Faith Model Rahab
Scripture Reading — Joshua 2:1-21; 6:22-25
The Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
Rahab took a great risk in hiding the two Israelite spies. She did that because she recognized the Israelites could not have crossed the Red Sea or survived forty years in the wilderness on their own power. She saw that God was the source of their strength. Though she was an outsider from Jericho, she understood who God is and what God can do.
Through the grace and mercy of God, this woman who was a prostitute and an outsider served as a witness to truth and a role model of faith. God used her story to remind Israel that they were not chosen because they were a great and mighty nation; they were chosen to be God’s people because of God’s compassion and mercy. God chose Rahab too.
Rahab became an ancestor of David. Matthew lists her in Jesus’ family tree, and the book of James names her as an example of Christian hospitality. The book of Hebrews also includes her in the roll call of heroes of faith. Rahab is our ancestor in faith. She saw that God was doing something new in the world, and God made her a part of it.
By faith, we also know that God is doing something new in the world. God is sending his Son to establish his kingdom everywhere. Soon we will celebrate his birth as we look forward with expectation and hope to his return to reign forever. Come, Lord Jesus!
You, Lord, are “God in heaven above and on the earth below.” We bow in worship before you. Come, Lord Jesus, and usher in your kingdom. In your name, Amen.
About the author — Thea Leunk
Thea Nyhoff Leunk has been a high school English teacher, a director of Christian education, a pastor of discipleship, and a regional coach for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. She is currently the senior pastor at Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Thea has also written courses for teens and young adults on world religions, Christian faith traditions, and science and the Bible. She and her husband have three adult children.
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