How does Rahab's action in Joshua 2:15 demonstrate faith in God's plan? The context behind the rope • Joshua 2:15 tells us, “Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall.” • Jericho’s walls were thick, fortified, and closely guarded. No one simply slipped out unnoticed—yet Rahab chose that dangerous route for the spies because she believed God was overturning Jericho’s defenses. What Rahab risked • Her life: Aiding enemy agents was high treason (Joshua 2:3). • Her livelihood: The home attached to the wall doubled as her business; discovery would have ended both. • Her future: She staked everything on Israel’s God rather than Jericho’s king. Why the act itself was an expression of faith • Acting on unseen evidence – Rahab had only heard reports: “We have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea …” (Joshua 2:10). – She treated hearsay as certainty because she trusted the Lord’s past deeds to guarantee His future victory. • Aligning with God over her culture – She deliberately sided with Yahweh’s people, forsaking her own nation’s idols (Joshua 2:11). – That shift shows repentance and allegiance—not mere sympathy for the spies. • Placing confidence in God’s mercy – Having secured a promise of protection (Joshua 2:12-14), she obeyed instructions without delay, convinced God would honor the oath. Scripture’s own verdict on her faith • “By faith Rahab the prostitute, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.” (Hebrews 11:31) • “Was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another route?” (James 2:25) – Both writers highlight that faith becomes visible through obedient action—precisely what the rope and window illustrate. Foreshadowing God’s redemptive plan • The scarlet cord soon to hang from that same window (Joshua 2:18-21) points ahead to blood-covered salvation. • Rahab’s rescue leads to her place in Messiah’s genealogy (Matthew 1:5), showing God’s intent to redeem outsiders who believe. Take-home principles • Genuine faith moves beyond words to costly obedience. • God honors even fledgling faith when it abandons old loyalties for Him. • No background or past sin disqualifies a person who entrusts everything to the Lord’s purposes. |
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