen
Wow! This totally blessed me this morning as I study about Boaz. Totally new insight into the whole picture of how and what God May truly define “blended families!” And how He redeems it all with the Blood of Jesus and His Word and with faith and prayer! Thank you so much!
This study of Rahab was incredibly eye-opening for me. So great a Redeemer!
Her yesterday was silent. 😏Isaiah 43:18 Remember ye not the former things neither consider the things of old… 19Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth, shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert… Every one was annihilated in Jericho.., because GOD wanted to erase everyone with the past of rehab.. Because she will be included in the genealogy of JESUS christ..
Don’t forget Saul also was a persecutor of the church yesterday… But his tomorrow was an apostle of the Living GOD…
Yes. He indeed is a great redeemer
I’m just getting to read this. I must confessed..I’m in Awe.
Thank you so much for throwing in more Light.
Wow. Blessed by this.
I do believe I am just as equally qualified as Rahab due to my past. I also believe God is already and has been at work with me for quite a time. Thank God and Jesus for the mercy and grace given upon me. Glory to the Most High God.
I’m blessed
Yes God can use anybody. I have learnt not to write off anyone because He hasn’t finished His work on them. I am a testimony!
God bless you ma for all you do for the edification of the body of Christ.
The kindness she showed to the people of God became her point of remembrance.
I am truely blessed by this message. Just studied the book of Ruth now and i sincerely appreciate the link from Abraham to Rahab to Boaz to David and down to the birth of JESUS. Its such an eye opener. God truely is a merciful God, and HIS ways are way far from ours. Thank you for this message
So salmon and rehab had Boaz?!
Yes. Isn’t the way God works incredible? That Rahab would raise such an upstanding, godly young man who was above reproach toward women and willing to undertake his Levitical responsibility is good news for any woman counting on God to help us raise our kids.
Thank you for sharing these details Lisa! I’m studying Rahab and Naomi with some women and how each one of us hold value and purpose in God’s plans, no matter our background. Such helpful, rich content!
Wow I just come from such a background
May God have mercy on us
This message is thing of beauty. Thank you so much for bringing it to our attention.
Our past (or our famliy’s past) does not define who we are.
We were created for God’s purposes, and first and foremost; we are His.
I’m blessed with this powerful message. Thank u Jesus for saving my life
I am leading a small bible study Women of the bible, I am so blessed I stumbled upon this,it really helped by giving me new insight.Thank you so much.Blessings to you.🙏🏿
Thanks for sharing this with me I’m ready to learn more with you. Much Blessings.
Thanks for sharing this insights, it came at the right time. Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus
I’m so blessed with this exposition that those of us with ugly pasts can still be of value in the kingdom.Thank you Jesus for loving us despite our harmful shameful pasts.God bless you Liza.Amen
Wow this is such a blessing thank you so much. It made me realise how ironic it is that when we pray we ask to be like a Deborah a Rachel a hannah but never a Rahab. Could it be as Christians we only identify with what’s perfect outside as deemed and accepted by society. Thank you sooo much
Reading this article has totally blown my mind. Such a complete change of identity for Rahab. And that’s what our God does. He redefines us from the way people have defined us due to our past and present mistakes then He repackages us and re-introduces us to the world. I am so excited! This is such a powerful revelation.
God bless all of you
Thank you for making these brilliant lessons it helps me understand the point of these small things and understand
Glory be to God !
Come Lord Jesus Come
Thank you, your lesson was really helpful in preparing a teen devo on Rahab
What an uplift and refreshment. Just what I truly needed today. Thanks a lot dear sister.
Lisa,
My husband and I teach the adult Sunday School at our church. This year we are studying the Old Testament and this Sunday I will be teaching Joshua 1-8. I was fascinated with Rahab and determined to include this amazing woman in my lesson as more than just a few passing verses. I decided to Google her to see what the Judeo / Christian community had to say.
Thank you, thank you for your insights!
I would love permission to use your three lessons from Rahab. I will give you the credit, of course, and make available your website to class members.
Thank you. Jami Leavitt
This has truly blessed me. Now am digging in to the new projects fully never minding the nay Sayers after all it is my life that i will account for not theirs
Thanks and remain blessed Amen
Was doing a study on Rahab and found this. Wow! This ministered to my heart more than you’ll ever know!! Thank you Jesus!!!
Thank God’ giving the opportunity to read your article to learn more about Rahab, God can use anybody. Thank you for connecting the line together to understand the lineage of Jesus our Lord. May God bless you and use you mightily for His kingdom growth.
Thank you.
God bless you so much
What an insight on Rahab
Am really really blessed with this message
May I use this at my Women on Mission meeting at FBC PINEVILLE, LA?